You may have felt some amount of emotional distress just trying scrape the funds together to pay one or more insurance policies over the years! The situation may become very trying, however, when you have filed a claim, and nothing has been resolved. This can be extremely disconcerting considering anytime you were on the verge of being slightly late with a payment or returning a document to the insurance company, they expected an immediate response or consequences (in the form of having your policy canceled) would follow.
If you have reported a homeowner’s claim, for example, time may be of the essence in getting it paid so you can then make repairs to your home. Some cases may be extreme, too, due to a natural disaster like an earthquake or a landslide. Your home may uninhabitable, or very uncomfortable to live in, at best. Chances are, you will know something is wrong quickly as the adjuster simply does not come around to do an investigation at all, or they are right on time—but you are promptly denied without a reasonable excuse. Other red flags regarding bad faith practices on the part of your insurer may include long delays. They may put you off repeatedly, and without any reason. They may ask for voluminous amounts of documentation and begin making you feel as if you are under investigation for fraud due to specific questions and delays.
Often, bad faith practices occur simply because the insurer does not want to relinquish the funds for big claim—they are much better off with that cash in the bank earning interest, and they may not want to take the hit on their financial report for that quarter or year. Their customer service department may be disorganized, or your adjuster may be trying to earn an extra bonus for keeping claims to a minimum. If you are a victim of bad faith, however, this is not the time to go it alone. Contact a skilled insurance attorney from a firm like the Bolender Law Firm and along with taking the insurer to court for bad faith, they may also sue for punitive damages to include emotional distress, time you were forced to leave work without pay, and more.
If you need help reviewing your insurance policy, or if you suspect your insurance company may be denying your claim in bad faith, contact the attorneys at the Bolender Law Firm. If a dispute over a claim cannot be easily resolved through a call or written communication, our attorneys will advocate on behalf of policyholders through litigation, arbitration, or non-binding mediation. Our attorneys are experienced in representing clients in state and federal courts, at both the trial and appellate level. Call us at 310-320-0725 now or submit an easy consultation request online. We are here to help!