Bad faith insurance claims come in various types; one of the most common is an insurance company attempting to avoid paying a legitimate claim by failing to investigate it properly. An insurer has a duty to adequately investigate every claim and assess it for damages and liability, and then to negotiate an appropriate settlement within the limits of the policy. Failure to investigate a claim can occur with a first-party claim or a third-party claim.
In the case of a first party claim, if the insurance company unreasonably denies payment without an adequate investigation, it is generally an indication of bad faith. In a third-party claim, if the claim file has not been properly investigated, it may show that the insurance company did not move to protect its insured’s interest as required. Any decision regarding a claim should be supported by information in the claim file, obtained through a reasonable investigation.
You Have Recourse Against Insurer Bad Faith
If you are in a situation where your insurance company or the insurer for the party responsible for your damages has not properly investigated your claim, you may have recourse against the company in the form of a bad faith action. If the insurance company can be shown to have acted in bad faith, you may potentially be able to recover an amount that exceeds your policy limits, including additional damages arising from the failure to handle the claim properly, attorney fees, and punitive damages.
Choose a Dedicated Insurance Bad Faith Law Firm
Insurance companies are often quite sophisticated in developing tactics designed to increase their profits by denying claims; they also have the resources to vigorously oppose any attempt to counter these tactics. Bringing a bad faith action against a wealthy corporation like a major insurer requires an attorney with equal sophistication in uncovering abusive tactics, as well as access to expert witnesses to help prove that the company’s general business practice deviates from accepted industry standards of what constitutes good faith when handling a claim.
Don’t Beat Your Head Against a Brick Wall – Surrano Law Offices Can Help
When you’ve reached a standstill in your dealings with an insurance company that you feel has not properly investigated your claim before issuing a denial, or if you are a policyholder and your insurer has not investigated a claim against you, and as a result you’ve ended up owing damages in excess of your policy limits, you will find the degree of legal sophistication you’re looking for at the Surrano Law Firm in the Phoenix area.
Principal attorney Charles Surrano cut his teeth in the area of insurance bad faith from the inside of the industry—defending insurance companies against bad faith claims. He has taken the extensive knowledge of insurance companies’ “dirty tricks” that he gained defending them, and now applies his expertise to protecting the rights of those whose insurance benefits have been wrongfully denied.
The attorneys at Surrano Law Offices have the resources, depth of experience, and legal know-how to hold accountable insurance companies who unethically attempt to increase their profits at the expense of those to whom they owe a duty of “good faith and fair dealing.”
Call Surrano Law Offices today to learn what we can do for you when an insurance company has failed to perform an inadequate investigation in your case, or when you’ve suffered from any type of bad faith handling of a claim. We’re here to protect your rights when an insurer has done you wrong. Contact us today.