In Florida, insurance companies have a duty to promptly investigate your claim and respond to it in a reasonable manner. They also must not violate any portion of the Florida Unfair Trade Practices Act and must have a solid justification for the payments they pay out. Unfortunately, not all insurance companies comply with Florida Law. You might have a bad faith insurance claim if an insurance company violates the law.
Bad faith insurance claims are lawsuits brought by consumers against insurance companies that violate their duties when responding to an insurance claim. Often these cases are brought after an insurance company wrongfully denies, delays, or underpays a claim. How much a bad faith insurance claim is worth depends on your individual circumstances.
At Johns Law Group, PLLC, we know how to spot bad faith insurance practices. Our experienced attorneys can help you hold unscrupulous insurance companies accountable and get you the payments you deserve. Contact us today and schedule a consultation. In the meantime, here are some common samples of bad faith complaints in Florida:
1. Unreasonable Requests by the Insurance Company
Though insurance companies are entitled to request documentation from you proving your claim, some companies take it too far. They might request information that is impossible to obtain or documents that are wholly unrelated to the claim you made. Insurance companies must clearly explain the nature of their requests and why the information is necessary.
2. Threats
Insurance companies should be professional in how they treat you. Any threatening or aggressive language is a red flag that might indicate the insurance company is acting in bad faith.
3. Failing to Provide Requested Documentation
You are entitled to have insurance companies respond to your reasonable requests for documentation. At a bare minimum, they should promptly provide you with copies of your policy, any coverage-related documents, and documentation supporting their decisions.
4. Slow Investigation
In Florida, insurance companies must promptly and thoroughly investigate your claim. They also should communicate with you throughout the investigation. If an insurance company goes weeks without communicating and fails to start an investigation, it might be acting in bad faith.
5. Unreasonably Low Settlement Offers
When insurance companies know they can not outright deny a claim, they sometimes offer far less than it is worth. You do not have to accept the first offer from an insurance company. Further, insurance companies often use this tactic against claimants who do not have legal representation. If the insurance company’s offer is low, contact an experienced insurance attorney.
6. Unexplained Denials
Denials of coverage without a detailed and adequate explanation are a massive red flag. An insurance company’s reasons for a claim denial must be legally valid and accurate.
So How Much Is a Bad Faith Claim Worth – Contact Us Today
The exact value of a specific bad faith insurance claim is difficult to predict without looking at the details of your case. Compensation for claims falls into three general categories including:
- The initial insurance claim’s total value;
- The consequential costs the claimant bears due to the denial, including attorney fees and court costs; and
- Punitive damages.
Punitive damages can significantly affect a claim’s value, increasing the payout by up to three times the compensatory damages in the case. An experienced insurance attorney from Johns Law Group can help you determine the total value of your bad faith claim. Contact us now.
Jeremiah Johns is a former insurance defense attorney who now represents plaintiffs in bad faith insurance, catastrophic injury cases, and commercial disputes. He has a unique perspective from his experience representing some of the nation’s largest insurance companies.
Jeremiah is licensed to practice law in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia (though he is presently inactive in Georgia). He is also admitted to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. For his education, Jeremiah earned an LL.M. in Admiralty from Tulane University, a J.D., cum laude, from Syracuse University, and both a B.A. and B.S., magna cum laude, from Georgia State University.
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