FAQs
Questions About Insurance Research Services
A Policy Limits Trace requires that you provide the name of the Insurer and a Policy or Claim Number. A Policy Limits Trace seeks to identify the policy limits of the policy number specified on the Request Form as they were on the date of loss provided. Please note that a Policy Limits Trace does not determine whether a policy was in effect on a specific date of loss, nor does it verify whether a particular vehicle or specific property was insured under the policy. If the limits of the policy that you have requested are successfully identified, you will be invoiced even if the policy was not in effect on the date of loss that you provided and/or didn’t cover a specific loss regardless of the reason.
A Policy Existence Trace seeks to identify a policy of the type you specify, effective on the date of loss provided and covering the defendant entity/individual listed on your Request Form. A successful Policy Existence Trace will provide the Insurer's Name, Address and Phone Number to you.
A Policy Number Trace is an “add-on” service which seeks to identify the policy number for a policy that you know to be in effect for a target defendant with a specific insurance company. Please note that the results of a Policy Number Trace do not include Policy Limits or Policy Existence.
Complete our standard Request For Tracing Policy Information Form, which you can download from this web site, or e-mail/call us and we will send you a copy. Then simply email or fax the Request Form to our office.
At the completion of our research you will be supplied, with a typed [usually one-page] report outlining the full name, address and phone number of the insurance carrier and/or agent the coverage was placed through. If we were unable to find any coverage, you be supplied with a typed [usually one-page] report to that effect.
No, we have neither the capability nor authority to provide a copy of either of these documents.
You will be provided an invoice at the conclusion of our research. This invoice is payable via check and due within 15 days of issuance.
If we are provided all necessary information to commence our research, the average turnaround time is 15 -20 business days.
We promise to put your case ahead of all other non-rush cases and work on it as expeditiously as possible. However, it is no more feasible for us to promise a specific date to complete our research than it is for you to advise your client the exact date his/her claim will be settled.
Yes. We also have the ability to research foreign and international policies. Additional fees apply.
Currently, we supply our service to thousands of plaintiff lawyers across the country.
In the exact same fashion as a standard Policy Limits or Existence search where there is one specific date of loss. A separate “Period of Loss” flat fee (see Fee Schedule) will apply. Additionally, as more than one policy may have been written covering the time frame in question, you will be billed for each policy we identify.
While there are no hard and set rules, we suggest that you submit one request form per case, per defendant.
Please provide a memorandum to accompany the Request Form, along with any other useful material that will help explain the underlying circumstances of your research request.
The purpose of the service provided by MLRG is simply to provide you with the insurance carrier and/or agent the defendant is insured with for the type of coverage requested. We have no control of the wording or exclusions of the policy reported.
No, we must supply you with the insurance details for the "specific" type coverage you requested before we can charge you.
While this rarely occurs, there would be no charge for the policy number search or the policy limits search, however the fee for the insurance details would be payable.
If we find two policies, you will be charged for two searches - even if the umbrella/excess is with the same insurer as the primary cover.
Yes. Our search is done strictly on the basis of locating an insurance policy that is in existence for a named defendant on a particular date of loss. Unfortunately, we are not able to "dig into" specific policy language to determine the policy’s inclusions or exclusions. As a result, you will be invoiced in accordance with our fee schedule for each policy found for that defendant, unless we are unable to find any policy in effect on the specific date of loss for the named defendant.
No, while we will search under all names, we only charge on a per policy basis. So, if we only find one policy under one or more of the names provided, it will be charged as one search.
Yes, we have the capability to attempt to trace any type of liability insurance. Our researchers have traced coverage from basic auto accident cases to complex mesothelioma cases dating back to the late 1950's. We know of no type of liability coverage that we are unable to attempt to trace.
Currently, this is not an area we have expanded into. We are considering offering this in the future.
Yes, indeed we can. However we ask that you supply us with the primary coverage details when making the request. This is for two reasons: (1) These details may provide "telltale" information that would assist us in tracing additional coverage; and (2) we want to be somewhat satisfied that the potential exists that the defendant might carry such coverage. The majority of insurance carriers will not write an umbrella policy unless the primary policy limits are at a minimum of $250,000 / $500,000. In other words we would not search for umbrella/excess coverage on a defendant with minimum limits coverage on his/her vehicle, etc.
Yes, we can help. However, in order to avoid a conflict of who found what policies, we would simply ask that you supply these details at the time of your request. You will not be billed for policies you are already aware of provided you have made them known to us in advance.
No, we only charge if we locate a policy in effect on the date of loss. If you received an invoice we will void it. If you have already paid the invoice you will receive a full refund. We would only ask that your office supply us with a copy of the document from the insurance carrier evidencing your position about the reported policy.