Don’t Take On the Insurance Companies Alone
Insurance policies are essentially contracts between policyholders and insurance companies. Generally, policyholders count on these policies to be their safety nets when accidents or traumatic events occur. What many policyholders may not know, however, is that:
- Insurance companies are typically looking out for their own profits and interests, rather than for their policyholders.
- Insurers may use various tactics to try to unethically – and, at times, illegally – undervalue policyholders’ legitimate claims or deny them altogether.
- When this occurs, standing up to insurance companies will be essential to helping policyholders get the compensation to which they are entitled.
At Ryan R. Cox & Associates, LLC, our St. Louis lawyers are extremely familiar with the various tactics insurers can use to practice bad faith and unfairly undercut or deny people’s claims. We can effectively stand up to insurers in any legal setting. Our attorneys will pursue all available legal remedies to:
- Hold insurance companies accountable for acting in bad faith
- Help our clients maximize their financial recovery after being the target of bad faith insurance practices
We can help you gather all the necessary evidence in order to build your case.
Signs Of Bad Faith Insurance Practices
Knowing the warning signs of bad faith insurance is important to understanding when insurers may have violated your rights and tried to cheat you out of compensation. Some of the more common signs of bad faith insurance practices include (but may not be limited to):
- Prolonging investigations of claims
- Using questionable, unethical, or illegal methods to investigate claims
- Issuing claim denials without conducting any investigations into those claims
- Making unreasonable demands for documents or “evidence” during the claims investigation
- Delaying payouts for claims, which can be an attempt to make claimants financially desperate and, in turn, try to compel them to accept low-ball settlement offers
- Failing to notify claimants of decisions regarding their claims
- Significantly undervaluing claims for minor or unsubstantiated reasons
- Threatening claimants with denials if they do or do not do certain things
- Changing the terms of policies after claims have been filed – this illegal practice may also be referred to as post-claim underwriting
- Canceling policies after claims have been filed
Financial Recovery From Bad Faith Insurance Cases
When people choose to stand up to the insurers who engage in bad faith practices, financial recovery from these cases can include:
- Compensatory damages, which can include the full amount of the payout a person deserved for his or her original claim, plus attorney’s fees, and compensation for other losses policyholders suffered due to the bad faith practices
- Punitive damages, which can be awarded when insurers regularly and/or systematically engage in bad faith insurance practices. Punitive damages, which are intended to punish a defendant, can be far greater than compensatory damages. The possibility of them being awarded can also be a compelling point to address during negotiations, as this can motivate insurers to try to come to reasonable settlements (rather than see a case through trial and potentially be ordered to pay significant punitive damages later).
If you have been the target of bad faith insurance, an experienced St. Charles & St. Louis personal injury attorney at Ryan R. Cox & Associates, LLC, is and will be there for you, ready to provide you zealous legal advocacy in your pursuit of justice and financial recovery.
Want To Learn More? Call Today
To find out more about your legal rights and what we can do to help you, contact us to schedule a free, no obligations initial consultation with one of our lawyers. You can set up this consultation by calling our firm at 636-946-6886.