Bad Faith And Unfair Insurance Practices
Insurance Companies Continue To Raise Premiums, Deny Claims and Employ "Boxing Glove" Strategies Against Their Own Policyholders - Fight Back
According to Allstate Chief Executive Officer Thomas Wilson, Allstate's mission was clear,"Our obligation is to earn a return for our shareholders". Unfortunately the dedication of shareholders puts profits over the fiduciary responsibility owed to their policyholder to resolve claims in a proper and fair fashion. In recessionary times and prior thereto, the name of the game in the insurance industry was to deny, delay, and defend and in fact do anything to avoid paying claims in a fair and proper manner. In fact, many of the insurance companies have corporate training manuals explaining how to avoid payments. Insurance companies increasingly and systematically place profits over the interest of their policyholders. Many insurance companies are now maintaining aggressive litigation strategies that aim to deny the claim at any cost and force their insured to retain attorneys which, in fact, can often add time, expense and delay to the equation for resolving an insurance claim. If you filed an insurance claim with an insurance company, by law that company owes you a duty to act in good faith.
Since 1979, the law firm of Reiff and Bily has represented thousands of consumers in actions aggressively fighting against insurance companies for bad faith. Many of the reasons that insurance companies get sued for bad faith are as follows:
- Unwarranted denial of coverage
- Failure to communicate pertinent information
- Failure to conduct a reasonable investigation of claim
- Refusal to pay a claim without investigating
- Failure to pay or deny the claim within a reasonable period of time
- Failure to confirm or deny coverage within a reasonable period of time
- Failure to attempt to come to a fair and reasonable settlement value when liability is clear cut
- Offer you substantially less money to settle than the true value of the claim
- Failure to promptly provide a reasonable explanation for denial of a claim
- Failure to enter into any negotiation for settlement of the claim
- Failure to respond to a time limit demand
- Failing to disclose policy limits
- Delaying or denying legitimate insurance claims in order to maximize the company's bottom line
- Failing to deal with the beneficiary of an insurance policy in good faith
- Doubting claims based on standard that vary significantly with standards of the community
- Unreasonably and purposefully delaying or withholding payment of a claim
Unfair insurance practices place the insured and policyholder in financial jeopardy and can often have devastating financial, emotional and social consequences. The bad faith insurance attorneys at Reiff and Bily are committed to fighting this type of abuse. We understand the tactics of the insurance industry and the roadblocks that they will put in the path to justice. When you need bull dog lawyers ready to employ a hardball boxing glove strategy against insurance companies, please feel free to contact one of the experienced bad faith insurance industry lawyers at Reiff and Bily for a free consultation.