Bad Faith Wildfire Insurance Attorneys Los Angeles

Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers represents those whose insurance companies are refusing to pay them what they are entitled to. Call us today for a free consultation if:

• You have filed a claim with your insurance company
• Your insurance company is refusing to pay you despite being contractually obligated to

Unfortunately, bad faith insurance practices are all too common, and they can be devastating to victims. Our Los Angeles bad faith insurance attorneys are prepared to fight on your behalf to get the compensation you deserve.

We have been handling bad faith cases since 1990. Our legal teams have recovered over $1 billion on behalf of California homeowners, renters and business owners who have sustained losses or injuries due to wildfires and other causes. Our vast experience in handling bad faith cases like yours will let us recover the most compensation possible for you.

If an insurance company denies your claim in bad faith, our insurance bad faith attorneys will represent you on a contingency fee basis, meaning we won’t charge any fee until and unless we recover compensation for you. The only fee we’ll charge to handle your bad faith case is a percentage of the money we recover for you, so there won’t be any upfront fee or out-of-pocket fee.

Call an insurance bad faith lawyer at our firm today for a free consultation, text us from this page or fill out this page’s free case evaluation form if you or a loved one cannot get your insurance company to pay you the money you are contractually obligated to.

What Is Bad Faith Insurance?

Since insurers are companies who try to make profits, they are known to not act in good faith and deny valid claims so they can increase their profits. When insurance companies inexplicably decline to pay claims after injuries or accidents or refuse to properly protect and defend you from others’ claims, they could be committing bad faith.

In the legal world, the implication behind “bad faith” is that an insurer has tried to avoid living up to its obligation through the denial of qualified claims. There are additional practices which could be considered bad faith, depending upon what type of claim is filed with an insurer.

There are two types of bad faith claims: first-party claims and third-party claims. Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers handles first-party claim cases.

First-Party Claims

Insurance companies could provide inauspicious responses to claims for insurance coverage such as property and health insurance coverage:

• Undue delays in processing claims
• Failures to properly investigate claims
• Only paying partial benefits
• Unreasonably denying valid claims
• Offering unusually small settlements

Third-Party Claims

Insurers are obligated to protect policies against claims from third-parties, such as when people sue you over property damage or personal injury relating to accidents you are blamed for. Unfair insurance practices may be taking place if:

• They fail to defend you regarding third-party claims
• They refused to pay for legal defense costs

An insurance bad faith attorney in Los Angeles at our firm is prepared to take on major insurance companies and make sure they’re held accountable for acting in bad faith.

Types of Bad Faith Insurance Cases We Specialize In

Wildfire Damage Claims

Our legal teams have successfully pursued bad faith insurance denial of fire claims on behalf of California residents.

We are currently pursuing bad faith insurance claims regarding the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Malibu and Sylmar fires.

In the past, we have successfully pursued bad faith insurance claims regarding multiple California wildfires, including the Camp, Dixie, Fairview, Fly, McKinney, Mill, Mosquito, Zogg, Thomas and Woolsey fires.

Wildfires can have life-altering consequences on victims. Despite this, insurers often look for the easy way out, leaving families susceptible to financial losses which are unrecoverable.

As a response to an increasing amount of insurers denying valid claims for damage and destruction to homes and businesses due to wildfires, our law firm is here to make sure your insurance company acts in good faith.

Wildfire insurance typically covers things like:

• Dwellings
• Personal property damage
• Miscellaneous structures
• Extra living expenses
• Loss of use

Unfortunately, while coverage of these things is written into insurance contracts, insurers still often try to deny their customers coverage. Insurers are known to alter land value, underscore monetary values of property, decline to pay regarding desired relocation of homeowners, claim that living in high-risk areas disqualifies claims, and more.

Insurers are also known to attempt to protect themselves via the genuine dispute doctrine, which states that insurers who delay or deny payments of benefits are immune from claims alleging bad faith when a genuine dispute exists above the amount or existence of coverage.

A fine line between genuine dispute and bad faith exists. Our experienced insurance litigators can help convince insurance companies or juries of this difference.

Call us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one has had a legitimate claim denied or delayed in bad faith regarding a wildfire, or if an insurance company is offering a low ball offer in bad faith. We can help you recover financial compensation for all of the benefits you are entitled to, and may even be able to help you recover punitive damages if the insurance company is acting with malice.

Homeowners’ Insurance

Homeowners’ insurance providers are obligated to act in fair dealing and good faith with those they insure. When they fail to, we can help you recover the benefits you’re contractually entitled to.

We handle cases where homeowners’ insurance providers are acting in bad faith regarding claims for coverage of damages to homes and the personal property inside of them.

Homeowners’ insurance providers often wrongfully deny coverage due to overly restrictive interpretations of coverage grants, or expansive interpretations of exclusions. They also often oppressively delay the resolution of claims.

Insurers often make quick inspections, determinations and payments of undisputed amounts which are typically far lower than what’s necessary to repair damage.

We will hold insurers accountable for these bad faith practices. Call us today for a free consultation if a homeowners’ insurance provider is acting in bad faith.

Business Interruption Insurance

Business interruption insurance is intended to protect against losses when businesses need to close due to specific events which prevent normal operations, such as wildfires. This insurance will often keep a business afloat while the issue remains unresolved or the danger remains unpassed.

This insurance often covers lease and rent payments, employee wages, loans and additional costs. This coverage may relieve financial pressure from businesses when it is impossible to earn revenue.

We challenge business interruption claim denials by proving that insurance policy language is dubious. We do this with our vast knowledge and experience with contract law.

It can be contentious to stand your ground against insurers. Our law firm will fight for you and your business, making sure your business interruption claim gets fulfilled. Call us today for a free consultation if an insurance company is acting in bad faith regarding a business interruption insurance claim.

Etc.

We handle many other types of bad faith claims, including but not limited to:

• Health insurance denials
• Investigational or experimental denials
• Medical necessity denials
• Disability insurance denials
• Out-of-network denials
• Insurance policy rescission
• Life insurance denials

Call us today for a free consultation if an insurance company is denying your claim in bad faith.

How Much Can You Sue an Insurance Company for Over Bad Faith?

How much you will be able to sue an insurance company for over bad faith will depend upon your specific case details. It typically includes the original amount of your claim which is owed by the policy, in addition to damages such as attorney fees, emotional distress, and possibly punitive damages when egregious conduct occurs. This can result in a large settlement depending upon the situation’s severity, with some bad faith claims being worth millions of dollars.

Some key points regarding bad faith lawsuits include:

• Contractual damages: How much money is owed under your policy. This is the starting point regarding your claim of bad faith.
• Extracontractual damages: The additional losses beyond the terms of the policy, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and economic loss which is caused by the bad faith actions of the insurance company.
• Punitive damages: When insurers act with fraud or malice, a court might award punitive damages in order to punish the insurer, deterring future misconduct.

There are numerous factors which can affect your bad faith claim’s value, including:

• The original claim’s severity: Larger initial claims will typically lead to larger possible bad faith claims.
• The bad faith conduct’s degree: More egregious conduct by the insurance company will lead to the potential for larger payouts regarding damages.
• The evidence’s strength: The outcome of your case will be impacted by the quality of the evidence which proves bad faith on the part of your insurer.

Call us today for a free consultation to discuss the potential value of your claim.

Common Examples of Bad Faith Insurance

Common examples of bad faith insurance include:

• Refusing to pay valid claims
• Unreasonably delaying or limiting payments
• Unreasonably refusing to settle claims
• Unreasonably delaying claims
• Failing to conduct full, fair and prompt claim investigations
• Failing to explain claim denials
• Refusing communications about claim status or claims
• Compromising policyholders’ abilities to defend lawsuits
• Misrepresenting coverage facts
• Causing unreasonable hardship, such as asking for excessive documentation or paperwork, before resolving claims
• Intimidation or abuse

To determine if bad faith happened, the policy’s language needs to be examined. These policies can be very complicated. If you can reasonably expect coverage or benefits based on your policy’s language, we can help you prevail in your bad faith claim. We can help you do this even if your policy has ambiguous language.

Call us today for a free consultation so we can examine your policy’s language for you and determine if you have a valid claim.

How a California Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer Can Help

Our lawyers offer many benefits for those whose insurers are acting in bad faith. We can help you:

• Maximize your settlement amount
• Navigate the legal process
• Meet important filing deadlines
• Focus on recovery
• Handle all communications for you

You will never owe us a single penny out of your own pocket since we are contingency fee lawyers, so there is no risk behind calling us today for a free consultation.

FAQs

What Type of Lawyer Do I Need to Sue an Insurance Company?

If you need to sue an insurance company over bad faith, you need a lawyer with experience in handling bad faith cases and knowledge about contract law. We have been handling bad faith claims for over 30 years and have extensive knowledge in all areas of California contract law.

How Do I File a Bad Faith Insurance Claim in California?

Insurance policy contracts are extremely complicated and it requires extensive knowledge and experience to prove that an insurer is obligated to pay out your claim. Call us today for a free consultation so we can examine your policy language for you and file a bad faith insurance claim for you. We can handle every step of the process for you so all you have to do is focus on recovering from your losses or injury.

In order to file a California bad faith claim:

• Review your policy: Ensure you possess a full copy of the policy. Make sure your claim gets covered by the policy terms.
• Document the claim: Keep a claim log which includes meetings and calls with your insurer. Collect all evidence and documents like estimates, receipts, reports and photos.
• Appeal denials: Appeal claim denials by going through the right channels. Request a supervisor to review the denial and claim.
• File a complaint: Do this by mail or online with California’s Department of Insurance.
• Initiate a lawsuit: Should you be unable to make sure your insurer handles your claim fairly, file a lawsuit. This lawsuit can seek bad faith damages, contract damages and punitive damages.

There is a two year statute of limitations in California for bad faith insurance claims.

You can contact your insurance broker or agent and let them know about the problems you’re having.

Our lawyers can handle all of the above for you. Call us today for a free consultation.

What Is Evidence of Insurance Bad Faith?

The primary evidence in a bad faith case will be your insurance contract. Your insurance contract contains language which states what will and will not be covered by your insurance. With the help of the experienced lawyers at our firm, you can prove that the language of your contract entitles you to the benefits you’re claiming.

Other evidence in a bad faith case includes:

• Records of communications with insurers, such as letters, emails and phone calls
• Medical records, police report copies, bills and additional documentation relevant to the claim, including photos and videos of property damage, valuations provided regarding property damage, etc.
• Documentation of actions taken by the insurer
• Videos or photos of the event in question

Is It Hard to Win a Bad Faith Claim?

It can be difficult, but not impossible to win a bad faith claim. It may be difficult to prove that your insurer took actions which were against your interests and unreasonable. However, you can do certain things to increase the chances that you win, including:

• Partnering with a lawyer: An attorney who has experience with insurance law, like the attorneys at our firm, can help you to prepare your case, understand relevant laws and present a strong argument in negotiations or in court.
• Collect evidence: Gather all documentation which is relevant in order to support the claim you have.
• Seek expert testimony: Legal experts or medical professionals may be able to provide opinions which are valuable and can aid your case. Our law firm works with a network of the finest experts in California.
• Understand laws: There are 16 practices which constitute bad faith and are outlined by the Unfair Insurance Practices Act.

Examples of bad faith include:

• Making low settlement offers
• Denying claims without providing reasonable explanations
• Ignoring evidence which supports payment
• Refusing settlements when the extent of losses and fault are clear
• Unnecessary delays
• Misrepresenting policy terms
• Holding funds hostage

It is typically easier to win a first-party bad faith claim than a third-party bad faith claim.

Contact a Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer Today

Call us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one is a victim of bad faith by an insurance company. We have over 30 years of experience handling claims like yours and can help you recover the compensation you’re contractually entitled to. We won’t charge any fee to handle your bad faith claim until and unless we recover money for you. Call us today.