When you have an insurance policy, you expect the insurance company to work with you when you file a claim for that policy. Whether it’s a car accident claim or a worker’s compensation claim, your insurance company is supposed to evaluate your claim so you can move forward in your recovery. But when your insurance company is purposefully keeping the process at a snail’s pace or denies you claim without any grounds, you can take action against them for acting in bad faith.
If you believe your insurance provider is violating your insurance policy, a Lexington insurance bad faith lawyer from Golden Law Office can help you. We won’t let your insurance company harass you or take an inordinate amount of time to process your claim. We’ll stand up for your rights and fight to get you the compensation you deserve.
What Is an Insurance Bad Faith Claim?
Sometimes, insurance companies will act unreasonably to deny or delay your claim. While they have to follow certain laws and rules, there may be times when they’re acting outside of it. When an insurance company refuses to act in a reasonable time frame or denies your claim without any explanation, you suffer from the consequences.
Your option is to file an insurance bad faith claim. You will try to prove that the insurance company treated you unfairly so you can get the compensation you need.
While some interactions with insurance companies can be slow or frustrating, this doesn’t automatically mean there are grounds for bad faith. In fact, if there’s an issue with a proposed settlement, you may only need to take a few more steps to negotiate a more favorable settlement.
What Are the Requirements for a Kentucky Insurance Bad Faith Claim?
There are several components you need to include in your claim for it to be valid. Your insurance bad faith lawyer will be able to help you get everything you need.
You need to prove the following:
- The Insurance Company Withheld Policy Benefits. You need to prove that your claim was valid and that the insurer denied your claim.
- They Withheld the Benefits Unreasonably. This usually applies to whether or not the insurance company provided a reason to deny your claim. It’s unreasonable to deny a claim without a valid explanation.
You may be wondering what constitutes as a way for an insurance company to act unreasonably. The following situations can help strengthen your claim:
- There were facts that were misrepresented.
- The insurance company didn’t provide reasons why they denied the claim.
- There wasn’t prompt action after the insurance company got the claim.
- An unreasonable amount of time passed where there wasn’t a claim approval or denial.
- The insurance company’s investigation didn’t have reasonable standards.
In bad faith cases, you may feel angry at how the insurance company is treating you. While this may prompt you to take to social media, it’s imperative that you avoid it. Posting anything about your claim on social media can be used against you to lessen or discredit your claim.
Anything from a status update, photos, or a tagged post from another friend could harm your claim. Your friend may not have meant harm, but you should ask them to untag you from the post. As a final measure, make sure your social media accounts are all on the most secure and private settings. This way, you can control who sees your profile.
Get Help from a Lexington Insurance Bad Faith Lawyer
It can be frustrating when an insurance company doesn’t treat you with respect. While they’re caught up in delaying your claim process, you could be depending on them to do their job so you can claim what’s owed to you.
Golden Law Office believes that you deserve better. We’re ready to work tirelessly to get you compensation you were owed in the first place and we will hold the insurance company accountable for their actions. Call us today at (859) 469-5000 to schedule a free consultation where you’ll speak with an insurance bad faith attorney about your case.
Golden Law is a local, Kentucky Law Firm, attorneys/lawyers in Fayette County, Kentucky, working in the fields of personal injury, auto accidents, car and truck wrecks; medical malpractice: doctors, hospitals & nursing homes; senior living abuse: neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, dehydration, bedsores, catastrophic injuries, and broken bones. If you are considering a lawsuit, call us at 859.469.5000 for a free consultation. We are located at 771 Corporate Dr. Suite 800/ Lexington, Kentucky 40503. We handle cases all over the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We have represented and trained people in major insurance companies & major trucking companies. We have first hand experience and know the ‘inside of the insurance business’ … that’s a distinction that no other law firm can make. We’re Your Advocate. Dale Golden, Laraclay Parker.
