You have a contractual relationship with your insurance company. You pay your premiums, and in return, the insurance company agrees to:
· Provide the coverage you are paying for in the policy
· Deal with you fairly and in good faith
· Treat your interests as equal to its own
The insurance company acts in bad faith if it denies a valid claim, delays payment to you, fails to thoroughly investigate your claim or underpays your claim without a valid reason. A denial of claim may be a breach of contract claim, but some insurance companys’ behavior rises to the level of bad faith. When it does, you can sue for insurance bad faith.
State government regulatory agencies receive over one million consumer complaints annually about bad faith insurance practices. Insurance companies are motivated by big profits and unfortunately, the policyholder pays the price. They think you will go away without collecting on your claim. You have a lot at stake and a lot to protect. Insurance bad faith is wrong and you do not have to be a victim of it.
You purchase insurance to protect your home, business, life and health. You expect coverage when disaster strikes, and your insurance company should be there when you need it. The insurance companies will likely have their team of attorneys and you do not have to face them alone.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans accident lawyers