Maintaining insurance isn’t just the smart thing to do, but it’s also required in many instances. Yet even if you pay your premiums on time and work with the same insurer for years, you may not be treated the way that you’d expect when it comes time to file your claim. Indeed, insurers sometimes operate in bad faith, which means they wrongfully deny claims without reasonable grounds. At the law office of van der Veen, Hartshorn, Levin & Lindheim, our Allentown insurance bad faith attorneys can help you if you believe that your insurance claim has been improperly handled. Call our team today to learn more.
Claim Denial: Bad Faith vs. Legitimate Denial
At the law office of van der Veen, Hartshorn, Levin & Lindheim, we can help you to understand the difference between an insurance company denying a claim with cause and an insurer wrongfully denying a claim in bad faith.
An insurance company does not have to approve a claim if the damages sought are not covered, or if the incident resulting in damages is not covered per policy language. But an insurance company does have certain duties and responsibilities to its policyholders, including the duty of acting in good faith when handling any transaction. This means that an insurance company cannot misrepresent policy language or engage in fraud, has a duty to investigate your claim in a reasonable amount of time, cannot discriminate in processing your claim, and must generally engage in honest business practices.
What Do I Have to Prove to Win a Bad Faith Insurance Suit?
If you believe that an insurance company has breached its duty to you and has handled your claim in bad faith, you may be entitled to damages by bringing a bad faith insurance suit against the company. In order to be successful in your suit, you’ll need to prove withheld benefits that were due under your policy without a reasonable explanation; that your insurance company refused to defend you against a third-party claim; that you were refused a reasonable settlement; that your insurance company failed to take proper action to investigate your claim after receiving notice of it; that you were not given any reason for why your claim was rejected; or that your insurance company intentionally misrepresented information or engaged in fraud. While it can be extremely difficult to win a bad faith insurance claim, partnering with an experienced attorney can improve your chances.
How Our Allentown Insurance Bad Faith Attorneys Can Help
If you believe that your insurance company has handled your claim in bad faith, our Allentown attorneys strongly recommend connecting with our law firm immediately. We can advise you of your options, represent you in all interactions with your insurer, advocate for your best interests, and represent you in a bad faith insurance claim. For your free consultation with our Allentown insurance bad faith lawyers, please send us a message directly or call us at your convenience.
