Disability Income Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I am disabled and my private disability income insurance company has wrongfully denied my claim. What are my rights as a policyholder?
A: If an insurance company fails to abide by the terms and conditions of the policy by refusing to pay a valid disability claim, then it has violated its contractual obligations under the policy. You can sue the company for breach of contract, and if its behavior is particularly egregious, you may pursue additional damages for the insurer’s bad faith misconduct. Surrano Law Offices can help you understand your rights and options.
Q: What is insurance bad faith?
A: Although there is no standard definition of bad faith, most states define it as unreasonable or unfair conduct on the part of an insurance company.
Q: What are some examples of conduct that is considered bad faith?
A: An insurance company is acting in bad faith if it unreasonably denies your disability claim, fails to conduct a proper investigation, intentionally delays your payment, makes burdensome and unreasonable investigative demands, misrepresents the nature of your coverage in an effort to avoid full payment, fails to communicate with you, or wrongfully cancels or refuses to renew your policy.
Q: I disagree with my disability income insurance company about the meaning of a policy term. Do I have to accept my insurer’s definition?
A: No. Courts recognize that insurance policies are extremely complex and full of boilerplate language that leaves the policyholder with little bargaining power. When courts consider the meaning of ambiguous insurance policy terms, they will support an interpretation that would favor coverage to the policyholder rather than an interpretation that would deny coverage.
Contact Our Disability Income Insurance Lawyers Today
Contact Surrano Law Offices for more information on disability income insurance frequently asked questions. Located in the Phoenix area, our law firm serves clients throughout Arizona and, in some cases, California, Nevada, and Kentucky. We welcome inquiries and referrals from individuals and other attorneys.