Torrance Insurance Bad Faith Lawyer

Insurance Bad Faith Attorney in Torrance, CA

Insurance is supposed to provide you with protection in the event of a crisis. When you put your faith in an insurance company, you are trusting that they can preserve your interests and do the right thing regarding your policy when the time comes. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen, and insurance companies may choose to disregard your policy by acting in bad faith. If that happens, you need to contact a Torrance insurance bad faith lawyer to assist you with your case.

The legal team at Kristy & Kananen recognizes how hard and complicated it can be to pursue an insurance bad faith case. Taking on an insurance company can seem insurmountable alone, which is why you should consider hiring a Torrance insurance bad faith attorney. They can go through your policy, determine where the company went wrong, and help you better understand how the state’s bad faith insurance laws can affect your claim. Our firm knows how to help.

Common Examples of Bad Faith Insurance Practices

If you decide to move forward with a bad faith insurance case in Torrance, your case may be handled by the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The primary location for cases like yours in the area is the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles on North Hill Street. According to the California Department of Insurance, 42,121 insurance claims have been filed since the Los Angeles County wildfires, with $22.4 billion paid out to victims. Bad faith claims are common.

If you want to pursue legal action against your insurance company for acting in bad faith and refusing to pay out in accordance with your policy, you need to know the many different ways that an insurance company can take advantage of you. You may not instantly recognize what unfair practices may look like. If you don’t realize there’s a problem, the insurer can take advantage of you. Here are some of the most common bad faith practices in California:

• Delayed payments. A delay in payment is arguably the most common form of bad faith. Insurance companies are required by California law to process your insurance claim within a reasonable time frame. Some insurers may intentionally take as long as possible to process your claim or delay payments in the hope that they can wear you down, stall, or just get you to rescind your claim. A good lawyer can convince them to move forward.
• Unreasonable denial. The entire reason you have insurance in the first place is to be protected when something bad happens to you. Unfortunately, some insurance companies may simply refuse your claim without any reason behind it. Many times, they won’t even investigate before refusing. If they deny your claim without a valid reason or by misinterpreting your policy, you should look into it further and pursue legal action.
• Lack of investigation. Before they can deny your claim, an insurance company needs to conduct its own investigation into your situation to determine if your claim is covered by your policy. Through this investigation, they can tell you exactly why your claim was denied. Refusing to conduct that investigation or ignoring evidence that supports your story can be seen as acting in bad faith. You should see a lawyer about that.
• Lowball settlement offer. Your insurance claim may have a reasonable value attached to it. That value may even be stated clearly in your policy. If your insurance company refuses to pay you that amount or tries to force you to accept a much lower offer, that can be seen as acting in bad faith. They may even try to intimidate you into accepting the offer by threatening you in some way. See a lawyer to negotiate your settlement.

FAQs

What Exactly Constitutes Bad Faith Insurance in California?

A bad faith insurance situation occurs when your insurer breaches the implied covenant of good faith by refusing to investigate your claim, denying your payout, misrepresenting your policy, or unreasonably denying benefits. Engaging in bad faith is illegal in California and could result in significant legal action against your insurer. If this happens to you, you should contact a bad faith insurance attorney to start building a case against your insurance company.

What Are the Most Common Signs or Tactics That an Insurance Company Is Unreasonably Delaying or Denying My Legitimate Claim?

One of the most common signs that an insurance company is unreasonably delaying or denying your legitimate claim is frequent delays. Generally, if your insurance company is committed to seeing your claim through, there may be some delays, but they are in contact with you to explain those delays. In a bad faith situation, your insurer may refuse to take your calls or return your emails, request redundant information, or offer a lowball settlement.

What Type of Compensation or Damages Can I Recover in a Bad Faith Claim Against My Insurance Provider?

If you choose to hire a bad faith insurance lawyer and move forward with a bad faith claim against your insurance provider, there are many different types of compensation you can attempt to claim. You can pursue the original policy benefits, interest, legal fees, and compensation for the emotional distress of ever having to deal with this situation. In cases of serious misconduct, the court may even award you additional punitive damages.

Do I Need a Lawyer to Handle a Bad Faith Claim?

No, you are not legally required to hire a lawyer to handle your bad faith insurance claim. However, it’s highly recommended that you hire one anyway. Taking on an insurance company on your own can be intimidating, especially if you are not well-versed in California insurance laws. The company may use this to its advantage and try to intimidate you into accepting defeat. A good lawyer can be invaluable to your case.

Hire an Insurance Bad Faith Lawyer

If you are struggling against an insurance company in a bad faith case, you should hire an insurance bad faith lawyer to take control of your case and keep you from making any costly mistakes. At Kristy & Kananen, we can bring decades of focused experience to your case and keep you from being manipulated by a bad faith insurance company. Contact us to speak to someone on our team who can help.