Like most Texans, you work hard for the possessions you have. To protect your home, car, business or other assets, you have an insurance policy. In exchange for your paying monthly premiums, your insurance provider agrees to cover certain damage. Unfortunately, insurance companies do not always live up to their end of the bargain.
Following an accident, catastrophic event or another type of disaster, you must file a claim with your insurance provider. Before paying your claim, your insurer may decide to investigate. Provided your policy allows for an investigation, there is nothing inherently wrong with this process. After all, insurance companies do not have to blindly accept claims. Nonetheless, if your insurer does not act in good faith, you may not receive the compensation you deserve.
An investigation should not be a sham
Insurance fraud is a problem. As such, insurers often decide to investigate claims to be sure they are legitimate. Nevertheless, your insurer should not use investigations as pretext to deny claims. Instead, it should act reasonably in investigating the claim pursuant to the policy. If your provider makes unreasonable or unfair investigative requests, you may have evidence of bad faith.
An investigation should not delay payment
If you have property damage, you have an interest in receiving payment as quickly as possible. While a good-faith investigation certainly takes time, your insurance company should not use its investigative authority to unreasonably delay payment. If your insurer is seemingly dragging its feet, you should likely investigate whether it has breached its duty to deal with you fairly.
In general terms, insurance companies turn a profit by gathering premiums and paying out as little as possible on claims. If your insurer elects to investigate your claim, you must be certain it does so in good faith. If not, you likely must act quickly to protect both your legal rights and your property.
