Sometimes, insurance companies fail to fulfill their duties to their policyholders, either by denying valid claims or offering less than claimants deserve. After suffering a serious personal injury or sustaining property damage, you may feel helpless when navigating the claims process. Yet, a Florida bad faith insurance lawyer is ready to manage your case from beginning to end.
At Dolman Law Group, we protect people from bad faith insurance practices. You don't have to worry about fielding phone calls from aggressive claims adjusters or fighting for what you need; we will do everything possible to recoup compensation for your losses.
Insurance Companies Must Operate in Good Faith
The Insurance Information Institute states that insurance companies must follow state laws. These laws ensure that the companies are licensed, have regulated rates, and remain solvent. Another part of the laws involves insurance companies' duties to their policyholders.
These duties are the basis of all insurance companies, and they must uphold them. Failing to uphold their duties can be seen as an act of bad faith. Insurance companies must:
Investigate Claims
The insurance company has to investigate your claim and determine its validity. Even if the insurer has reason to believe that a claimant doesn't have coverage, it should investigate the situation anyway.
Act in Good Faith
All insurers must conduct themselves in good faith. This means promptly responding to inquiries, upholding policy agreements, and avoiding intimidation tactics.
Offer What You Deserve
If you're entitled to coverage under an insurance policy, you should get offered what you deserve. For instance, if you suffered harm in a collision, and you have $10,000 in coverage, you should get those funds when you need them. If the insurance company denies what you need, this could be a sign that it's acting in bad faith.
We're Ready to Help If You're Facing Bad Faith Insurance Practices
Dolman Law Group protects claimants from these bad faith insurance practices:
The Insurer Fails (or Refuses) to Investigate Your Claim
As noted, all insurance companies must investigate claims when determining what someone is owed. This may involve reviewing an accident's resulting damages, conducting interviews, and reading the police report (if applicable).
If an insurance company does not investigate a claim, this could result in you getting less than you're owed - or not getting anything at all.
The Insurer Unreasonably Delays Your Case
While some insurance claims take time to complete, the insurer should keep your case moving along. If you feel that your claim is taking unnecessarily long to resolve, this could point to a bad faith insurance tactic.
Some signs that the insurer is unjustly delaying your case include:
- The claims adjuster does not respond to your phone calls or emails in a timely manner.
- You constantly find yourself dealing with a different claims adjuster each time you call.
- The insurer keeps asking for irrelevant information (or information you've sent in already).
The insurer may also offer you compensation that it knows doesn't account for your losses. In that scenario, you can partner with a Florida bad faith insurance claims lawyer on your case.
The Insurance Company Flat Out Lies to You
You should trust the liable insurance company to give honest, accurate information. You shouldn't hear one thing from the claims adjuster, then turn to the liable policy and see completely different information.
Some claims adjusters twist the truth when it comes to:
- How long you have to file a claim
- What damages you can recover
- How the insurance company views fault
- What you need to do to ensure a successful claim
Our team will manage all communications with the insurer and its representatives. If we find that we're being lied to, we'll either confront the insurance company with our findings or file a lawsuit against the negligent party.
Do I Need to Work with a Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer on My Case?
While working with a lawyer isn't necessary, doing so could recover compensation for your losses. Some reasons to consider legal aid include:
- Insurance contracts come with a lot of jargon. Insurance contracts have a lot of legal wording that might not be easy for a layperson to understand. The insurer may hope that your confusion works to its advantage when offering less than you need. Our team can review the applicable insurance policy and explain hard-to-understand language.
- Your lawyer can advise you before signing anything. Before you sign any forms, you should consult with your lawyer first. If you accidentally sign away your right to compensation, it'll be very difficult to get what you deserve. Your lawyer can examine the “fine print” of any documents and fight for what you need.
- Your attorney can keep your case moving forward. The insurance company may hope that by delaying your case, you'll lose patience and accept a low offer. Your attorney will manage all communications, negotiations, and anything else your case needs to reach completion.
The team at Dolman Law Group is committed to your case's success. We're ready to listen to your story now during your case review.
What Insurance Companies Does Our Team Deal With?
We deal with all types of insurance companies, both big and small. If you're entitled to compensation through an insurance policy, we'll fight for what you need - regardless of how many resources it has.
We've secured financial recovery from:
- Aflac
- Allstate
- GEICO
- Mutual of Omaha
- Progressive
- Liberty Mutual
- State Farm
This is not an exhaustive list.
Contact Our Insurance Bad Faith Lawyers Today
Dolman Law Group has bad faith lawyers ready to start managing your Florida case. Our attorneys are aware of all the laws regarding insurance policies and are here to get you compensated. We will examine your case to find a suitable course of action for your situation.
To explore your legal options, call us today.