Estoppel

Estoppel is the legal doctrine that prevents a person from denial of the truth of a previous representation of fact, especially when such representation has been relied on by the one to whom the statement was made.

If you have received information from someone that you believe has authority to make the statement then this doctrine could force an action in compliance with that information.

An example is when the appraiser leads you to believe that your claim will be paid. If the insurer then denies the claim you could dispute the ruling. The appraiser is a person in authority who could appear to represent the insurance company.

Talk to your broker or agent if you have a concern about estoppel.