You’ve experienced something pretty horrific. The physical issues are bad enough; but the emotional turmoil associated with the incident and the ensuing bills threatens to overwhelm. Fortunately you reason, at least you have insurance. Things might be tough for a period of time, but the premiums you’ve been paying for years are going to pay off now.
Or so you thought. Whether the incident in question was your fault or someone else’s, on your property or elsewhere, the outcome should be the same: a speedy investigation and payments to cover your losses. If you find yourself fighting insurance companies that want you to jump through endless hoops, or if you suspect a settlement offer is less than fair, having an experienced attorney on your side could make a huge difference in the outcome.
Insurance Companies Operating in Bad Faith
Despite their legal duty to engage in fair, good faith transactions with insured persons, all too often insurance companies are more focused on saving themselves revenue than on taking care of you. In such cases, you can expect delays, a maze of paperwork, and phone calls that never seem to answer your questions.
You’ll Know it When you See it
How can you spot a company that is acting in bad faith? The signs are telling. Here’s what to look for:
- They advise you not to seek legal advice;
- There are unreasonable delays in payment, or flat out denials to your claims;
- They purport they haven’t received any claim from you;
- An investigation is not quickly undertaken;
- Damages are not determined swiftly or fairly;
- Settlement offers seem unreasonably low;
- Statements accompanying payments lack proper explanations;
- You are asked to re-submit documentation that they claim not to have;
- Claims are denied without understandable explanations;
- You or other witnesses feel threatened or harassed;
- You are treated as an adversary;
- Miscommunications are commonplace or questions are not satisfactorily answered;
- Blame is shifted to other entities in order to deny payment;
- Third-party claims are denied;
- Payment for a particular treatment is denied due to the cost;
- Less effective, but cheaper treatment options are suggested;
- Language in the policy is twisted to deny coverage;
- They threaten to cancel your policy;
- There is a clear focus on the bottom line instead of your recovery.
Ethics Matter
Certainly, insurance companies do have a responsibility to consider the well-being of clients. Sadly, some companies, or even particular agents within companies, are more concerned with saving money than taking care of real people with real problems.
In the event you are forced to go head to head with an unethical insurer that is battling you at every turn, it’s critical to your health and well-being that you get a heavy hitting attorney on your side. At the office of Derek L. Hall, PC, our legal team focuses on recovering payments from bad faith insurers. Put our attorneys to work for you. Schedule a free, confidential initial consultation in our Jackson office today.
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