Insurance companies know one simple truth: delay works in their favor.

When a claimant stops receiving responses, explanations, or decisions, the insurer is often not confused or overwhelmed—it is buying time, wearing the claimant down, and quietly protecting its bottom line.

Silence, in the insurance world, is rarely accidental.

Silence Is a Strategy, Not a Mistake

Claimants frequently contact us after months of unanswered emails, vague status updates, or repeated requests for “additional time” to review a claim.

This conduct is not neutral. It has real consequences:

  • Medical bills go unpaid
  • Mortgage and rent payments fall behind
  • Treatment is delayed or abandoned
  • Claimants lose appeal rights by missing deadlines

For disabled individuals or grieving families, silence is not just frustrating—it is financially and emotionally destructive.

What the Law Requires Insurers to Do

Insurance companies are not free to ignore claimants.

Under federal and state law, insurers must:

  • Communicate clearly and promptly
  • Provide written explanations for claim decisions
  • Identify what information is needed to perfect a claim
  • Issue decisions within strict deadlines

When insurers fail to do these things, they are not merely being unresponsive—they may be violating their legal obligations.

ERISA Claims: Silence Is Especially Dangerous

In ERISA-governed claims, silence can be fatal.

Why? Because:

  • Appeal deadlines continue to run
  • The administrative record is closing
  • Courts often limit evidence to what was submitted during the claim process

If an insurer delays and the claimant waits passively, critical rights can be lost permanently.

Insurers know this. They count on it.

Common Silence Tactics Used by Insurers

We routinely see insurers:

  • Acknowledge receipt of documents but never respond
  • Reassign claims to “new reviewers” repeatedly
  • Claim they are waiting on medical reviews that never materialize
  • Ignore direct questions while continuing internal reviews

These tactics create confusion and exhaustion—and they work unless challenged.

Why Early Legal Intervention Matters

An experienced insurance or ERISA attorney does not simply “wait” for the insurer to respond.

Legal counsel can:

  • Force written accountability
  • Demand compliance with statutory deadlines
  • Preserve appeal rights
  • Build a record that exposes delay and bad faith

Once insurers know they are being watched—and documented—their silence often ends quickly.

Do Not Let Silence Decide Your Claim

If your insurer has gone quiet, that is not a sign to wait longer.
It is a signal to act.

Silence can cost you benefits, medical care, and legal rights.
And once those rights are gone, courts often cannot restore them.

📞 If your insurance company has stopped responding, contact Stennett & Casino before your deadlines expire.