(5.0 / 60+ Google reviews)
Get an insurance lawyer’s free assessment
Get the compensation your policy wording entitles you to, with help from an insurance lawyer who has reviewed more than 10,000 claims decisions.
- 01Save time by having an expert check the claims decision for you
- 02No need to decode the insurer’s jargon yourself
- 03Peace of mind about whether the decision is right
- 04No cost risk, because asking for a free assessment does not commit you to anything
The form takes about one minute to fill in.
I do every assessment myself, so I can only go through a limited number of decisions each week.
“Since 2021, we have given more than 1,000 free assessments of whether a claims decision was correct.”
“Since 2021, we have given more than 1,000 free assessments of whether a claims decision was correct.”
What our clients say about our service
Our clients write their Google reviews in Finnish. The reviews below are our English translations, and each one links to the original on Google.
“Fast and excellent service! Recommended! With Petteri’s advice, the insurance company’s decision was reversed in my favour on reconsideration.”
I got really good service. Even though this did not lead to further action, I got enough help.
The final answer to my question also came quickly, and the text was something an ordinary person can understand too. Warmly recommended.
I got a poor offer from the insurance company in a damages matter. Petteri Pitkämäki took on the case and the compensation went up significantly.
Professional, quick help. He did not recommend challenging my case, and that gave clarity in a difficult situation. Thank you.
With Petteri’s friendly and quick service, I got the insurance company’s negative decision turned into a positive one. Petteri gave me a ready-made reply to send to the insurance company, and it worked.
Got the claims decision changed from negative to positive, and then the rating has to be 5/5.
We got help with our matter from the insurance lawyer quickly and free of charge.
Good, fast and above all clear service. I got clear information on what options I have for taking the matter forward.
Quick contact. A knowledgeable and realistic assessment of the situation, with options. Recommended.
The contact came quickly. I got good advice and tips on how best to proceed with the matter.
Even though, unfortunately, no action came of my own insurance matter, I am very grateful that I got a professional’s assessment and peace of mind that the insurance company’s decision was justified.
Petteri claimed his own fees directly from my insurance company, because my legal expenses insurance covered these costs. … Only a small part was left to pay. … the insurance company changed its decision and decided to pay for all of the damage.
Petteri Pitkämäki got back to me the very next day … Explained clearly what it was about, what the chances were of challenging the insurance company and what the steps would mean and cost.
Quick and knowledgeable advice on a request to correct a claims decision. With the help of the advice, the request to correct the original claims decision went through at the insurance company.
Skilled, friendly and above all professional help. With the advice and help, I saved thousands of euros with the insurance company
…after two negative decisions I was already about to give up. … We were able to cover the legal fees from the legal expenses insurance in our home insurance. With Petteri’s help, we finally got a favourable and fair claims decision.
Insurance lawyer Petteri Pitkämäki handled a consumer dispute with the insurance company on my behalf with expertise and professional skill, and got a fair correction to the negative claims decision.
The insurance company rejected my claim twice … I was already about to give up, but spurred on by the tips Pitkämäki gave me, I appealed the decision to the insurance company’s customer ombudsman. The appeal went through …
Good, knowledgeable tips. The insurance company’s decision changed when I questioned their actions. Thank you Petteri!
Vakuutusjuristi Pitkämäki Oy has handled a consumer dispute with the insurance company on my behalf. … obtained a unanimous favourable decision from the board even though the other party used outside experts to support it.
Professional help with sorting out claims matters with insurance companies. I could not have sorted out and arranged things legally as well on my own.
With Pitkämäki’s professional skill we achieved a significant saving and, above all, we noticed that the insurance company’s views are not always right.
Good and quick initial advice. I am very satisfied with the knowledgeable service I received.
Knowledgeable and friendly service! I got help in a difficult situation and I definitely recommend it!
I called for an initial consultation. I got excellent and knowledgeable service.
Here I got a really good comment on my ongoing claim/insurance process, a fresh view and something completely different from what I had received before. A positive experience.
I recommend that others who have been treated unfairly by an insurance company also get an experienced lawyer to handle the matter.
Recommended if you have doubts about an insurance decision and want a professional’s assessment of it!
The housing company’s insurance case was handled excellently and the service was as promised.
The matter was handled quickly and effortlessly.
Petteri looked into our case and gave really good advice and comments on how to act in an insurance dispute.
The answer came quickly and I got confirmation on my matter!
Thank you for the quick and very thorough answer! Recommended, the service is knowledgeable.
Fast and knowledgeable service.
Quick help and advice on how to proceed in a water damage matter caused by a tenant.
A very quick and comprehensive answer to my question. I am very satisfied.
A very professional and competent person.
Good and knowledgeable advice by phone, recommended.
Careful attention to the damages matter that was raised!
Very good service and expertise, even though the insurance company’s decision is unlikely to change.
Knowledgeable advice in my case, where I am dissatisfied with the insurance company’s claims decision. Regards, TOM D
Very good, knowledgeable help for fighting with insurance companies.
I got a lot of useful advice on my insurance matter despite the insurance company’s negative claims decision.
Professional knowhow and very good service.
I got answers to all my questions, and now I have the energy again to go and fight windmills (the insurance company)
Very good service, and help was found here for those in need.
Good service. Thank you!
I got knowledgeable, calm and honest legal help, thank you!
If an insured event happens, there is no point in being left on edge wondering whether the clear claims decision you have been waiting for is coming.
I sought help with the insurance company’s negative decision on damage to my home. The lawyer drew up a request for reconsideration and the decision was corrected.
Knowledgeable service and specialist knowledge of the insurance sector.
Very knowledgeable legal service and advice on insurance matters. Warmly recommended!
You notice right away that it is a very professional approach to the matter. Recommended 😊
Petteri has a sensibly firm grip on insurance matters. Recommended.
How it works
A free assessment helps when you have no time or energy to handle the claim yourself
Asking for an assessment is quick and easy, and it does not commit you to anything.
- 01
Fill in the form
A general description of the loss and of the reasons the insurer gave for the denial is usually enough for an assessment. You get the most detailed answer if you also email us the insurer’s claims decision, and a photo of it taken with your phone is fine. You can write to us in English, and the decision and policy documents can stay in Finnish.
- 02
I assess the claims decision
I have handled losses for business and consumer clients for more than 10 years, so I have seen thousands upon thousands of claims decisions on every kind of insurance. Whether it is broken property, water damage, a car accident, compensation for an accidental injury or any other loss, I can quickly see whether the decision is worth challenging.
- 03
You find out whether the decision is right
You get the free assessment by the contact method you choose, email or phone. With an expert’s view in hand, you can decide whether the insurer’s decision is worth challenging. You can also take the matter forward on your own after the assessment, because asking for one does not commit you to anything.
- 04
An answer in under 24 hours at best
At best, you find out on the same day whether the claims decision is correct.
When an assessment helps
When the insurer’s decision does not feel right
You can ask for an assessment when the insurer has denied your claim or paid less than you expected. These are typical situations.
- The claim was denied in full
- The compensation was too low
- Caught between the housing company’s insurance and your own
- Someone else caused the damage
- An accidental injury was put down to an old injury or degeneration
Resolved insurance disputes
The insurer said no at first, but we got the decision corrected
In these cases the insurer denied the claim or paid only part of it. With our help, the decision changed.
Permanent shoulder impairment
- The insurer
- Compensation for permanent impairment was refused because, according to the insurer, the symptoms came from an earlier shoulder operation.
- We
- The shoulder had worked without symptoms for five years in heavy physical work. The treating orthopaedic surgeon found that the accident caused the impairment.
over 15,000 € in compensation
Washing machine leak
- The insurer
- Denied the claim twice, first as faulty workmanship and then as user error.
- We
- Emptying the lint filter is normal use of a washing machine, and a human slip while doing it is not the user error the policy wording refers to.
5,000 € in compensation
A bill after the total loss payout
- The insurer
- Paid 68,200 euros for the car as a total loss. A month later it demanded half of it back, based on speed data from the car’s on-board computer.
- We
- Obtained a technical expert opinion and challenged the insurer’s reading of the on-board computer data.
34,100 € clawback stopped
Motorcycle theft
- The insurer
- Treated a typing error in the mileage as fraud and refused to pay for the theft.
- We
- Argued that the insurer had not shown that the client tried to mislead it.
The Insurance Complaints Board recommended paying for the theft
A new home or the current value?
- The insurer
- Would not pay for a new house to replace the one that burned down, because it said the house was worth less than half the price of a new one. It paid 88,000 €.
- We
- The insurer’s calculation left out the renovations made to the house. We obtained an expert opinion showing that the value of the house was above the 50 % threshold.
Right to a new home worth 290,000 €
Large leak inside a wall
- The insurer
- A pipe joint leaked inside a wall, and moisture spread across a large part of the garage ceiling below. The insurer denied the claim twice because the joint had been pressure tested.
- We
- Showed that the pressure test could not have been done on the date given in the test record.
The insurer paid 2/3 of the extensive water damage
How often do we get the decision overturned?
Of all assignments concluded in 2021–2025, we got the insurer’s claim denial overturned in 68 % of cases. Where we rated the chances of a correction as good, the decision was overturned in 91 % of assignments.
For comparison, the decision changed in about 33 % of the cases FINE handled in 2025.
This does not mean we get every decision overturned. What the success rate does show is that when we see grounds to challenge a decision, that assessment is almost always right.
If I think the chances are poor, I tell you straight, and you get no bill for the assessment.
- When we rated the chances as good91 %
- All our assignments68 %
- FINE 2025: decision changed33 %
As many as 33 % of the decisions appealed to the board are wrong
33 % wrong 67 % in line with the policy wording
Source: FINE Annual Report 2025, p. 19
Of the insurers’ decisions handled by the Insurance Complaints Board in 2025, about 33 % were wrong. They ended either in a settlement with the insurer or in a board recommendation that the insurer change its decision (FINE Annual Report 2025, p. 19).
The share of wrong decisions has been similar in earlier years. On average, about 33–37 % of the insurers’ decisions handled by the board have changed after an appeal.
Because many people accept the insurer’s denial and do not have the energy to fight it, a large number of claims that should have been paid are never paid.
Free assessment
What you get when you send us the decision for assessment
| You get | You will not get |
|---|---|
| An assessment of whether the decision follows the policy wording | A bill |
| An assessment of how likely the decision is to change | A commitment to anything |
| A recommendation on the next step, also when an appeal is not worth it | Sales calls |
| An answer by the method you choose, email or phone |
“He did not recommend challenging my case, and that gave clarity in a difficult situation.”
Free assessment
What you get when you send us the decision for assessment
You get
- An assessment of whether the decision follows the policy wording
- An assessment of how likely the decision is to change
- A recommendation on the next step, also when an appeal is not worth it
- An answer by the method you choose, email or phone
You will not get
- A bill
- A commitment to anything
- Sales calls
“He did not recommend challenging my case, and that gave clarity in a difficult situation.”
Price
What our help costs if you want us to challenge the decision for you
The assessment is always free. If we decide together to go further, the cost depends on whether you have legal expenses insurance.
The assessment does not commit you to anything. You can also handle the matter yourself afterwards.
We claim the costs from your legal expenses insurance for you. You pay the deductible of the policy.
Our fee is a share of the additional compensation you receive. If there is no additional compensation, you pay nothing.
The hourly rate is 329 €/h (incl. 25.5 % VAT). You get no bill for the assessment. If you instruct us to take on the case, the time spent on the assessment is included in the hours of the assignment. Pricing is agreed in writing before any work starts.
Not sure whether to appeal the decision?
When the decision finally arrives, all too often it makes no sense at all.
Don’t spend your own time checking the decision. Let an expert check it for you.
If the decision may be wrong, I tell you how likely it is to change. And if the decision looks right to me, I tell you that just as openly.
A free assessment gives you peace of mind about whether the decision was really right.
“Do I have to read the policy wording from start to finish to understand the decision? Will going through it take my whole evening, when I have other things to do?”
Does it feel like the insurer is just dragging out your claim?
You have explained the same things to the claims handler many times and nothing moves. What else can you do?
You cannot reach the handler, nobody returns your calls, or the claims decision you were promised never arrives.
It should not work like this, but sometimes it takes a lawyer’s letter to the insurer to get the claim moving again.
There is no point fighting a losing battle on your own.
The insurer sees the loss completely differently from you?
Why is water damage refused as a construction or installation fault when nothing was done wrong? Why was storm damage refused when even the newspaper called it a storm?
I have handled thousands of claims decisions, so I can quickly tell when the insurer’s decision is right and when it may be wrong. With an expert’s help, you do not have to keep wondering later whether the insurer got it right after all.
Even when the insurer’s denial looks well reasoned, it can still be wrong.
Is the compensation far too low?
If the claim is denied, do you always have to pay the repair costs yourself? Does nobody pay the extra costs of temporary accommodation? Who pays for a replacement car while yours is being repaired?
A claim denial almost always brings extra stress. On top of challenging it, you may need another car for getting to work or taking a child to daycare, somewhere else to live because you cannot stay at home during the repairs, or the money to get the repairs started.
All of this has to happen while you also try to find the time to check whether the decision is right.
A free assessment from an insurance lawyer also shows you what other ways there may be to get compensation.
Get your decision checked hereWhy choose us?
We have one goal, which is getting you the right compensation from the insurer.
- 5,000+working days on insurance matters only
- 10,000+claims decisions reviewed
- Hundredsof complaints to FINE
- 7degrees and qualifications
Vakuutusjuristi Pitkämäki Oy is a law firm that specialises only in insurance disputes. We act for you in the cases where we know we are at our best.
Who does the assessment
“I founded a law firm specialising in insurance disputes because in my ten years in the insurance industry I saw how many claims decisions are wrong.
Yet it is hard, if not impossible, to judge whether a decision is correct unless you are an expert in the field.
I believe everyone has the right to the compensation their policy wording provides. I am confident enough in my ability to help with insurance disputes that I assess claims decisions completely free of charge.
Nor do you need to worry that I lack the training or experience to handle insurance matters. I have written books in the field, and I am listed in the public register of licensed legal counsel. That is only possible because I hold a Master of Laws degree and have passed the Finnish bar examination (link to the public register).”
Petteri PitkämäkiFounder, Licensed Legal Counsel, LL.M.
Get a lawyer’s assessmentPublished books
I have worked at an insurance company writing policy wordings and handled insurance disputes worth tens of millions of euros. I have also written books on insurance.
In 2023, a book I wrote with a colleague on specialty financial and liability insurance for companies was published.
- Financial loss liability insurance (PI)varallisuusvastuuvakuutus
- Consultant liability insurance (PI)konsulttivastuuvakuutus
- Professional indemnity insurance (PI)ammatillinen vastuuvakuutus
- Investment management insurance (IMI)pääomasijoitusyhtiön vastuuvakuutus
- Directors and officers liability insurance (D&O)johdon vastuuvakuutus
- Crime insurancerikosvakuutus
- Kidnap and ransom insurance (K&R)kidnappaus- ja lunnasvakuutus
- M&A insurance and warranty and indemnity insurance (W&I)fuusioiden ja yrityskauppojen vakuutus
The book includes examples of how these policies are used and how exclusions are applied. It also covers key Supreme Court judgments and Insurance Complaints Board recommendations on how legal liability arises and how exclusions apply.
The book was published by Aalto University Executive Education Oy (formerly FINVA), which has published most of the standard works on insurance in Finland.
Frequently asked questions
Costs and insurance
Will one of my insurance policies pay the lawyer’s fees?
Most likely, yes.
Most people have legal expenses insurance as part of their home insurance. It can also be included in comprehensive car or boat insurance (kasko) and, for example, in travel insurance.
If you have this cover, it pays lawyer’s fees in insurance disputes too. And contrary to what people sometimes think, it does cover disputes with your own insurer as well.
Every assignment automatically includes claiming the costs from your legal expenses insurance, so you only pay the deductible of the policy (for example 15 % of the costs, at least 170 euros).
Companies often have legal expenses insurance as part of their other business insurance. It also covers disputes with the company’s own insurer or another insurer.
What does the service cost?
Our legal services cost 329 €/h (incl. 25.5 % VAT).
The initial assessment of a loss is always free, unless it leads to an assignment. If it does, the time spent on the assessment is billed under the agreed pricing.
We can also agree a fixed fee for a specific task (for example, assessing whether a claims decision is correct).
If legal expenses insurance is not available, we can in some cases take on the matter for a success fee. Our fee is then a percentage of the additional compensation won, and we charge it only if the insurer pays additional compensation. If no additional compensation is paid, our help is free.
How much will handling the dispute cost?
A typical assignment takes about 10–20 hours. Complex cases, or cases taken to the Insurance Complaints Board, usually take about 20–30 hours.
If legal expenses insurance covers the dispute, your own share after its compensation is on average about 700–1,400 €.
Wouldn’t it make sense to take the insurer straight to court?
Legal fees in the district court can be around 5,000 € even in a simple insurance dispute. In anything more complex, they are often over 10,000 €.
On top of your own legal fees, there is the risk of paying the other side’s costs, because as a rule the losing party also pays the winning party’s legal fees. The real cost risk is then often 10,000–20,000 € for the district court alone.
With a cost risk that size, it makes no sense to skip the free ways of appealing a decision. A claims decision can very likely be corrected without expensive litigation.
Appeals
Do the insurer, FINE or LIIPO charge for a request for reconsideration?
No. The insurer’s internal appeal routes are free, and so are complaints to the Insurance Complaints Board (FINE) and to the Traffic Accident and Patient Injury Board (LIIPO).
That is why it always makes more sense to use these routes first, before taking the insurer to court.
Why ask the insurer to reconsider, when it won’t change its decision anyway?
Unfortunately, claims handlers are mostly overworked, as insurers cut costs year after year. Handlers do not always have enough time to investigate a loss properly, which raises the risk of a wrong decision.
If a decision was wrong, the insurer’s handlers will gladly correct it. The better you can show why the decision is wrong, the faster you get the compensation.
A new decision comes faster from the insurer than from the Insurance Complaints Board, so it is always worth using the insurer’s internal appeal routes first.
Why ask the Insurance Complaints Board for a recommendation?
The Insurance Complaints Board has a long track record of giving recommendations in insurance disputes. Its recommendations are not binding, but most insurers follow them. According to FINE’s annual report for 2024, 99 % of insurers followed the board’s recommendation.
Nor does FINE favour insurers in its decisions. In about 30–40 percent of insurance disputes, the matter ends with the insurer correcting its claims decision or with a settlement.
The Insurance Complaints Board regularly issues recommendations that make insurers change their claims practice.
How soon do I need to appeal the decision?
Together with the claims decision, the insurer must give you appeal instructions that state the strict deadlines for requesting reconsideration.
Appeal deadlines vary between types of insurance. In voluntary non-life insurance, such as comprehensive car insurance (kasko) and home insurance, it is 3 years from the claims decision.
Be especially careful with statutory insurance, both with the appeal deadline and with the deadline for reporting the loss, because the time to appeal can be surprisingly short.
In claims under compulsory motor third-party liability insurance (liikennevakuutus), you must ask for a recommendation within one year of the insurer’s decision.
The insurers’ internal appeal routes may have shorter deadlines. Those deadlines do not, however, prevent you from taking the matter to the Insurance Complaints Board, for example, within the 3 years.
How long does it take to get a decision corrected?
With the insurer’s internal appeal routes, the biggest factor is the claims handlers’ workload. A new decision usually comes within 1–6 weeks. It takes longer, for example, if the matter is complex or if the decision affects the insurer’s claims practice more widely.
For complaints to the Insurance Complaints Board (FINE), the recommendation typically comes within 6–9 months.
Assignment and contact
Can I cancel the service at any time?
Yes, whatever the reason.
You can cancel the assignment by returning the cancellation form you received with it or by sending a free-form email to toimisto(a)vakuutusjuristi.fi
What happens if I instruct you to take on my case?
Once we have signed the engagement agreement, I take over getting the decision corrected, and you no longer need to worry about dealing with the insurer.
My service covers the whole process of getting the decision corrected. I request the documents from the insurer, file the legal expenses insurance claim for you, and draft the appeals to the insurer and, if needed, to the board.
I keep you up to date at every stage on how the process is going, how long each stage takes and what happens next. You can also comment on every letter and give your view before I send it.
So I deal with the fight against the insurer, and you can focus on something else entirely.
How can I contact you?
You can request a free assessment of the insurer’s decision through the form on this page or contact us directly:
Phone: +358 45 7833 2771 (weekdays 10:00–17:00 Finnish time)
Email: toimisto(a)vakuutusjuristi.fi
Don’t carry the stress of the decision alone
- Save your time and nerves by having an insurance lawyer check the decision
- Skip the stress of battling the insurer on your own
- No cost risk, because asking for a free assessment does not commit you to anything
- Once you send the form, you get a free assessment of your case, at best on the same day!
