If the insurance company is taking an unreasonable amount of time to answer your claim, your lawyer will give them a call to remind them of their duty towards their policyholders.
Did you know that, back in 1982, Florida became the first state to allow citizens to file a lawsuit against an insurance company that acted in bad faith? Four decades on and insurers still try to take advantage of policyholders and delay, minimize or deny their rightful claims? What can you do if you find yourself in such an unfortunate situation? Really, there is only one thing you can do, talk to the best insurance claims lawyers in Tampa you can find.
The main reason you need to see a lawyer is that you cannot beat dishonest insurers at their own game. Not without help. Insurance companies have had plenty of time to perfect their methods and they’re very skilled at hiding any wrongdoing behind laws and regulations, true or fake. When they quote some paragraph at you or some clause that you’ve never heard about, there’s nothing you can do. You’re not in this business and you don’t speak legalese.
If you come out of a meeting with an insurance adjuster feeling confused, don’t allow yourself to be beaten. That’s what they expect you to do. Look up reliable insurance claims lawyers. They speak legalese quite fluently and they can make sense of what you’ve been told.
Any good attorney will offer you a free consultation to get a look at your case. They will tell you if you have a case against the insurance company and they’ll go through the file patiently trying to unravel the web of deceit insurers use to cover their tracks.
If the insurance company is taking an unreasonable amount of time to answer your claim, your lawyer will give them a call to remind them of their duty towards their policyholders. You probably did that already, but an attorney with many years of experience in the field can quote some legal precedents right off the bat. Just a quick reminder that they are not above the law and they can (and will) be held accountable if they don’t hold to their end of the contract.
An insurance company is a contract. You agree to pay your premiums on time and they agree to cover your damages. House damaged by a hurricane, car totaled in a crash, your broken bones, they are supposed to cover your losses.
Another part where the assistance of seasoned lawyers is invaluable is the negotiation. As a rule, never accept the first offer the insurance adjusters make. They’re undoubtedly lowballing you on whatever technicalities they can come up with. Take that offer to your lawyers and see what they think. If it turns out the adjusters used bogus arguments to minimize or deny your claim, your lawyers will let them know they’re acting in bad faith and will suffer the consequences.
This is usually enough for insurers to review your file and discover that, surprise, you are indeed entitled to a larger sum. Most probably, they will argue it was an honest mistake and they never meant to cheat you out of your rightful compensation. Why that change of heart? They know full well that if you take them to court they will have to pay you the damages you deserve, in full, plus punitive damages for acting in bad faith.
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