Bad faith insurance is any matter concerning an insurance claim by an insured individual that is wrongfully denied by the insurance company. An insurance policy is considered a contract between you and your insurance carrier. This contract requires that your insurance company acts in good faith toward you. When an insurance company unfairly denies the benefits of the policy from its insured policy holders, it is considered to be in bad faith.
There are numerous examples of how an insurance company can commit bad faith, they include: failing to promptly and methodically examine a claim; unjustly delaying payment; unreasonably refusing benefits to a claim; using unreasonable interpretations in translating policy language; and refusing to settle the case or refund you for the entirety of your loss. Insurance Bad faith constitutes not only breach of your insurance policy contract with your policy holder but also includes injuries personally sustained outside of the insurance contract.
If such a violation exceeds that of being unreasonable and is established to be false, misleading or fraudulent, a judgment can be attained and punitive damages honored exceeding damages for the loss under the policy as punishment for bad faith.
Bad faith insurance practices are also found in the HMOs & Managed Care Organizations; Homeowners Insurance and Disability Insurance arenas.
If your insurance company has denied your claim, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified insurance claim denial attorney.
Lawsuits can be brought against health insurers for acts that are believed to not be in the best interest of consumers or actions that are believed to violate public policy such as denying a claim. Insurers can act in bad faith by failing to fulfill the obligations of a health insurer. This can include not properly examining a claim, not promptly making payments for valid claims and unfairly interpreting a health insurance policy to avoid paying a claim.