Long Beach Insurance Bad Faith Lawyer

Insurance Bad Faith Attorney in Long Beach, CA

Stepping In When Insurance Claims Are Denied In Bad Faith

In California, the unreasonable denial of insurance claims is called “bad faith.” California law empowers policyholders to recover additional money – above the value of the claim – from insurers who deny claims in bad faith. An insurer who denies a claim in bad faith and in conscious disregard of the policyholder’s rights may also be required to pay punitive damages.

If you believe your insurance claim has been unfairly denied, we can help. Our attorneys, James R. Kristy and Kurt Edward Kananen, are dedicated to helping our clients get the compensation to which they are entitled under their insurance policies. We have litigated bad faith claims for over 20 years. At our firm, Kristy & Kananen, we represent insurance policyholders, both individuals and businesses, whose claims have been denied in bad faith. We hold insurance companies responsible for the wrongful denial of claims.

When Insurers Act in Bad Faith?

Insurers may violate California law when they:

• Offering lowball payments to compensate for a loss
• Unreasonably delaying payment
• Avoiding paying for a loss based on “exclusions” in their policies, even when they know the claim is covered under the policy
• Failing to timely and properly adjust a loss
• Other unfair claims-handling practices to cheat consumers out of policy benefits

Insurers sometimes count on the policyholder to feel powerless and to take no action to enforce their rights.

Kristy & Kananen fights for the rights of policyholders, both individuals and businesses. We handle insurance bad faith cases for the following types of coverage, among others:

• Home, fire, and flood insurance
• Automobile insurance
• Medical insurance
• Liability insurance
• Business-interruption insurance
• Disability insurance
• Life insurance

How We Fight to Protect Policyholders’ Rights

An insured homeowner who has experienced a catastrophic loss due to fire or flooding depends on prompt, fair coverage from the insurer. Kristy & Kananen carefully investigate the circumstances of our clients’ denied insurance claims. To determine whether an insurer wrongfully denied or underpaid an insurance claim, we:

• Review the circumstances of our client’s loss and the claim presented to the insurer
• Carefully study the insurance policy’s provisions
• Review the insurer’s adjustment of the claim, including all communications between the policyholder and the insurer
• Analyze the applicable California statutes and case law

We also represent businesses that have relied on their insurer to defend them in a lawsuit, under a liability insurance policy. Insurers often defend their insured under a “reservation of rights.” This means that the insurer is, for the moment, providing a legal defense to the insured business – but may deny coverage if it determines that the claim falls outside of the insurance policy’s coverage. When insurers ultimately deny coverage – that is, they refuse to provide a defense or indemnity to the insured business – we review whether to sue the insurer for policy benefits and for additional monetary damages for the insurer’s “bad-faith” denial of policy benefits.

Kristy & Kananen represents policyholders in many types of insurance policies. If you believe your insurer has wrongfully denied you coverage under an insurance policy, contact us for a free evaluation of your case.

Filing an Insurance Bad-Faith Lawsuit in Long Beach

California law requires insurers to investigate a policyholder’s claim promptly and fairly; that is, in “good faith.” The California Supreme Court has recognized an insurer’s “implied obligation of good faith and fair dealing.” This duty requires the insurer to give the interests of the insured at least as much consideration as it gives to its own interests.

This means that insurers must promptly and thoroughly investigate claims, provide clear reasons for any denial of coverage, and avoid unreasonable delays, misrepresentations, and inadequate settlement offers. An insurer acts in bad faith when it fails to promptly and thoroughly investigate the insured’s loss or denies a valid claim without adequate justification.

Kristy & Kananen files lawsuits against insurers to enforce our clients’ legal rights. If you believe that your insurer has wrongfully denied you policy benefits, contact us today.

Learn More About Your Options

Get in touch with us today to schedule a free evaluation of your case. We represent insurance policyholders on a contingency fee basis, which means that our clients owe us nothing unless and until we recover money for them. If you believe your claim may have been handled unfairly, call Kristy & Kananen at 866-981-1498. You can also fill out this contact form to get in touch. Spanish language translation services are available.