Policyholders often think that once their insurance company has agreed to cover their claim, their obligations are done and nothing can go wrong. That is not the case. Things policyholders do before and after they receive their insurance policies can have a large impact on the coverage they ultimately receive. Unfortunately, far too often, insurers rescind coverage based on information policyholders provide during the application process or following a claim.

Although these requests often seem innocuous, insurers regularly use the gathered information to shirk their coverage obligations. Thus, it is critical for policyholders to understand their coverage needs, the coverage provided by the policies and any policy limitations to ensure they don't inadvertently give information insurers will use against them. This article analyzes a policyholder's duty to cooperate with its insurer, the extent of the obligations owed, insurer attempts to fish for information to later avoid coverage, and what policyholders can do to protect themselves.