Houma Bad Faith Insurance Claim Lawyer
Insurance policies are designed to protect you at the most difficult moments in your life. Whether it is auto insurance or policies that protect your home, your insurance coverage is designed to pay for sudden and unexpected emergencies.
Despite their duty to deal fairly, insurance companies can act in bad faith in a variety of situations. This behavior is especially common during natural disasters like hurricanes and floods. Insurance companies frequently find thin excuses to deny viable claims. When this happens, it could benefit you to seek the guidance of a Houma bad faith insurance claim lawyer.
What Constitutes Bad Faith?
Every insurance company in the state has a duty to operate in good faith and deal fairly with their insured. Under the law, insurance companies must resolve claims in a reasonable amount of time and make an honest effort to settle these claims for their fair value.
Unfortunately, insurers do not always take on claims in good faith. Insurers care about their profits, and paying out policy benefits cuts into those profits. For that reason, there are numerous ways a carrier could act in bad faith to minimize a claim or even deny it entirely.
Some insurance carriers simply drag their feet or refuse to make a settlement offer at all. Insurers understand that time is on their side, as they have ample resources. While the insured struggles with sudden financial hardship, insurance companies are comfortable dragging their feet in an effort to push the insured toward a low settlement offer. Insurers may also fail to complete a fair investigation or deceive someone about paperwork or deadlines. When insurance companies cut corners and treat their insureds unfairly, a Houma attorney could pursue a bad faith claim against them to hold them accountable.
Compensation for a Bad Faith Insurance Case
The purpose of a bad faith claim is to secure the benefits that were owed under the policy to begin with. That said, a successful claim could result in compensation above and beyond what the policy should have paid out. This is done to not only provide policyholders with the benefits they paid for but also to deter insurance companies from acting in bad faith. A knowledgeable Houma attorney can provide more insight into what a bad faith claim case might be worth.
Where found to be arbitrary, capricious, or acting without probable cause, an insurer could be on the hook for a penalty of an additional fifty percent damages on the amount found to be otherwise due. In that case, reasonable attorney fees may also be awarded against the arbitrary insurer.
If a partial payment or tender has been made, but it was not timely paid or the insurer is proven to have acted arbitrarily or without probable cause, fifty percent of the difference between the amount paid or tendered and the amount found to be due as well as reasonable attorney fees may be awarded.
An experienced attorney can help an individual evaluate their losses and pursue a compensation amount that accounts for all of the factors of a case.
Consult with a Houma Bad Faith Insurance Claim Attorney
If you believe your insurance company is not acting in good faith, you have the right to hold them accountable through legal action. This process might be daunting, but it could be your best chance at fair compensation.
A Houma bad faith insurance claim lawyer can guide you through this process and ensure that you are properly represented against an unfair insurer. You deserve to have a skilled legal professional in your corner. Contact our office today to get started.