While it may not seem possible for an auto insurance company to treat you like a jerk, especially if you are the victim in an auto accident (no matter how serious), personal injury lawyers know that this occurs often and is known as acting in bad faith. If you have ever been the victim of an auto insurance company acting in bad faith, we have more information. It will give you valuable information you need to fight back. Car insurance companies act in bad faith in a variety of ways. Some of the more common ways are listed below:
Denying a claim without giving a reason
If you are the victim in a major car accident and you file an insurance claim with the insurance company of the driver who hit you, you naturally expect to receive a reimbursement check from the insurance company. If this does not occur, and the insurance company denies your claim, you expect and are legally entitled a document that explains why your claim was denied. The insurance company acts in bad faith when it fails to do this.
Not carrying out an investigation
The personal injury lawyer in Citrus Heights you hire will inform you that California’s law requires the insurance company that you file a claim with to conduct an accurate and comprehensive investigation of the accident which explains how and why it occurred, among other things! The insurance company is acting in bad faith if it either does not carry out an investigation, or carries out an incomplete investigation that fails to adequately answer the most basic questions (legal or otherwise) regarding the car accident.
Offering you a lower settlement
Your personal injury lawyer and the judge will both agree that the claim you file as a result of the car accident you were involved in has a certain intrinsic value. Your insurance company is acting in bad faith if it gives you a lower settlement than what your claim is really worth. A good example: you have sustained injuries and property damage worth $400,000 but the insurance company only reimburses you for $300,000
Sue the insurance company
Yes, you can indeed sue the insurance company if you and your personal injury lawyer can prove that it was acting in bad faith. This is true if you have to fight with the insurance company to have them even investigate the case. It is also true if you have to struggle to get the settlement you want and need to recover. You can indeed fight back against acts of bad faith on the part of your insurance company
Don’t let acts of bad faith let you down
If you catch an insurance company acting in bad faith, don’t fret. Fight back by hiring good legal counsel to take the insurance company to court.