Most places I've dealt with are pretty cooperative, but I've seen a few get twitchy about privacy. Usually, if you approach them friendly and explain the situation clearly, they're willing to help out—especially if it's a small business. Big chains can be trickier, though; sometimes they'll insist on a formal request or even a subpoena. Had one client who had to jump through hoops just to get footage of his own slip-and-fall... bureaucracy at its finest, lol.
I've had similar experiences with bigger chains—they can be sticklers for paperwork. If your claim got denied, have you tried requesting a detailed explanation from the insurance company yet? Sometimes just asking them to clarify exactly why they denied it can help you pinpoint what evidence or documentation you're missing. Once you know that, you can approach the business again with a clearer idea of what you need. Might save you some headaches down the road... Did they give you any specific reasons in their denial letter?
I had something kinda similar happen when I first got insurance. My claim got denied and their reason was super vague—just said something about "insufficient documentation." When I finally called them up, turns out I just forgot to submit one little form from the doctor. Felt silly, but once I got that sorted, they approved it pretty quickly. Did your denial letter mention anything about missing documents or did it just leave you guessing?
"Did your denial letter mention anything about missing documents or did it just leave you guessing?"
Mine was pretty vague too, just said something like "additional information required," which didn't help at all. I ended up calling them directly to clarify. Turns out they needed photos of the damage from a different angle—something they never clearly asked for initially. Always worth double-checking with them directly, insurance companies aren't exactly known for being proactive about these things...
"insurance companies aren't exactly known for being proactive about these things..."
I get why it feels that way, but honestly, it's not always intentional vagueness. A lot of times, the adjuster handling your claim is juggling multiple cases and might assume certain details are obvious when they're not. Definitely frustrating, I know... but reaching out directly usually clears things up pretty quickly. Most adjusters I've worked with genuinely want to help—they just need a nudge sometimes to clarify exactly what's missing.