The Insurance Company Must Treat You Fairly — By Law
Under California law, the insurance company must always give a policyholder's interests the same consideration as its own interests. When insurance companies take your money for premiums, they have the obligation to make sure your needs under the policy are dealt with promptly, fairly and without unnecessary delay. When an insurance company does not meet its obligations, that can be insurance bad faith and the remedies for bad faith can include not just breach of contract damages, but may, in certain cases, include punitive damages and attorneys fees. If you know of a case involving insurance bad faith, talk to an attorney at the Girardi | Keese law firm.
Insurance companies assure us we can count of them for peace of mind.
We purchase insurance to help us deal with the unexpected — car insurance for a car accident, business insurance for events that damage business property or operations, homeowners insurance for accidents in, or damage to, our homes, health insurance for health problems, life insurance for an untimely death that leaves a family without a breadwinner or caregiver. Insurance bad faith can occur any time a claim is made and the insurance company fails to respond appropriately and in a timely manner. When that happens, contact an experienced insurance litigation lawyer.
- Rescission: Post-claims underwriting is against the law in California.
- Improper denials, payment delays: Claims should be processed quickly and accurately.
- Insufficient investigation: Did the denied claim come without a reasonable investigation?
- Failure to defend you: The company has an obligation to back you up against a claim.
- Homeowners insurance: Did the company turn a reasonable claim into a coverage dispute?
- Health insurance: Health insurers may deny a claim based on irrelevant information.
- Disability insurance: Did the company change the rules about what qualifies?
- Commercial/business insurance: When a business insures against risks, they should be paid.
- Insurance broker negligence: Did the broker fail to give you the information you needed?
Insurance companies promise to be there when you need them most — and then, too often, they try to change the rules. Contact us about acts of insurance bad faith. We represent clients throughout California.
