Insurance Claims
The Dunk Law Firm has extensive experience representing individuals in insurance bad faith claims. Insurance bad faith is a term that refers to unscrupulous insurance company practices where policyholders are treated unfairly.
Every insurance policy, which is a contract between the insurer and the insured, has an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. This implied covenant acts as a promise by insurance companies to treat insureds fairly when handling their insurance claims. Generally, when this covenant is breached, the insured can file a lawsuit against the insurance company.
Examples of Bad Faith Insurance Practices
Some insurance companies engage in a wide variety of abusive and unlawful insurance practices. These practices can cause significant financial difficulties and distress to policyholders. Examples of bad faith practices insurance companies have engaged in include the following:
- Unfair denial of benefits
- Unreasonable delay of payments
- Underpayment of insureds' claims
- Unreasonable refusal to defend insureds against lawsuits in third party actions
Recoverable Damages
If you have attempted to resolve your dispute with your insurance company but to no avail, you might want to consider speaking to an attorney about filing a lawsuit. The types of damages recoverable in a lawsuit based on breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing include:
- General contractual damages: These are losses insureds incur when the insurance company denies a claim
- Damages for emotional distress: May be awarded if the insured experiences psychological or emotional pain due to the insurer's conduct
- Attorney Fees - Where an insurance company wrongfully denies coverage, attorney fees incurred in obtaining coverage can be recovered as damages.
- Punitive damages: These damages are awarded when the insurance company has acted with malice or recklessness
The Dunk Law Firm has considerable expertise in representing individuals against insurance companies that have engaged in unlawful, bad faith practices. We have the requisite knowledge and experience to represent you effectively and successfully. To learn how we can obtain a successful resolution to your insurance litigation matter, contact The Dunk Law Firm for a free consultation.
