What To Do When The Insurance Company Acts In Bad Faith

Insurance agents are required by law to act in good faith when working with a claimant, but that doesn’t mean that they always do. Some of them have a few different tactics they’ll use to skirt these laws in order to get a much more favorable outcome for their side. Some of these practices are borderline illegal, while others are flat out against the law. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some ways that an insurance adjuster may act in bad faith, and what you should do if you believe the other side is acting in bad faith.

Acts Of Bad Faith During An Insurance Claim

Here’s a look at some of the ways that an insurance adjuster may try to act in bad faith when dealing with a claimant.

Claim denial without proper investigation
Ignoring calls, emails, messages or letters
Taking an extraordinary amount of time to respond to a claim
Knowingly underpaying a valid claim
Failing to provide a clear explanation for a denial of benefits
Knowingly citing improper information to decrease the value of a claim
Intentionally prolonging negotiations

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to bad faith maneuvers, and you need to be very careful if you suspect that your claim adjuster is working in bad faith, because it’s unlikely you’ll get a fair payout on your own.

Countering Bad Faith Maneuvers

There are a couple things you can do if you find yourself up against an insurance agent that you believe is acting in bad faith, but the smartest thing to do is to contact an injury lawyer. We know what’s legal and what’s not, and more importantly, we know how to light a fire under the agent so that they start acting in good faith. Judges hate seeing insurance companies act in bad faith, so we’ll put the pressure on the other side to either start working in good faith or prepare to have their actions shared in the courtroom.

You can also send a letter to the claims manager or the state insurance board. You can lay out the facts of the case, show that you are acting in good faith and explain why you believe the other side is failing to hold up their end of the bargain. Your lawyer can also send both of these letters on your behalf, which again speaks to the importance of connecting with an attorney to prevent any bad faith actions.

So if you have reason to believe that you’re not getting a fair shake from the insurance company, or you just want to know that they’ll be forced to act in good faith, connect with an injury compensation lawyer like Dean Margolis. He’ll go to bat for you and ensure that you get every penny you deserve. For more information, or for help with any aspect of your injury claim, reach out to Margolis Law Firm today at (952) 230-2700.