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Can an insurance company recant liability and ask for a refund one month after paying me for damages to my vehicle?

The insurance company contacted me after the car accident, sent their adjuster, called me with estimated damages, and offered to pay me for damages. They emailed it to me in writing and deposited money into my bank account directly. Then a month later, asked me for the money back saying their insured wasn't liable. Can they do that?

Nov 19, 2019 Jacksonville, FL

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Author profile picture

Kristine Lee

Insurance Analyst

Kristine is a licensed insurance agent who joined The Zebra in 2019 as an in-house content researcher and writer. Before joining The Zebra, she was a…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • 5+ years of Experience in the Insurance Industry

I have not heard of a claim decision being reversed and asking for the claims payout money back. They should be providing you with evidence of why they are refusing to pay the claim — if you haven't asked for this already, you should demand it. I strongly advise getting help from someone who is an expert in claims if they can't provide a clear explanation of why this happened. It sounds very fishy to me.

Hopefully, you can get this resolved soon. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

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