Insurance companies produce glossy ads and use compassionate tones to sell policies, but they are not on your side in a personal injury case, despite their reassuring promises. Instead, they are on the side of protecting profits at your expense. Although many of the tactics insurance companies use to deny, delay, and dispute claims are legitimate, despite the frustration they cause, when an insurance company breaches the terms of a contract, an injury victim may file an additional claim against the company for bad faith practices. Call the personal injury lawyers in Arlington at Wells Trumbull if you think the insurance company has used improper practices in your case.
Why Choose Wells Trumbull as Your Bad Faith Insurance Attorneys in Arlington?
The experienced Arlington bad faith insurance lawyers at Wells Trumbull have decades of combined experience navigating Washington’s complex insurance system and civil courts. We offer your case substantial advantages, such as the following:
- A free consultation and representation at no cost to you until after we recover compensation in your case
- A bad faith insurance attorney in Arlington is dedicated to assertive action with a personalized strategy based on the unique circumstances of your case
- An experienced investigator and strong negotiator to seek the maximum compensation available to you through an ample settlement or a jury award in court
With an Arlington bad faith insurance attorney on your side, you can demand financial accountability, not only from the party at fault for your injury, but also from their insurance company for using bad-faith practices that breach the terms of their contract.
Common Insurance Company Tactics In Arlington Personal Injury Claims
Insurance companies use tried and true strategies to minimize the amount they have to pay out on claims, including the following:
- Offering a fast settlement offer before the injury victim knows the full extent of their damages and requiring the injury victim to sign away their right to file a lawsuit
- Denying that the doctor’s recommended treatment is necessary for the injury
- Calling on a recorded line and using the injury victim’s words out of context against them
- Asking for a medical authorization to review the injury report, but then using the blanket authorization to examine the entire medical history, seeking evidence of a pre-existing condition or earlier injury that they can then claim is the actual cause of the symptoms.
- Endlessly delaying by asking for redundant paperwork, failing to return phone calls, and avoiding emails
The above tactics are frustrating and self-serving, but it takes an experienced Arlington bad faith insurance attorney to scrutinize the language of the insurance policy to determine when deceptive practices cross the line into breach of contract and bad-faith insurance practices.
What Are Bad Faith Insurance Practices?
Most personal injury claims are first filed directly against the appropriate insurance company, such as auto insurance after a car accident or commercial liability insurance after a slip-and-fall accident in a store. When these companies use tactics that breach the terms of their contract, they can be held accountable in civil court. Common examples of insurance company bad-faith practices include:
- Altering the terms of a policy after a claim has already been filed
- Using their own medical experts who have been coerced into doing the company’s bidding by claiming a doctor’s recommended medical treatment isn’t necessary
- Creating filing deadlines that are not included in the policy terms
- Delaying claims for invalid reasons
- Failing to notify policyholders about coverage terms that could increase a payout on a claim
- Intentionally misinterpreting or misrepresenting the language of the policy to accomplish their goals
- Requesting documents that are irrelevant to the claim as an intentional stalling tactic to run out the statute of limitations on a claim
- Negotiating reduced payouts on claims despite clear terms in a policy
When an insurance company makes untrue statements or violates policy terms, an injury victim has the right to file a lawsuit to recover additional compensation for bad-faith insurance practices.
Call the Bad Faith Insurance Practice Attorneys at Wells Trumbull
Instead of leaving your future in the hands of an insurance company with profits as its motive, you deserve experienced legal representation throughout your claim, especially if an insurance company violates the terms of its contract by using bad faith practices. Contact Wells Trumbull for prompt, assertive legal action.