Trusted Vancouver, WA Bad Faith Attorneys & Insurance Fraud Lawyers
If you or a loved one have been wronged by an insurance company in the Vancouver area, you need competent legal counsel with a proven track record of getting their clients’ valid claims compensated. That is exactly the type of service you can expect when you choose D’Amore Law Group to handle your bad faith insurance case. Our proven Vancouver WA bad faith attorneys can help you.
What Is Bad Faith?
Ideally, insurance carriers offer their clientele policies that protect them from financially and emotionally devastating accidents. In such an event, the insurance company pays out the claim in “good faith,” taking into consideration all of the circumstances of the situation and abiding by the stipulations set out in the policy. This is not always the case, however, as insurance companies often deny valid claims merely for their own profit. This practice is referred to as acting in “bad faith.”
Under Washington State law RCW 48.30.015, commonly known as the Insurance Fair Conduct Act (IFCA), insurance companies are explicitly prohibited from engaging in bad faith business practices:
“Any first-party claimant to a policy of insurance who is unreasonably denied a claim for coverage or payment of benefits by an insurer may bring an action in the superior court of this state to recover the actual damages sustained, together with the costs of the action, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and litigation costs…”
Put simply, insurance providers are legally mandated to treat their policyholders equitably and promptly when examining the validity of their claims and cannot refuse to pay solely to save money or on other trivial grounds. You, as the policyholder, carry the burden of proof of showing that the insurance provider has acted in bad faith. Overcoming this hurdle and obtaining the compensation you deserve can be complex and difficult. What’s more, insurance companies often have teams of lawyers and deep pockets. If you believe you have a valid insurance claim but your provider is denying your claim and failing to cooperate, it is essential to have our highly skilled Vancouver WA bad faith insurance lawyer on your side. The D’Amore Law Group has years of experience keeping insurers honest and assisting clients in obtaining the resources they need for recovery.
Bad Faith Warning Signs
Insurance providers sometimes have justifiable reasons for denying a claim, such as when the type of accident is not covered or is specifically excluded from the existing policy. Additionally, while a given claim may be covered, the insurer may dispute the claim amount. Insurance bad faith differs from both of these scenarios in that bad faith involves a scenario in which the claim is clearly covered by the policy and the insurer fails to timely and comprehensively evaluate the claim before deciding to pay. While the details and circumstances of each case will vary, certain characteristics indicative of insurance bad faith include:
- Track Record of Automatic Claim Denial: If your insurance company instructs its adjusters to automatically deny every claim regardless of the circumstances of the event and to only evaluate claims if a client disputes the denial, then you may have a valid bad faith case.
- Intentionally Drawing Out the Payment Process: Insurance companies will often attempt to prolong the claim reimbursement process for no reason other than to place clients under financial hardship so they will accept a lower amount for their claim.
- Not Investigating Claims: Under the IFCA, insurance providers cannot propose a payment that is considerably less than the original claim without first conducting a thorough investigation of the accident at issue and providing a reasonable basis for their claim amount determination.
Contact Our Vancouver, WA Bad Faith Lawyers
It is in the insurance company’s best interest to limit the amount of compensation they pay out to their customers. Sometimes, a company refuses to pay a claim that clearly should be paid with the hope that the consumer will not fight the decision. Most insurance policies are complex and confusing documents with many terms and conditions, and it is common that a consumer will not know everything that is or is not covered by their policy. Our trusted Vancouver, WA bad faith attorneys can assist you with understanding your policy terms and clearly explain the legal options available to you.
If you believe that you submitted a valid claim and your insurance provider has denied it in bad faith, contact the knowledgeable Vancouver, WA bad faith lawyers of D’Amore Law Group for a free and confidential case analysis to determine if your insurer is engaging in bad faith conduct.
Our law firm in Vancouver, WA also serves the following practice areas:
- Auto Vehicle Accidents
- Trucking Accidents
- Bicycle Crash Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Motorbike Accidents
- Highway-Roadway Accidents
- Wrongful Death
- Construction Accidents
- Medical Negligence and Malpractice
- Medication Errors
- Personal Injury
- Spinal Cord and Head Injury
- Sinus Surgery Injury
- Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
- Child Injury
- Product Liability
- Class Actions
Call us or contact us online to get started today.
