When Is an Insurance Company Operating in Bad Faith?

Federal and state laws require insurance companies to act in good faith and to deal fairly with every policyholder and every claim. If you purchase a policy from an insurance company, you have the right to be treated fairly and justly by that company, but if the company operates in bad faith, you will need help from a California bad faith insurance attorney.

California law provides considerable legal protection to policyholders and to anyone whose injuries and other damages may be covered by an insurance policy. If the company fails to fulfill its legal obligation – and if you become a victim of what California law calls “insurance bad faith” – you have the right to bring a lawsuit against the insurance company, and the legal team at the McKennon Law Group will work to win justice on your behalf.

What Can Happen When You File an Insurance Claim?

If you’re injured in a vehicle collision or some other accident, the insurance company should compensate you quickly for your emergency treatment and related medical expenses. Many accident victims qualify for insurance compensation, but a seriously injured accident victim may have to deal with “brush-offs,” unexplained delays, or even outright deception after filing an insurance claim.

Accident victims often have no choice but to bring a lawsuit while trying to recover from a devastating injury. A California bad faith insurance attorney at the McKennon Law Group will review your circumstances, discuss your legal options, and suggest the best way forward – which may mean bringing a lawsuit for insurance bad faith.

How Does the Law Define Insurance Bad Faith?

If an insurance company either negligently or intentionally mishandles your insurance claim, the company is operating in bad faith. Bad faith insurance practices include but are not limited to:

1. rejecting your claim for a fabricated or false reason
2. prolonging the investigation process needlessly
3. trying to con or coerce you into taking a settlement offer for less than your claim is worth

Simply retaining an attorney and showing that you’re serious may be enough to motivate an insurance company to fulfill its obligation to you.

A bad faith claim must be based on an insurance company’s particular actions or lack of action. If you believe that your insurance claim is being delayed or denied because the company is doing business in bad faith, you should arrange to speak promptly with an insurance claims attorney at the McKennon Law Group.

How Will Your Attorney Fight an Insurance Company’s Bad Faith?

The right insurance attorney will investigate your bad faith allegation and may ask the insurance company to provide all documents related to the claim itself and to the company’s procedures and policies. An adjuster or another company representative may be deposed or subpoenaed to testify in court. Your insurance claim lawyer may also call on an insurance industry expert to testify regarding the industry’s standard practices and procedures.

For more than seventy years, the attorneys at the McKennon Law Group have fought effectively for the rights of insurance policyholders and injury victims throughout California. To learn more, to schedule a free legal consultation with no obligation, or to take legal action now, call the McKennon Law Group at (800) 682-4137. Our law offices are conveniently located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Newport Beach.