If you live in Texas and experience a car accident, develop a medical condition or otherwise have cause to file a claim with your insurance company, you may be counting on the entity to provide you with what you need to move forward. Regrettably, however, insurance companies sometimes prioritize profits over those they insure, which can leave you wondering how you will begin to rebuild without their assistance. Attorney Jon Michael Smith built a career upon going to bat against unethical insurance companies, and he has helped many victims of bad faith insurance seek appropriate recourse.
Per FindLaw, “bad faith insurance” essentially refers to unethical, unfair or dishonest practices on the part of an insurance company. Bad faith insurance tactics are not industry-specific, meaning they can arise from auto insurers, health insurers, homeowner’s insurers and so on. Bad faith insurance tactics can take on many different forms, though some are more common than others.
An example of a common bad faith insurance tactic is when an insurer fails to conduct a quick and thorough investigation into a particular claim or matter. Companies typically must research any claims promptly and sufficiently, and failing to do so may result in allegations of bad faith insurance.
Insurance companies that offer “lowball” settlement offers may also be guilty of bad faith insurance. For example, a company may offer only half of what you need following a car accident in an effort to increase its own profits. Insurance companies may also intentionally delay processing or researching your claim with the hope that, by doing so, you will forget about the matter or simply stop pursuing the claim. Find more about insurance claims on our web page.
