Bad Faith Insurance Case: What Are Your Options?
Insurance companies process claims on a daily basis by specific company policy that many times borderlines what could be determined bad faith actions when a claim is finally settled. The typical claimant often does not understand that insurance companies are held to a strict standard when processing claims, such as disclosing the amount of insurance protection a negligent client may carry on a personal liability policy.
See Regulations §§ 2695.4(a) and (b). Even acting nice and offering a quick low-ball settlement offer could be considered bad faith because it is commonly understood that many injured accident victims are in financial straits following a mishap. It is scenarios like this when bad faith could be present that make is necessary to call an experienced Orange County bad faith insurance attorney at the Winthrop Law Group who understands how to craft a case against unscrupulous insurance companies.
Reasons for a Bad Faith Claim
Insurance companies regularly receive claims that could potentially be avoided if they can state limited or zero responsibility due to a technicality, even in valid claim situations. Insurance company claims adjusters also regularly overstate assertions of comparative negligence against claimants in practically every accident adjudication procedure because California comparative negligence law allows discounting settlements based on the percentage of contributory negligence assigned to a claimant. Sometimes delays are legally acceptable, but many times they are not. Examples of tactics insurance companies cannot use are:
- Unreasonable Low Settlement Offers
- Unreasonable Claim Denials
- Purposely Delaying Claim Payment
- Requesting Unnecessary Documentation
- Withholding Coverage Levels
Even when the potential for a bad faith claim could result in additional legal action against the insurer, claims adjusters will still use unethical tactics when they think they can convince a claimant without representation that their offer is fair regardless of actually claim value. Multiple studies have actually show that claimants receive up to three times as much money from settlements when they have an attorney.
Contact a Bad Faith Lawyer in Los Angeles
Never let an insurance company deny or reduce the settlement you deserve. Always call an experienced Orange County bad faith insurance attorney like Winthrop Law Group who can negotiate a maximum settlement for all damages, including additional damages for the bad faith actions of the insurer.