Here at Ozols Law Firm we deal with insurance providers all the time and we have seen how adjusters and the insurance companies themselves attempt to delay or even deny injury claims. They may also try to underpay accident victims. If you are stuck in this situation call a bad faith insurance recovery lawyer to help.
Over the years, our bad faith insurance lawyers have represented many clients who were victims of insurance malpractice. We work extremely hard to ensure that we make the offending party liable for their wrongdoings.
What is a “Bad Faith Insurance Claim”?
A bad faith insurance claim means that the insurance company should be helping you but they are not. The best way to explain this phenomenon is with an example. Lets say opposing counsel made a demand for $50,000 on a case. They showed all the medical records and seem to be asking for the correct amount. Now the insurance company says they will only pay $40,000 because that is their policy limit. However, when they go to trial they lose and the jury orders payment of $100,000. In this situation the insurance company could be on the hook to either party for their actions. An insurance company has a right to do the best they can in a situation and if they have poor judgment or make a decision in bad faith, the courts can look at that when assessing damages.
Unethical Practices of Insurance Companies
How can you tell if the insurance company is acting in bad faith? Here are the common tactics they use:
- They deny claims or coverage outright without reasonable cause.
- They settle claims for much less than what’s considered reasonable.
- They delay the process of filing a claim.
- They don’t notify the policyholder of its decision to make a settlement or pay a claim.
- They deliberately misinterpret their policy so that they don’t have to pay a claim.
- They make accusations that the insured is guilty of self-harm, arson, etc.
- They change the policy after the insured files a claim and then deny coverage.
- They do not launch a proper investigation and instead resort to fraudulent/illegal methods.
Your insurance company has a legal obligation to act in good faith and treat you fairly. Bad faith insurance is punishable by law and our lawyers stand ready to help you, if you believe your insurance provider has acted unreasonably or unfairly when you tried to make a claim on your policy.
There are a lot of ways insurance companies can deceive policyholders. As a business, it’s natural to want to pay as little as possible in order to maximize profits. But if the insurer resorts to fraudulent, unreasonable or unfair ways, then what they are doing is unlawful and they should be made accountable for their wrongdoings.
Contact Us Today For a Free Consultation
At Ozols Law Firm we are well versed with the different methods that insurance companies use to avoid paying the maximum value to their policyholders. If you believe your insurance company is acting in bad faith, we encourage you to use all legal remedies available to you, as you may be able to recover additional compensation.
Whether they wrongfully denied your claim or paid you an unfair amount, our bad faith insurance lawyers can review your case and determine what steps to take to make sure you receive the benefits you’re entitled to, as well as additional compensation for their deceptive practices, unfair treatment and consequential losses that resulted from their deceptive acts such as loss of income, distress, loss of property, and others.
If you’re a victim of bad faith insurance, call our office for a free consultation. Our bad faith insurance lawyers can personally review your case and determine your best legal options.