Bad Faith

When the Time Comes…

Natural disasters, fires, sinkholes, toxic product exposures — these are the reasons that insurance companies exist. Even so, no one could have predicted that four hurricanes would strike Florida in one year. And yet, in 2004, one massive storm after another raged across the state leaving only pain, destruction, and tears in its wake — further proving that life doesn't always go as planned.

An insurance policy is more than just a contract; it is a promise to act in good faith at a time when people need it most. We want to make certain that when you put your trust in an insurer and you suffer a loss, your good faith is met by theirs.

At Merlin Law Group, P.A., our lawyers handle insurance bad faith claims throughout the U.S. and level the playing field for policyholders by making it less profitable and a far greater risk for insurance companies to breach their insurance policies. By asserting a policyholder's right to recover up to the policy limits, in addition to attorneys' fees and punitive damages, we ensure that insurance companies emphasize fair, prompt, and honest conduct, or pay for the damages they cause.

Insurance bad faith practices can include:

• Refusal to investigate claims thoroughly, properly, and in a timely manner
• Unreasonable delay in payment / slow payment, or stall tactics
• Refusal to pay the full value of a claim
• Unreasonable claim denials
• Unreasonable interpretation of policy language

Unfortunately, insurance claim adjusters often find their hands tied — limited by restrictive claims processing guidelines designed to cut costs and increase profits for the insurance company. In these cases, adjusters have neither the authority nor the support to timely and fairly process a claim. Insurers may use various tactics to avoid prompt or full payment, or to justify a claim denied — even to the point of engaging in bad faith claim practices.

Such bad faith claims handling may give rise to additional remedies against the insurer. Not every rejected claim or dispute is the result of bad faith on the part of the insurer, and in some states, like Florida, an insurance bad faith lawsuit typically cannot be filed until the coverage dispute is over. However, the conduct giving rise to a claim of insurer bad faith often occurs before a claim is denied and before that dispute is resolved. It is important to recognize that a claim of insurance bad faith must be properly preserved during the claim handling period, whether that is by complying with statutory conditions precedent, or by recognizing the importance of the insurer's actions.  Insurance bad faith claims can take many forms including both first and third party bad faith claims.   

Talk to Our Attorneys

For experience with insurance bad faith claims and representation you can trust — call 1-877-449-4700 toll free or contact us via e-mail with a brief description of your situation. We represent policyholders throughout the United States and maintain offices in Coral Gables and Tampa, Florida, and in Houston and Gulfport, Mississippi.

We appreciate your interest and look forward to speaking with you.