Dallas Bad Faith Insurance Attorney
We purchase insurance coverage to be protected in the event of an injury in a car accident, dog bite, slip and fall accident, or any other type of traumatic or life-altering event.
However, many of us are too naïve to think that we are absolutely safe and protected financially when these events occur. It is fair to say that there are many insurance companies in Dallas and elsewhere in Texas that use dishonest, unethical, and bad faith tactics to deny legitimate personal injury claims or settle a claim for the amount that does not represent the actual amount of damages.
“Another common tactic used by insurers in our state is delaying claims processing and payments for months or even years,” says our Dallas bad faith insurance attorney at Law Office of Dorothy Hyde. Not only do these bad faith actions on the part of your insurer delay the desperately needed payment, which can worsen your injury or medical condition, but they also take a toll on your psychological and mental health. After all, those months or years of thumb twiddling and jumping through bureaucratic barriers erected by an insurance company can be annoying and frustrating.
What constitutes insurance bad faith
When an insurance company is acting in bad faith, it can aggravate your injury and lead to financial instability, which is why hiring an experienced bad faith insurance attorney in Dallas or elsewhere in Texas is always a wise choice to protect your legal rights.
When it comes to acting in bad faith, insurance companies choose less obvious tactics than bluntly refusing to pay a legitimate claim. They are more cunning and subtle than that. Acts of bad faith on the part of your insurance company can include:
- Arguing that your injury or circumstances are not covered under your insurance policy
- Delaying investigation or payment of your claim without providing any reasonable explanation
- Agreeing to pay only a portion of your claim
- Failing to act promptly upon notice of a personal injury claim
- Failing to promptly investigation your claim
- Denying your claim without conducting proper investigation and
- Forcing you to accept a low-ball or unsatisfactory payment
This is not a full list of acts of bad faith insurance. These examples were listed just to give you a general understanding of what constitutes “bad faith” on the part of your insurance company.
Why insurance companies act in bad faith and what you can do
It would be naïve to think even for a second that insurance companies exist because they actually care about the people. This is far from reality. An insurance company is nothing more than a business. And, as any other business, an insurance company cares about doubling and tripling its profits.
But when an insurer has little to no reasonable basis for denying, limiting, or delaying your claim, you are entitled to sue this insurance company. Our Dallas bad faith insurance lawyer at Law Office of Dorothy Hyde explains that you may be able to hold your insurer accountable for the unpaid benefits and damages by filing a “bad faith” lawsuit.
In fact, statistics show that the number of bad faith claims and lawsuits has increased significantly over the past few years, meaning that an increasing number of insurers employ bad faith tactics when handling personal injury claims. Unfortunately, most people just give up when their claim is denied or when they receive an unsatisfactory amount of money from their insurance company.
Do not be like most people. There is always a way out. Do not give up. Instead, give us a call and schedule a free consultation to discuss your case. Call our offices at (214) 883-1700 today.