When they sell insurance, insurance companies are promising financial security and peace of mind. The law recognizes that a confidential relationship exists between an insurance company and its insured customer. That law is called the duty of good faith and fair dealing. An insurance company’s violation of the duty of good faith and fair dealing is called insurance bad faith.

The Duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealing

The law says an insurance company must treat its customer fairly by, at all times, considering its interests at least equal to insured customer’s interests. Thus, the duty of good faith and fair dealing requires an insurance company:

• To promptly and fully pay a claim covered by the insurance policy
• To first conduct a fair and complete investigation before any claim is denied
• To provide the factual and legal reason for denying any claim

Insurance is a specialized business where the consumer relies upon the insurance company’s expertise. With the payment of a premium, the insurance company must accept its specialized duty to treat its customer fairly and in good faith.

Do You Suspect Insurance Bad Faith?

An insurance company that acts in bad faith is accountable for all harms caused to the insured customer. This may include:

(1)insurance policy benefits wrongfully denied
(2)any financial distress or loss caused by the wrongful denial
(3)any emotional distress caused by the wrongful denial

If you think your insurance company is treating you unfairly, please contact us or call the office at (888) 640-0835.