Dallas Bad Faith Insurance Attorney

“Bad faith insurance” refers to situations where an insurance company breaches its requirement to make a good faith effort to pay claims as agreed.  Insurance laws across Texas require insurance companies to act in good faith under a requirement known as a “duty of good faith.”  When insurance companies fly in the face of their policies and agreements and refuse to pay insurance claims, you could be entitled to sue them in your capacity as an insurance subscriber.

Victims of accidents, homeowners with property damage, and other insurance customers often find it hard to get the payments they need from their insurance companies.  When the insurance company intentionally tries to avoid paying the claim, getting the payments you need can be impossible without the help of an attorney and a lawsuit.

The Queenan Law Firm’s Dallas bath faith insurance attorneys work to help people who have been denied coverage for bad reasons get the payments they deserve.  Contact our attorneys right away if you have trouble getting the payments you need or see any signs that your insurance company is working to unfairly deny or delay your claim.  For a free consultation on your case, call us today at (817) 476-1797.

What to Do if Your Insurance Company Refuses to Pay for Injuries in Dallas

If you file a claim for damages after a serious accident and your insurance company refuses to pay, you could be the victim of bad faith insurance.  Our Dallas bad faith insurance attorneys know that your insurance policy is an agreement between you and the insurance company and that both sides have duties to fulfill under that agreement.  When your insurance company fails to pay according to the terms of the agreement, you could be entitled to sue them for breach of contract.  However, our bad faith insurance attorneys may be able to help you with a stronger cause of action: a bad faith insurance claim.

In these cases, insurance companies go beyond a mere breach of contract, instead doing anything in their power to avoid paying claims altogether.  It is surprisingly common for insurance companies to breach this duty of good faith, ignoring the specific terms of the insurance policy.  No matter what remedies you look for under the terms of your agreement, an insurance company acting in bad faith will not be forced to pay you anything without a court order against them.

How to Identify Bad Faith Insurance Issues in Dallas, TX

As mentioned, bad faith insurance goes beyond merely breaching the terms of your insurance policy.  Insurance companies often deny claims that seem on the fringes of what the policy covers, but through appeals and strongly worded letters from an attorney, these insurance companies can often be pressured to reverse their decision and pay the claim as agreed.  When insurance companies take additional steps to ignore or subvert claims, their actions could fall into the category of “bad faith” insurance cases.

Some of the biggest red flags and warning signs that an insurance company is acting in bad faith are easy to spot:

• They “lost” the record of your claim
• They denied your claim without giving a reason
• They have no record of your policy
• They claimed your premiums were not paid
• They canceled the policy after you made your claim
• They delayed your claim without cause
• They stopped returning your calls/emails
• They refused to let you file an appeal

There are other red flags beyond these that you should also talk to a Dallas bad faith insurance attorney about if you are having trouble getting your insurance claim paid.

Obviously, if your claim is not actually covered by your insurance policy, then the insurance company is within their rights to reject the claim.  For example, many insurance policies do not cover intentional injuries or self-inflicted injuries, and insurance companies could deny your claim on these grounds.  But when your claim falls within the terms of your policy and the insurance company still gives you a hard time, it may be time to call a bad faith insurance lawyer for help.

No one expects you to be an expert who can automatically tell the difference between a breach of contract, a justified denial, and a bad faith insurance case without training and experience in the insurance field.  Because of this, many attorneys – such as the Dallas bad faith insurance lawyers at The Queenan Law firm – offer free legal consultations where you can discuss your case with an experienced attorney and get help understanding whether you have a case.

Getting Paid for Bad Faith Insurance Claims in Dallas

When you file a successful bad faith insurance claim, courts can order the insurance company to pay the damages you were owed under the contract.  In most cases – such as car accident bad faith insurance claims or homeowners bad faith insurance claims – the court can also order additional damages against the insurance company.  Especially in cases where the insurance company has lost in previous bad faith insurance cases or there is a pattern of bad faith behavior, the court could order punitive damages.  These are paid to you on top of the damages the policy calls for.

In many cases, you could also be entitled to legal fees and attorney’s fees, which could be included as part of your claim.  Talk to our Dallas bad faith insurance lawyers about what damages you should be entitled to under the terms of your original policy and what other damages you can claim in your bad faith insurance lawsuit.

Call Our Dallas Bad Faith Insurance Lawyers Today

If you or a loved one is having trouble getting an insurance claim paid and suspects that your insurance company is dealing in bad faith, call The Queenan Law Firm today.  For a free case consultation with our Dallas bad faith insurance lawyers, call (817) 476-1797.