Insurance companies sometimes deny or reduce the value of claims in bad faith. You expect insurance coverage for your losses after an accident. You shouldn’t have to deal with insurance adjusters using dishonest tactics like victim blaming and minimizing your injuries to lessen the amount they ultimately pay.
At Shulman & Hill, our skilled personal injury attorneys understand the hardships and frustration that bad faith insurance practices cause. We’ll demand that insurance companies uphold their contractual obligations and fight for full and fair compensation on your behalf. Contact us online or call (212) 221-1000 to learn more about your rights and how we can help.
What Are Bad Faith Insurance Practices?
Bad faith tactics occur when an insurer unjustly attempts to pay as little as possible, delay payment, or completely deny a claim. The insurance adjuster may offer only a fraction of what the claim is worth while requiring you to sign a legal release saying you will not pursue the claim any further.
Common Bad Faith Insurance Tactics Insurers Use to Deny or Devalue Claims
Unfortunately, your insurance company is not always on your side or doing what’s best for you. As an accident victim, you may experience various insurance claim denial tactics, including:
- Delaying a reply or claim acknowledgment: Some insurers intentionally take longer to respond, hoping you give up or forget to follow up.
- Taking too long to review or handle a claim: Insurers may draw out the claims process so that you accept a lower offer out of frustration or necessity.
- Not conducting a full investigation: Without the facts, insurance companies can spin the situation or make hasty decisions against your interests.
- Demanding a recorded interview: Adjusters may lure you into inadvertently saying something that negatively impacts your claim.
- Searching for pre-existing conditions: Insurers may pressure you for details about your full medical history, but you are not required to release it.
- Taking social media posts out of context: Insurers may use your social media activity to discredit your injuries and minimize how much your claim is worth.
- Refusing to make or accept a reasonable settlement offer: Insurance companies are legally required to use fair claims practices, including accepting or offering reasonable settlements.
- Telling the claimant they do not need a lawyer: Without trusted legal guidance and protection, you may fall victim to insurers’ bad faith tactics.
- Blaming the claimant or another party for the injuries: Victim blaming tactics try to quickly push you to accept an unfair settlement offer, even if you were not at fault for the accident.
- Misrepresenting applicable law: Insurers sometimes intentionally misstate or twist the law to deny or reduce the value of your claim.
- Purposely misinterpreting the insurance policy: Insurers may even misinterpret vague or confusing language in your policy to favor themselves or minimize your payout.
Our accomplished New York personal injury lawyers are familiar with these dishonest tactics and are ready to stand up to these unfair insurance company practices. As New Yorkers representing New Yorkers, we stand with our community and will fight for maximum results on your behalf.
Our Lawyers Help Clients Avoid These Pitfalls
When our personal injury attorneys accept a New York injury case, we know what to expect. We handle these cases every day. When an insurance adjuster attempts to try one of these tactics or take other action to reduce our client’s claim value, we act quickly.
We develop strong support for our cases and may file the claim and a personal injury lawsuit simultaneously. The insurance company knows we are serious. They will give us a fair payout, or we will take their policyholder to trial. We support every claim and lawsuit with evidence to show that the accused party acted carelessly and that our client suffered injuries.
We seek fair compensation for every client. We want to ensure they recover enough money to pay their current and future medical bills, cover income losses, and receive compensation for their pain and suffering. This means we cannot allow the insurance company to use bad faith tactics and be successful.
How Can Bad Faith Insurance Tactics Affect a Case Outcome?
These Bad faith practices unfairly hurt you and your family while keeping more money in your insurance company’s pockets. Here are some ways these tactics can affect your case:
- Financial strain: When insurers refuse to pay or unfairly reduce compensation, you may struggle to pay your medical bills, lose your wages from missing work, and you may end up having to pay out-of-pocket, putting financial hardships on your family.
- Emotional distress: Back-and-forth conversations, ongoing delays, and lowball offers can cause significant frustration and anxiety and put unnecessary stress on your family.
- Physical health consequences: Without timely compensation, you may be forced to delay necessary medical care, potentially worsening chronic pain and leading to permanent damage.
- Lack of accountability: When the at-fault party’s insurance company unfairly denies or minimizes your claim, they’re not held accountable for the harm they caused. Without legal action, they avoid their responsibility to pay compensation and leave you to carry the financial burden alone.
Working with a trusted personal injury lawyer can ensure you are treated fairly, recover the damages you deserve, and get the most money from your insurance claim. We can also assist with workers’ compensation claims and offer advice on using paid time off (PTO) and other resources to cover expenses while waiting for approval on benefits.
Discuss Your New York Personal Injury Case With Our Team for Free
Shulman & Hill offers free case reviews for those hurt in New York personal injury incidents. If you believe someone else’s careless or reckless actions caused your injuries, you could have a case. Once we accept your case, we can negotiate a settlement or take the case to trial. Our attorneys can also help you avoid or challenge bad faith insurance tactics if they arise.
Call (212) 221-1000 for your free initial consultation with our team.
