Bad Faith Insurance covers a wide range of practices undertaken by companies in the insurance industry to prevent you from obtaining money for valid insurance claims. A bad faith insurance claim, for example, may involve complaints that the insurance company repeatedly lost paperwork, sent you for unnecessary doctor's appointments or ignored information from your doctor indicating you have a valid medical problem. A bad faith insurance company will often drag out the claims process in an attempt to avoid paying out a claim, which often puts customers in a position of having to cover expenses while waiting for a claim to be approved.
FREE CASE EVALUATION
Send your Bad Faith Insurance claim to a Lawyer who will review your case at NO COST or obligation. 
Bad Faith Insurance Company
 When you purchase insurance, you and the insurance company agree on the terms and conditions that specify the coverage or compensation payable to you in the event that you suffer a loss or injury. Insurance can cover your medical bills, property bills and/or vehicle bills. Unfortunately, some bad faith insurance companies use a variety of tactics to delay or avoid paying out a valid claim.
This can put you in a terrible situation. For example, if you have a medical claim that the insurance company delays paying, you may be put in the position of covering all medical costs on your own—and dealing with the financial burden and possible debt—or eliminating vital medical help that you cannot afford, putting your health in jeopardy. The consequences of bad faith insurance can be far-reaching, affect your finances, your quality of life and even your health.
Bad Faith Insurance Tactics
Some bad faith insurance tactics may simply seem inconvenient at first, until a pattern appears. Customers report that insurance companies will repeatedly lose or misplace important documents, requiring them to fill out the same paperwork over and over. They may simply deny a claim at first, hoping that the customer will not appeal the denial. Or they may put a limitation on the time allowed for a claim, and then delay awarding the claim until that time has passed.
Among bad faith insurance tactics:
- Failing to pay a claim in a timely manner;
- Offering an amount below what the claimant is entitled to;
- Failing to defend a policyholder against a third-party claim;
- Using a policyholder's previous claims as grounds to deny a new claim;
- Failing to conduct a reasonable and full investigation of the claim;
- Misrepresenting important facts or insurance policy provisions as they relate to coverage;
- Misuse of claimants' medical records;
- Requiring excessive paperwork;
- Canceling a policy after a claim is made;
- Purposely targeting high-cost claims for denials; and
- Ignoring expert opinion in cases where that opinion would result in a claim being paid out (such as finding that a death was suicide when a medical examiner has ruled it accidental);
Bad faith insurance means that an insurance company has illegally denied or delayed paying a valid claim. Doing so can have consequences for you and your loved one. Insurers have a duty to act in good faith toward their policyholders; failure to do so can be considered bad faith insurance. If this happens, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against your insurance company. In cases where the insurance company's conduct is beyond unreasonable, punitive damages may be awarded.
Bad Faith Insurance Legal Help
If you have been denied a legitimate insurance claim, please click the link below to send your story to a lawyer who will evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.
Last updated on Feb-6-12 |
BAD FAITH INSURANCE ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS
A Win for the Plaintiff in Bad Faith Insurance Claim
 St. Louis, MO: A bad faith insurance claim that went through several legal phases was finally settled in the plaintiff's favor with the awarding of attorney's fees. Cindy Tripp's bad faith insurance claim accused her insurer, Western National Mutual (Western), of bad faith and breach of contract [READ MORE]
Jury Gives $12M Award in Bad Faith Insurance Lawsuit
 Albuquerque, NM: The jury in a bad faith insurance lawsuit has given the family of a man injured in a car crash $12 million dollars, after finding that Progressive Insurance Co., practiced bad faith insurance [READ MORE]
The Natural Disaster Law Lawyer Mops Up for Victims
 Orlando, FL: Attorney Alan Garfinkel was raised in southern Florida and knows firsthand the damage that nature can do. When Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992, Garfinkel was a young lawyer, just three years out of law school. He and some friends were attending a Hurricane Party when the hell and fury of Andrew hit land as a category 5 storm [READ MORE]
BAD FAITH INSURANCE SETTLEMENTS
YOUR BAD FAITH INSURANCE STORIES
|
Email
Home Page >> Hot Legal Issues >> Bad Faith Insurance
