Jackson Insurance Bad Faith Lawyer
Insurance companies are governed by several state and federal regulations that place on them a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of their policyholders. In cases where they deny claims that are otherwise valid, they can be sued for damages.
While insurance companies do care about their reputation, there aren’t a lot of insurance companies with a good one. All insurance companies have had lawsuits filed against them alleging bad faith or disputes with policyholders. While the insurance companies aren’t always in the wrong, their hypervigilance in relation to fraud is used to justify their denial of claims. This is often just a pretense, and the insurance company is testing the boundaries of the law, and what the courts are willing to let them get away with. In this article, we’ll discuss how a Jackson insurance bad faith lawyer can help you file suit against your insurer.
Bad faith insurance disputes
Bad faith insurance disputes involve some claim that an insurance company has denied an otherwise valid claim that would be legally permitted under the terms of the policy. Of course, the insurance company isn’t going to say that they’ve denied your claim in bad faith. They’ll have some pretense. Often, that pretense is simply that you haven’t provided them with enough information.
Types of bad faith insurance claims
- Homeowners’ insurance claims – Sometimes, insurance companies will try to avoid paying claims on a homeowner’s policy, especially if they can raise a force majeure This happened during Hurricane Katrina prompting Mississippi lawmakers to pass a policyholder’s bill of rights.
- Private disability claims – Private disability insurance claims are a common source of bad faith insurance lawsuits. Applicants are required to meet an exceedingly high standard of proof to get compensation while insurance companies file multiple requests for the same information, claim the information never arrived, and stall whenever possible.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance – If you ever considered letting your friend off the hook for an accident by filing a claim on your uninsured motorist insurance? Well, your insurance company might make that claim. They can also claim your injuries predated the accident, or were not as substantial as you want them to believe.
- Life insurance – Life insurance policies can be denied for a number of reasons. If the insurance company illegally denies a valid claim to force the claimant into litigation, that is bad faith.
- Fire claims – Most insurance companies won’t cover fire damage related to arson. If the insurer claims your property was burned down when that is unlikely, it could be grounds for a bad-faith lawsuit.
Insurance companies operate on bad faith when they deny claims without investigating them, endlessly delay the process without cause, tell claimants that they never received information that they asked for, or reject similarly valid claims. Plaintiffs are entitled to their compensation multiplied by three plus attorney’s fees.
Talk to a Jackson, MS Bad Faith Insurance Attorney
The skilled litigator at Keith B. French Law, PLLC can help you force an unwilling insurance company to pay up. Call today to learn about how insurance companies deny valid claims and what you can do about it.
