A bad faith insurance claim occurs when an Insurer wrongfully denies a claim.
There are many instances that can involve a bad faith insurance claim, including
delaying a claim investigation, not performing a through investigation of a
claim, delaying payment unreasonably, denying benefits to a claim unreasonably,
as well as many other reasons. While not every Insurer is trying to take
advantage of an Insured by bad faith insurance claims, it is always better to
consult with a bad faith insurance claim attorney if a claim is not rightfully
resolved.If making a claim, the Insured should avoid any chances of having it
denied because of waiting too long. Just because a claim is denied does not
automatically mean a bad faith insurance claim has occurred. Insurers can deny a
claim without it being considered a bad faith insurance claim in the event that
the Insured has not upheld the contract.
By HAmza Hasnain
On the other hand, Insurers are
required to act in good faith when an insurance policy is present and the
failure to do can result in a bad faith insurance claim lawsuit.A bad faith
insurance claim lawyer will first completely review the events and the policy to
determine if a bad faith insurance claim may have occurred. To display evidence
of bad faith, the bad faith insurance claim lawyer will have to show the Insurer
did not live up to their end of the contract. While a bad faith insurance claim
may not be an optimal situation, an Insured that cannot negotiate a satisfactory
resolution will be forced to be taken advantage of if a bad faith insurance
claim lawsuit is not pursued.
Lawsuits have the power of challenging
questionable business practices so that more bad faith insurance claim lawsuits
will not be necessary in the future.Bad Faith Claims LawsBad faith claims laws
are also known as unfair insurance claims laws. Bad faith claims laws govern the
legal rights of a policyholder to seek compensation from their insurance company
when the company is in breech of the implied covenant of good faith and fair
dealings. Bad faith is a failure to act reasonably in denying benefits to a
policy holder under existing or enforceable insurance policy claims.There are no
federal bad faith claims laws.
The governance of bad faith claims laws
rests on individual states. Most states have an insurance department that
monitors insurance companies and agents. These departments are responsible for
enforcing bad faith claims laws and usually have a complaint department to
handle bad faith claims. These departments are not always able to intercede on
behalf of a victim. In these cases, bad faith claims laws violations are
deferred to the legal system for judgment.Violation of bad faith claims laws can
occur in a number of different circumstances.
An insurance company has
the responsibility to place the interests of policy holders over the interests
of the company. When a person files a claim for benefits the insurance company
must act in good faith by looking for coverage in a policy rather than looking
for reasons to deny a claim.Under bad faith claims laws, an insurance company
has to expressly communicate the reasons for denial of benefits as found in the
written insurance policy.
All provisions of an insurance policy must be
made available and clear to a policy holder. Insurance companies are also
expected to take action with regards to a claim in a timely and reasonable
manner.Bad faith claims laws allow a person to take civil action against their
insurance company in a few ways. A victim can file suit for a breech of
contract. When an insurance policy is provided, a contractual relationship is
established between the insurance company and the policy holder. This contract
is breeched when an insurance company acts in bad faith. A victim can also file
a tort, or personal injury, suit charging the bad faith insurance company with
committing a fraudulent act which caused harm to the policy holder.Under bad
faith claims laws, a victim has the legal right to seek compensation for the
amount of money they were eligible for in the original insurance claim plus
interest and any other expenses that were incurred as a result of this policy
denial.
Punitive damages may also be awarded in order to deter others
from committing similar violations of bad faith claims laws. Victims of bad
faith can also receive non-economic damages for their pain and suffering.A
qualified lawyer can evaluate you case to determine whether your insurance
company is in violation of bad faith claims laws, and help you build a strong
legal case.Insurance LawAttorneys who practice insurance law are often
specialists in this complex legal arena. There are several types of insurance
that are available for various purposes, and legal conflicts involving insurance
companies vary according to the type of insurance the relationship of the
individual to the insurance company. Insurance laws may vary from state to
state, requiring a familiarity with the specifics of various regions in addition
to a knowledge of the history of cases of insurance law in a certain area of the
country in order to appropriately conduct legal actions to maximize results for
the client.One of the most common types of insurance law cases is the "bad
faith" case. This involves the refusal of an insurance company to pay out for
valid claims on a policy. State and federal insurance laws carefully govern the
responsibilities of insurance companies to claimants, but in some cases, the
insurer will use the complexities of these insurance laws and the fact that many
people will not think to challenge the decisions of an insurance company in
order to avoid paying for claims. Insurance companies, after all, do not make
money paying claims; they make money collecting premiums. As insurance lawyers
continue to uncover corruption in the industry, more people are becoming aware
of the necessity of challenging insurance decisions that seem
inappropriate.
If a company is found guilty of breaking insurance laws,
the plaintiff is entitled to collect damages stemming from the denial of the
claim, and insurance laws in many states allow for punitive damages if the
circumstances of the case are especially heinous.If you or a loved one has
submitted a claim to an insurance company which you feel has been unjustly
denied, you may have legal rights under the insurance laws in your state. Due to
the complexity of insurance law and the need for careful attention to the
specific details in each case, it is highly recommended that you consult an
attorney who has experience working in insurance law.
You should also
keep detailed written records of all aspects of the case, including
correspondence with the insurance company, information on insurance laws in your
state, etc.Bad Faith LawThe federal government currently has no bad faith law or
set of specific requirements that insurance companies must fulfill to ensure
that they act in good faith and fair dealings. The insurance industry is one of
the most powerful and profitable industries in the United States. This industry
wields significant influence over government bad faith law legislation, which
some argue is the reason that no federal bad faith law exists today. The
insurance industry is regulated by bad faith law provisions created by
individual states. Each state has a bad faith law that protects the rights of
policyholders in the event that an insurance company acts in bad faith.While
each state's bad faith law is unique, there are some basic commonalities between
them. In general, bad faith law defines acts of “bad faith” on behalf of
insurance companies as delaying, withholding, or denying policyholder benefits
that are based on legitimate claims filed under valid insurance policies. It is
generally agreed that insurance companies have a fiduciary relationship with
policyholders.
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