When you take out an insurance policy, your insurance company has a “good faith” obligation to evaluate and cover your claims in a reasonable and timely fashion. If it doesn’t, the company’s conduct can constitute insurance bad faith under the law.
Bad faith can involve both first-party and third-party insurance claims. An example of a first-party claim would be if a pipe burst in your house and your homeowner’s insurance company refused to pay for the damage, even though water damage was covered by your policy. An example of a third-party claim would be if a doctor purchased professional liability insurance, got sued for medical malpractice, and his insurance company refused to defend him. Bad faith can include unreasonable interpretations of your insurance policy, unreasonable delays in resolving your claim, threatening you, failing to adequately investigate your claim, or failing to make a reasonable offer to settle a lawsuit against you.
Whether you can proceed with a bad faith claim against your insurer, and how much you can expect to recover in damages from the case, depends on many factors. You should discuss your case with the experienced lawyers at Powell Law review your insurance policy, evaluate your case and determine if you have a viable claim. Don’t delay in talking to a lawyer. Bad faith lawsuits are subject to a four-year time limitation known as a statute of limitations. After the statute of limitations runs out, you can no longer file a claim.
Hiring an experienced insurance bad faith attorney is key to your success in bringing a bad faith claim. If you’ve ever tried reading your insurance policies, you know they can be complicated, confusing and hard to understand – lots of legal jargon. An experienced lawyer from Powell Law can determine what you are and are not entitled to under your insurance policy. You also know that insurance companies are notoriously difficult to deal with, and that is especially true in bad faith cases. In addition, bad faith law is complicated and constantly evolving because of interpretations of the law by state and federal appellate courts. Finally, your insurance company can be exposed to significant monetary damages in a bad faith claim. It will have a team of attorneys, claims adjusters and others working against you.
While you can choose to pay your lawyer on an hourly basis, the attorneys at Powell Law will handle your insurance bad faith case on a contingent fee basis, which means that any fees would be paid only after the case ends in a jury verdict or out-of-court settlement. If you don’t win, you don’t pay any fees. Most of our clients choose the contingent fee arrangement. Your attorney at Powell Law will explain the details and answer any questions you may have when you come in for an evaluation of your case.
If you believe your insurance company is acting in bad faith, contact us TODAY for a FREE evaluation of your case. Remember, you don’t pay any fees unless we win.
