When Insurance Companies Don’t Follow Through in Little Rock
Since life is very unpredictable, most people in Arkansas pay for an insurance policy to have coverage if an unexpected accident or event may happen. Claimants may faithfully pay insurance premiums for medical, auto, homeowners, life, or other types of insurance for years.
Claimants expect that when an unexpected incident occurs, the insurance company will honor the written contract of the insured and pay for damages. But what happens if the insurance provider denies the claim or pays a lesser amount than what’s stipulated in the contract?
If this has happened to you, please contact the insurance bad faith lawyers of Minton Law Firm at 855-Xadjuster or online, for a free consultation. Our experienced bad faith attorneys have been helping clients in the city of Little Rock, as well as Benton, and Conway areas of Arkansas to recover financial compensation for damages suffered.
What Does the Term “Insurance Bad Faith” Mean?
When an insurance company accepts a claim and works to pay the claim promptly according to the agreed terms, they are acting in good faith.
On the other hand, when an insurance company or adjuster is looking to minimize what the insurance company owes, or denies a legitimate liability claim in an effort to avoid what the company is legally obligated to pay, this may be considered “insurance bad faith.” Essentially, bad faith is intentional dishonesty.
Frequently, insurance companies will take advantage of an insured policyholder who is unfamiliar with the ambiguous legal wording of contracts. However, when a case of bad faith happens, the policyholder may be unaware of the fact that he or she can take legal action against the insurance provider.
The assistance of an Arkansas lawyer, especially one familiar with the tactics insurance companies use to deny insured policyholders, can be crucial in pursuing insurance bad faith claims.
Common Bad Faith Tactics Used by Insurance Companies
Whenever insurance providers deny a claim, it does not automatically constitute bad faith. There could be some legitimately reasonable reasons, according to the law, for denial. Valid reasons for an insurance provider to reject a claim include: the policy elapsing due to a failure of paying premiums, a legitimate claim of liability, or the injury not being included in the policy’s coverage.
However, there are tactics that an insurance company may use to minimize the amount of the insurance claim or refuse to pay it. It is true that in some cases, an adjuster may just be careless, not deliberately acting with bad intent.
However, even in those cases, these actions can constitute bad faith. Some common bad faith tactics include:
- Denied payment of a claim in the first place without an explanation
- Frequently requiring more information
- Needlessly delay the claims process
- Offering less money than what is legally owed
- Failing to investigate a claim
- Changing the terms of the insurance policy after receiving a claim
- Failing to pay victims what is legally owed in a timely manner
- Ignoring communication from a policyholder
- Refusing to cooperate with a third-party claim
- Denied based upon a pre-existing condition
- Denied based upon the claim that treatment wasn’t necessary
- Asserts that the adjuster handled the claim improperly
- Refusing to accept a reasonable amount for settlement
- Failing to provide information in a timely manner
Of course, this list is not comprehensive. There are many other tactics that insurance companies could use to minimize what is legally owned or deny a claim.
If you feel that your insurance company has not acted in good faith but instead used an act of bad faith regarding your claim, and you have not been paid what is owed, the experienced bad faith insurance attorneys of Minton Law Firm can help you get compensated for damages. Having the assistance of a knowledgeable Arkansas attorney is vital to your case.
Types of Damages You May Be Entitled to Receive for Your Claim
According to Arkansas law, victims of an insurance company acting in bad faith are entitled to seek compensation for damages suffered. A bad faith insurance attorney with our law firm can help with your bad faith insurance claim.
Compensation for bad faith claims may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Payment of benefits sought in your initial claim
- Lost wages from days away from work for bad insurance practices
- Medical expenses incurred as a result of dishonest practices by insurers
- Emotional distress from dishonest acts by insurers
- Punitive damages to punish the insurance company for its misconduct
How Our Bad Faith Attorneys Can Help
Dealing with an insurance company that refuses to pay for your legitimate claim can be extremely frustrating and costly. You may be facing mounting medical bills, lost days from work, and other expenses.
Don’t minimize the injustice you have faced. Arkansas law makes it clear that you have a right to decide to act against your insurance company, prove evidence of bad faith, and receive monetary damages.
However, the process of pursuing an insurance bad faith claim can be complicated. You need an experienced bad faith claims attorney in your corner.
Justin Minton, a bad faith insurance attorney with our firm, formerly worked as an insurance adjuster. So he knows the tactics insurance companies use to try to minimize or deny a legitimate claim.
Having a knowledgeable and experienced attorney like Justin Minton on your side will only strengthen your claim to receive payment for damages.
Work With an Insurance Bad Faith Attorney for Protection
Our experienced bad faith insurance attorneys can review your claim and policy, investigate and isolate any evidence of bad faith tactics that the insurance company may have used, and hold insurance companies accountable for all damages that you are entitled to receive.
Our bad faith insurance attorneys will not let you be bullied by the insurance company. You can focus on healing, while we protect and defend your interests.
Contact Minton Law’s insurance bad faith lawyers, serving the areas of Little Rock, Benton, and Conway in Arkansas at 855-Xadjuster or online today to get counsel regarding your claim. If we don’t recover financial compensation for you, you don’t owe us a dime.
