You can sue an insurance company when it acts in bad faith under civil remedy with your policy. Florida law allows you to pursue a civil claim when your insurance company fails to honor your contract or otherwise works against your best interests.
Examples of bad faith practices can include:
- Refusing to pay for a policyholder’s legitimate case
- Failing to investigate your claim within a reasonable period
- Purposefully undervaluing the cost of a claim
- Breaching clearly defined obligations in a policyholder’s contract
- Violating basic principles of honesty
The time immediately following any disaster involving significant losses is no time to deal with an uncooperative organization. If you believe your insurer has acted improperly, a Florida insurance bad faith lawyer can help you pursue a claim and hold the insurance company responsible for its actions.
Understanding Bad Faith in the Insurance Industry
At the end of the day, insurance companies are for-profit businesses built on protecting their best interests. While many organizations loyally serve their clients with the treatment they deserve, others are not so honest. Some companies may resort to bad faith practices to pay as little as possible (or nothing at all) for your claim.
When an insurance company acts in bad faith, it is acting in a way that Florida law defines as violating the standards of representations in application and honesty in dealing with others. If a company is found to have acted in bad faith, they may have to pay you more than the cost of your policy limits, including punitive damages and other noneconomic losses.
Insurance Companies and Misrepresentation
Misrepresentation is covered under Florida statute 627.409, stating that insurance companies are not legally allowed to participate in “omission, concealment, or [give fraudulent] statements.”
If your insurance company misrepresented the following when selling you a homeowner’s insurance policy, you may be entitled to file a civil action and sue an insurance company for bad faith.
An organization may also face bad faith litigation if they make claim payments that are not classified under a specific policy. Any action the insurer takes must be clearly outlined in writing that the policyholder is aware of and has agreed to.
Let the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Protect Your Best Interests
You trust your insurance company to be in your corner when disaster strikes. Discovering that the company misrepresented themselves or your contract can greatly hinder your ability to move forward with repairing your property.
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we aggressively take on insurance companies who intentionally mislead their clients. Our legal team works hard to secure a fair outcome for your case when you sue an insurance company for bad faith.
Covered losses can be especially devastating. Whether it is the loss of your home, belongings, or both, you deserve and need your insurance policy to work for you. Any insurance company that intentionally deceives the insured must be held accountable for their actions.
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine offer free case evaluations and work on a contingency-fee-basis, meaning you owe us nothing upfront; we only collect payment should we secure compensation for you. Let our legal team protect your best interests today. You have been through enough by having your insurance company take advantage of your trust. Let us take this burden off your shoulders and get you the settlement you need. If you experienced losses and your insurance company is not honoring your policy, call us now at 1-800-747-3733.
