Preventing Car Insurance Bad Faith: Tips for Policyholders

When you invest in insurance, you expect it to be there for you when you need to file a claim. That does not always happen. At Dawson & Rosenthal, P.C., we encourage our clients to work closely with our legal team to help minimize any surprises when it comes to insurance policies. There are a few tips policyholders can take to prevent car insurance bad faith from occurring.

Understand What Bad Faith Is

Bad faith occurs when an insurance company does not meet its contractual obligations and is acting in a  dishonest or unfair manner. This can involve denying claims, delaying the claim process, misconstruing the policy terms and conditions, underpaying claims, or breaching a contract. Our attorneys want to ensure you do not fall victim to this – if you believe that is happening, do not wait to contact us for help.

How to Prevent Bad Faith in Car Accidents

You can do several things as a policyholder to prevent car insurance bad faith from occurring. Remember that your rights are protected should you be a victim.

• Understand your policy. Before you have to file a claim, be sure you fully understand your insurance policy and the limitations of it. You should understand the terms, conditions, coverage options, and limitations, especially exclusions.
• Document everything throughout the process. This includes documenting all costs to you with details, all interactions with the insurance company, and all statements issued to you. Be sure you keep letters, emails, phone call transcripts, and other data to use later.
• Always be honest with yourself. Do not misrepresent your case or your losses and then hope it will not be found. It will likely work against you eventually.
• Provide report claims quickly. Be sure that, in simple cases, you provide all evidence in your case and the details of the claim. The longer you wait, the more complicated the process can be.
• Know when to turn to an attorney. Preventing bad faith after car accidents may mean including your attorney in the conversation with the insurance company. That can help to minimize the risk that you are not getting the level of support you need.

If you feel that your rights have been violated, we encourage you to do two things:

• Contact our attorneys to learn what your rights are, and let us verify that the insurance company is acting in bad faith.
• File a claim against the company. You can file a claim like this with the state if you feel that the insurance company is violating your rights.

Let Our Car Accident Attorneys Guide You

Filing a bad faith claim can be challenging, and pursuing compensation for your losses remains a priority. Let our attorneys at Dawson & Rosenthal, P.C. work closely with you to ensure you know your rights. We will help ensure that you get the compensation that is owed to you under the law. Contact us now to discuss your case with our team.