Insurance is one of those expenses that nobody wants to pay for, but we all know how important it is to protect ourselves against the unexpected, so we go ahead and pay the price. But what happens when the protection that we pay for is not forthcoming when it’s supposed to be? The law requires insurance companies to act in what is known as “good faith” – this means that they need to treat their clients honestly and fairly, honoring the contracts between themselves and their insureds as long as policy premiums are being paid.. Our justice system insists that this is understood, in large part because it would be too difficult for individuals to hold their own against big insurance company lawyers. Unfortunately, there are some instances when insurance companies receive claims and then unfairly refuse to pay. When this happens it is known as acting in bad faith, and it leaves policy holders feeling helpless. The attorneys at the Philadelphia law firm of Bochetto & Lentz are dedicated to fighting insurance companies who unfairly or unethically refuse to pay their policy holders’ legitimate claims.
When you file an insurance bad faith lawsuit or claim against an insurance company, you are charging them with failure to treat a policy holder fairly, or failing to comply with the rules and regulations that dictate how claims are paid out. This can take many different forms, including:
- Not paying a claim for benefits in an expedient or prompt way
- Asserting that information pertinent to a claim was either lost or never received
- Requiring claimants to provide an unreasonable amount of documentation for a legitimate claim
- Hiring biased experts – whether medical or engineering – who always argue against claimants’ claims
- Asserting that deadlines for providing documentation were not meant
- Claiming that a policyholder’s claim is not covered by their policy
- Only providing partial benefits when full are appropriate
- Offering a settlement that is significantly under what is considered to be reasonable
- Refusing to investigate a claim
- Falling short of the coverage that was represented to the policy holder at the time that the policy was purchased
- Offering excuses instead of payment of the policy
Insurance companies can act in bad faith when dealing with claims against a life insurance policy, a homeowner’s insurance policy or a disability policy. In all cases their actions – or inaction – leads to the policy holder being harmed. When you come to Bochetto & Lentz regarding an insurance company acting in bad faith, we will investigate the circumstances of your claim as well as the terms and conditions within your insurance policy to determine what fair treatment would be, then demand that treatment from the insurance company on your behalf. We will use our legal knowledge, as well as our experience, to demand that you get the compensation to which you are entitled in a timely manner. Contact us today to learn more about how our Philadelphia law firm can help.
