Under the Florida Insurance Code, property insurance companies have a legal duty to deal with all damage claims using good faith settlement practices. Yet, despite this strict regulation, far too many Florida property insurance companies still act in bad faith.
If you have been a victim of an insurer acting in bad faith in Broward County, you need to seek immediate assistance from an experienced Fort Lauderdale bad faith insurance lawyer. To help you protect yourself and your claims rights, our team has put together a list of four signs that indicate that an insurer may be acting in bad faith. If any of these are present in your case, red flags should be raised.
- The Insurance Company is Slow to Investigate Your Claim
To settle a claim in good faith, property insurance companies must actually conduct a thorough investigation of your claim. Insurers cannot delay investigating your damage as part of a “settlement tactic.” They must respond to the issue in a reasonably timely manner. The failure to do so puts your claims rights at risk. Put simply, if you are having a hard time getting your insurer to even investigate your claim, you should seek legal assistance.
- Your Insurer Is Avoiding Your Calls/Questions/Inquiries
Similarly, the insurance company has a legal duty to process your claim and respond to your concerns without unreasonable delay. If you cannot even get a representative of the company on the phone, to handle a simple issue, you may be dealing with an insurance company that is acting in bad faith. In some cases, bad-acting insurance companies try to confuse homeowners, hoping that the frustrating and inconvenience will convince them to settle their claim. This is an unlawful tactic.
- The Insurer Rejects a Clearly Valid Claim
In the terms of your policy, property insurance companies must pay the full value of your claim, without any undue delay. This means that insurance companies cannot fight every single claim; looking to negotiate down the eventual settlement offer. Indeed, insurers may only dispute a claim if they have a legitimate and reasonable belief that they are on the right side of the case. Claims cannot be rejected as a negotiating ploy.
- Insurance Company Representatives are Sloppy, Possibly Negligent
Finally, bad faith does not necessarily require intentional misconduct. In the 1974 case of Campbell v. Gov’t Employees Ins. Co, the Supreme Court of Florida made it abundantly clear that insurer negligence can be sufficient to establish bad faith. Your insurance company has a duty to provide you with reasonable diligence and due care. When they fail to live up to that legal responsibility, it can cause you serious damages, both economic and intangible. You deserve full compensation for those damages.
Were You a Victim of Bad Faith Settlement Practices?
We can help. At Geyer Fuxa Tyler, our team has extensive experience handling bad faith claims in Broward County. If you believe that your property insurance company mistreated you in any way, please call our Sunrise, FL office today at (954) 990-5251 to schedule your free, no-obligation case evaluation.
Resource:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0624/Sections/0624.155.html
