From California’s Top-Rated Insurance Lawyer
What To Do If Your Insurance Company Is Trying To Deny or Lowball Your Claim…
From the desk of:
Attorney Danny Abir
Partner at Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo, LLP
Dear Frustrated Policyholder,
If you suffered property damage or bodily injury and the insurance company is wrongfully denying or lowballing your claim, then this may be the most important message you will read. Here is why:
California has a law named the “bad faith” statute which states insurance companies must NOT act unfairly or in “bad faith” to persons they insure. But what constitutes “bad faith”? Some examples of insurance “bad faith” are…
- Denying your claim without a valid reason
- Improper valuation of your claim (lowballing the settlement offer)
- Failing to investigate your claim in a reasonable manner
- Refusing to pay your claim without investigating
- Failing to accurately disclose your policy’s limits
- Unjustly delaying investigation or payment of your claim
- Being misleading or dishonest about policy limits or policy language
- And more…
Have you experienced any of these “bad faith” acts by your insurance company?
California insurance law requires insurance companies to always “act in good faith” towards policyholders, but sadly, it doesn’t mean that they always do! In fact, our insurance bad faith attorneys routinely bring to light the dirty tricks insurance companies play in an attempt to put their interests in front of their policyholder’s. Our lawyers help policyholders turn the tables on insurance companies where bad faith acts can occur, such as:
- Homeowners insurance (ie. denied or lowballed claims for mold, construction defects, wind damage, earthquakes, flooding, etc.)
- Commercial property insurance (ie. denied or lowballed claims for fire damage, pipe bursts, theft and vandalism, water damage, etc.)
- Life insurance
- Business insurance
- And more…
If you believe you are a victim of an insurance company acting in “bad faith” — then continue reading — because I’m going to reveal EXACTLY what your legal options are…
What Insurance Companies Don’t Want You To Know…
Getting a lawyer that exposes “Bad Faith” practices can flip the power to the Policyholder in a BIG way.
When an insurance company acts in bad faith and denies or lowballs your claim, there are really TWO separate obligations they are failing to fulfill.
The first (#1), is their obligation to reasonably pay your claim as covered by your policy. For example… If your house burned in a fire and a reasonable investigation concluded the value of the damage was estimated at $110,000, then they are obligated per your policy to pay the claim at a minimum of $110,000.
But, when an insurance company ALSO acts in “bad faith” (ie. denying worthy claim, lowballing, etc), there is a second (#2) obligation they fail to fulfill, which is the legal requirement to “act in good faith and fair dealing to the persons they insure”.
- The first (#1) is a contract obligation, which legally is considered a ‘breach of contract’ claim…
- The second (#2), in comparison, is NOT a ‘breach of contract’ issue but rather is legally considered a ‘bad faith tort’ claim.
THIS IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
And one that benefits you (the policyholder) tremendously. Here is why:
If you were to sue an insurance company ONLY on the grounds of a “breach of contract”, the most you could hope to recover in court would be the full and fair value of your claim as covered by your policy.
But… if the insurance company is shown to have acted in “bad faith” and there is clear evidence of oppression, malice or even fraud, suddenly the amount you may recover can far exceed the original face value of the claim. This is because a “bad faith tort” claim may be eligible for punitive or exemplary damages that are unavailable in a “breach of contract” claim.
Punitive damages are money awarded to you (the policyholder) as part of a court-ordered punishment of the insurance company for acting in “bad faith”. These “punitive damages” are separate, and in addition to, the money you recover in relation to your policy coverage (breach of contract).
And that’s not all you may recover…
At Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo LLP, our insurance bad faith attorneys fight on behalf of our clients to not only recover the #1) cost of the original claim, and #2) any available punitive damages, but we also fight to recover for clients…
- Court fees
- Attorney fees
- And even the lost interest that you would have accrued on the money had you received it earlier and on-time.
We leave no stone unturned when it comes to holding insurance companies responsible for their “bad faith” and unreasonable dealings with you. Why should you bear a financial burden for the wrongs committed against you?
You shouldn’t and our bad faith insurance attorneys are your advocates to make sure you receive all that you deserve.
Get A Free Case Review
The very first step we recommend when you are being treated unfairly by an insurance company is to have your case evaluated by an attorney immediately.
At Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo LLP, our legal consultations are free and include a full case evaluation with an attorney. It will be a valuable opportunity for you to have a conversation with an experienced bad faith insurance lawyer who can give you timely advice and help you understand…
- Do I have a case?
- How can a law firm help me?
- What could I potentially recover in damages?
- Is hiring your law firm really as simple and risk-free as it sounds?
- Why is Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo LLP the premiere insurance “bad faith” law firm?
- Based on your experience, what do you predict will happen in my case?
- And more…
To get a free legal consultation (including a full case evaluation) with our lawyers, call us at (888) 992-2287opens phone dialer right now — or simply fill out the consultation request form below and we will promptly call you.
We stand ready to help you with your case.
Sincerely,
Danny Abir, Partner
Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo, LLP
Los Angeles Bad Faith Insurance Lawyers at Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo, LLP Fight for the Rights of Policyholders Battling Unjust Practices of Insurance Companies
The Los Angeles bad faith insurance lawyers at Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo, LLP are on your side. Call us today for a free consultation at 888-20-CLAIMopens phone dialer. Or fill out our online contact form today. Located in San Diego and Los Angeles, we serve clients throughout Orange County and Los Angeles County, including Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Hidden Hills, Pasadena, San Marino, Brentwood, Encino, Newport Beach, and Foresthill.