Insurance Bad Faith

LOS ANGELES INSURANCE BAD FAITH ATTORNEY

When you file an insurance claim, you expect your insurance company to treat you fairly. After all, insurance companies exist to protect your investments and help you in times of need. But it’s not always a guarantee that those within the insurance industry are trustworthy and have your best interests in mind. Bad faith insurance refers to an insurer’s attempt to renege on obligations to a client by refusing to pay a policyholder’s legitimate claim or failing to investigate and process a policyholder’s claim within a reasonable period.

Setareh Law fights for the rights of policyholders – individuals and businesses – in cases involving:

• Denied Homeowners Insurance Claims
• Denied Life Insurance Claims
• Denied Liability Insurance Claims
• Denied Automobile Insurance Claims

COMMON TYPES OF INSURANCE BAD FAITH

Generally, an insurance company has acted in bad faith if it fails to fulfill the obligations stated in the insurance policy language or if it fails to abide by the laws of the particular state where the claim is made. Here are a few of the more common indicators to keep in mind. 

• Lack of communication: It should be easy for you to communicate with your insurer in order to receive answers to all of your questions and obtain the information you need for your claim. If the company fails to respond to your calls, emails, and other forms of communication, however, something is wrong.
• Unreasonable demands for documentation: After an accident, you’re required to provide your insurance company with a variety of documents relating to the case. However, when the insurer begins to ask for documents that you think don’t pertain to your accident, they may be trying to overcomplicate the process in the hopes that you drop the case.
• Lowball settlement offers: If you find that the insurance company is pressuring you to accept an unfair offer or if they state that this is the only offer available to you, they’re likely acting in bad faith.
• Denying a claim without a cause: While insurance companies can deny a claim, they must provide you with sufficient reasoning. If you’ve been wrongly denied coverage, you have the right to challenge that decision.
• Failure to pay: If after coming to an agreement with your insurer, they still delay your payment without reason, offer less money than the claim is worth, or refuse to pay altogether, contact an attorney immediately.

Ultimately, going up against insurance companies is not a simple matter, and winning a bad faith insurance suit requires both thorough documentation and professional expertise. However, it’s usually worth it to avoid having to pay steep out-of-pocket fees.

DELAYS IN PAYMENT OF LIFE INSURANCE BENEFITS

At times, an insurance company won’t deny a life insurance claim, but they won’t pay it either. Instead, the company asks you for information that is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain. Your claim is put on hold while you try to gather the requested information. When you can’t locate the records or information, the insurance company tells you that it cannot pay the claim without it. 

Other times, the insurance company may ask for personal records, such as tax returns, which the company intends to use to try and rescind the deceased’s life insurance coverage rather than pay the life insurance claim. It is not uncommon for a life insurance company to raise a coverage issue after a claim is submitted and leave it to you to prove them wrong before the claim is paid.

However, it is an insurance company’s obligation to promptly and reasonably investigate your claim in good faith. If the insurance company ignores that obligation, you should contact an attorney who is experienced in life insurance disputes. With years of experience in life insurance claim disputes, Setareh Law is prepared to defend your rights and those of your deceased loved ones. Don’t let a legitimate life insurance claim go unpaid because you are frustrated by insurance company runarounds.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU SUSPECT INSURANCE BAD FAITH?

If you suspect that an insurance company is acting in bad faith, take steps to protect your legal rights. For example, you may want to double-check deadlines to ensure that you’ve filed claims that may have a deadline approaching. Failing to file your insurance claim before the deadline could restrict your options. Likewise, it’s vital that you gather documentation related to the claim, including correspondence, copies of insurance policies, and other information.

Additionally, it may be in your best interest to write down as many details as you can remember, including a timeline of significant events, notes about conversations with the insurance company, and other facts relevant to the accident and the claim. Perhaps most importantly, contact an expert bad faith insurance attorney immediately to discuss your case even if you don’t yet have copies of all documents or a written timeline of events. Because the laws governing these claims are often difficult to understand, having a lawyer by your side helping you through the process can be instrumental.

SETAREH LAW CAN HELP

If you’ve ever dealt with an insurance claim or settlement, you know that it can be a frustrating and toilsome process. Fighting with an insurer acting in bad faith can make matters even worse. If you think your insurance company may be breaking the terms of their policy, contact the experts at Setareh Law. Our lawyers have experience with cases of this nature, and we can help you determine whether you have a valid bad faith case and decide how to go about it. We are prepared to go up against even the largest insurance companies to fight on your behalf.

We offer a free evaluation of your case and represent insurance policyholders on a contingency-fee basis, which means that our clients owe us nothing unless and until we recover money for them. If you believe your claim may have been handled unfairly, call (310) 659-1826 or complete our contact form to connect with our Los Angeles insurance bad faith lawyers.

Schedule a Free Consult at Our Beverly Hills Location

Setareh Law, APLC

8484 Wilshire Blvd #870,

Beverly Hills, CA 90211