Insurance adjusters almost always act in the best interest of the company. Even getting a payout for a valid claim is difficult sometimes.
If you have never filed a claim before, you may not recognize some of the ways insurance companies act in bad faith.
Acting in bad faith
The term “bad faith tactics” evolved to describe some common ways that insurers try to avoid paying your valid claim without obviously violating the law. These tactics are often difficult to identify, which makes them even harder to prove.
Common bad faith tactics
Sometimes adjusters are rude and abrasive. They may even use threatening language to intimidate you. Some other common examples of bad faith tactics are:
- Not investigating your claim then denying it
- Intentionally misusing medical or legal terms to lessen the value of your claim or deny it
- Failing to provide you with information about your claim
- Attempting to manipulate laws to pay you as little as possible
- Refusing to negotiate
- Delaying payments for your valid claim
- Withholding information or delaying negotiations until the statute of limitations to file a lawsuit runs out
Delaying any type of action is the standard bad faith tactic. They may change the assigned adjuster to your case, avoid communicating with you or take their time launching an investigation into your claim.
Proving that an insurer acts or negotiates in bad faith is sometimes difficult. Adjusters can claim that they did not know how you felt. However, you only need to show that they delayed or denied a valid claim.