Insurance companies produce compassionate-toned ads filled with reassurance to attract buyers to their policies; however, insurance companies are in business to make profits and often prioritize this goal at your expense, even when you have a valid claim.
Insurance adjusters investigate claims to undervalue or deny them. Sometimes, the common tactics they use to achieve their goal are frustrating, but when an insurer’s actions go beyond frustrating strategies and cross the line into violating the terms of a contract, it’s bad bad-faith practice
If you’ve experienced bad faith tactics by an insurance company, reach out to a personal injury attorney in Marysville from Wells Trumbull to learn more about your right to financial recovery through a bad faith insurance claim in Marysville.
Why Choose Wells Trumbull for Your Bad Faith Insurance Claim In Marysville?
Ben Wells has been a practicing attorney since 1989 and has dedicated his career to advocating for injury victims. Joshua Trumbull has degrees in both law and business, giving him keen insight into the insurance industry. With Wells Trumbull on your side, you have the following advantages in your Washington bad faith insurance claim case:
- A law firm with a history of success to put a strong voice behind your case
- An attorney dedicated to compassionate legal representation that prioritizes your best interests
- A personalized strategy based on the unique circumstances of your case
- Years of accumulated knowledge, skills, and resources to advance your case toward a favorable outcome
We offer a free case consultation and contingency-based payment, so you owe nothing for our legal service until after we’ve obtained compensation for you.
What Is a Bad Faith Insurance Claim?
Insurance companies often push the limits of contract language and may use other tactics, such as delaying the process as long as possible in the hope that a claimant will accept a lowball settlement offer, meanwhile, keeping the funds gathering interest in their accounts rather than the claimant’s. Less commonly, insurance companies wrongfully deny claims through bad-faith practices such as the following:
- Violating the language of their contract with the claimant
- Unreasonably withholding the payout on a valid claim
- Improperly investigating your claim
- Intentionally misrepresenting the terms of a contract
- Failing to take action on your claim
- Failing to communicate or provide the requested information
The insurance company has a legal obligation to uphold the terms of its contracts. When an insurance company breaches a contract, the claimant can hold the company accountable through an insurance bad-faith lawsuit. A jury may award damages to a claimant, requiring the insurance company to pay the claimant a sum as a deterrent to repeated bad-faith practices.
Examples of Common Insurance Company Tactics
When dealing with an insurance claim—for example, the responsible party’s auto insurer after a car accident, or a store’s premises liability insurance after a slip-and-fall injury in Marysville —insurance companies use common strategies meant to protect their profits at an injury victim’s expense. Common insurance company tactics include the following:
- Reaching out quickly with a low settlement offer before you know the full scope of your damages
- Calling on a recorded line and then using your words out of context against you later
- Claiming your doctor-recommended treatment isn’t necessary for your injury
- Asking for a medical authorization to review your injury, and then combing through your entire medical history to find a pre-existing condition or previous injury, and then claiming that the pre-existing condition is the true cause of your symptoms
- Delaying progress on your case by requiring redundant paperwork, failing to return emails, changing insurance adjusters, or asking for additional documentation
A personal injury attorney defends against these and other common tactics, but only when an insurance company violates the express terms of the contract do such tactics constitute bad-faith insurance practice.
What Will an Insurance Bad Faith Lawsuit Do For Me?
When an insurance company fails to honor the terms of a contract, the claimant may file a lawsuit against the insurer for their bad faith actions. A successful lawsuit does the following:
- Recovers the policy benefits for your original claim, such as property damage, medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering
- Consequential damages, or the additional losses caused by the delay or wrongful denial, such as lost earnings and financial losses
- Compensation for emotional distress, anguish, and frustration
- Depending on the type of claim, claimants may receive compensation for damage to credit, foreclosure, or bankruptcy costs
- An award of punitive damages
Punitive damages are awarded to the claimant, but are not meant as compensation; instead, they serve as a “punishment” to the insurance company for their bad-faith actions and a deterrent to prevent repeats of bad-faith practices.
Less commonly, an insurer could also face criminal action if its actions rise to the level of fraud.
What Evidence Do I Need for a Bad Faith Insurance Claim?
When an insurance company unreasonably denies benefits or otherwise fails to live up to the terms of a contract, the claimant has the right to action through a bad faith practices claim against the insurance company. It takes substantial evidence for a successful claim. Common evidence used in successful claims includes the following:
- A copy of your insurance contract, or an at-fault party’s insurance contract if the claim is against a responsible party’s insurance company
- Copies of all email and text communications
- Logs with dates, times, and pertinent information exchanges between you and the insurer
- Evidence of your damages proving the validity of your claim
- Third-party witness evidence
A court also typically reviews the insurance company’s internal documentation and the insurance adjuster’s notes.
What Can A Marysville Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer Do For Me?
It takes a skilled investigation, compelling evidence, and meticulous attention to filing details to demand financial accountability through a bad-faith insurance claim. Your Marysville bad faith insurance lawyer does the following:
- Evaluates the merits of your case
- Collects evidence by gathering all relevant documentation
- Develops a legal strategy based on the circumstances of your case
- Handles all communications with the insurance company throughout the process
- Assertively negotiates for a fair settlement
- Files a lawsuit petition and takes the matter to court if the insurance company doesn’t offer a fair settlement for their bad-faith practices despite the evidence
If your case requires a court hearing, your Marysville bad faith insurance attorney from Wells Trumbull will provide a well-executed legal strategy to seek a court award for your original claim, along with additional damages.
Call Wells Trumbull to Learn How a Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer Can Help
You deserve the full and fair compensation you’re entitled to under the terms of an insurance contract. Leaving a crucial claim in the hands of an insurance company doesn’t always have the outcome you anticipate, especially when an insurer violates its contract or fails to act reasonably.
Contact the experienced Marysville insurance bad faith attorneys at Wells Trumbull to learn more about how an attorney can help in your unique case.