Like many of us, you may have willingly paid your various insurance premiums for years, feeling secure in knowing that you and your family are protected in most common emergencies— damage to your home, a health crisis, or death, for example. The unfortunate truth is that you can’t be too certain that your insurance company will come through for you when the worst happens and you file a claim.
Your Insurer’s Interests and Yours Are Not the Same
You may have fallen into the habit of thinking of your insurance companies as providers of a service that can provide you with peace of mind. But there is nothing altruistic about what insurance companies do and why they exist. They are in the business of making profits—and insurance is very big business. They do not exist for the benefit of their policyholders; they exist to enrich their shareholders. Their interests and yours are not compatible.
As a consequence, insurance companies often employ tactics designed to save them as much money as possible, through the underpayment of claims. The methods they use will vary according to the type of claim. These are just a few examples of the many ways insurers attempt to pay you less than your claim is worth:
- In accident injury claims, the insurance company will often offer a quick but very low settlement before you have time to assess the severity of your injuries.
- In property damage claims, they may take advantage of your urgent need to quickly repair or replace your home contents and offer you less than your claim is worth for a prompt settlement.
- In any insurance claim, the company may delay payment for so long you are in a state of financial desperation and willing to take just about any offer.
The Insurance Company’s Obligation to You
This having been said, when you buy an insurance policy, you are entering into a contract with the provider; implicit in that contract is the understanding that you can expect to be dealt with fairly and in good faith. This means that your claim should be promptly investigated and not unreasonably delayed or denied, and that the payment should be adequate compensation for your damages. When the company fails in this regard, you may have a case for a bad faith law suit against your insurer.
What to Do When Your Insurance Company Lowballs Your Claim
If you have been struggling with your insurance company to get a payment that is sufficient to cover all of your damages and they are stonewalling, attempting to pressure you into accepting a fraction of the value of your claim, it may be time to call in a qualified insurance bad faith attorney. Going up against an insurance company is not an easy task. Insurers are generally large, wealthy corporations with extensive financial resources and sophisticated in-house attorneys, fully prepared to fight any attempt on your part to achieve a just and fair settlement. An individual can seldom prevail in a bad faith action without an attorney who knows the ins and outs of insurance law and how the industry operates.
Where to Go for Help
You will find the experienced representation you need when challenging your insurance company at Surrano Law Offices in the Phoenix area. Principal attorney, Charles Surrano, knows insurance law from both sides. He has worked as a defense lawyer for the insurance industry, and has taken what he learned as an industry insider to help in policyholders and accident victims when the insurance company responsible for paying for their damages is unreasonably refusing to offer a sufficient payout on a valid claim.
If you feel your insurance company is acting unreasonably, unfairly, or unethically in refusing to pay adequate compensation for your damages, call us today. Insurance bad faith claims are our exclusive area of focus. We are very good at what we do, and have helped thousands of clients to get the recovery awards they deserve from recalcitrant insurers. Contact Surrano Law Offices today to learn how we may be able to help you. We accept insurance company bad faith claims in Arizona and, in some cases, California, Nevada, and Kentucky.