When a consumer buys an insurance contract, he or she does not expect to get the runaround from the insurer when it’s time for them to cover a legitimate claim. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for an insurance company to be less than forthright when it comes to settling claims.
If you feel that you are getting the runaround from an insurance company, the following information will be of good use to you.
Oklahoma Bad Faith Laws
When you file a legitimate insurance claim, the insurance company is legally required to act in good faith in processing and paying you for your claim.
Oklahoma Bad Faith Laws prohibit insurance companies from acting in bad faith when it comes to settling insurance claims and these laws require the insurer to process legitimate insurance claims in a reasonable fashion.
An insurer may be accused of acting in bad faith whenever:
- A claim is not paid in a timely fashion.
- A legitimate claim is denied for questionable reasons.
- The insurer underpays for a covered claim.
What You Can Do If An Insurance Company is Giving You The Runaround
Oklahoma allows you to sue an insurance company in order to be compensated for any stress and inconvenience you suffer as a result of your insurance claim being handled in an unreasonable manner. You may also be reimbursed for attorney fees incurred in bringing the lawsuit to court, and, in cases of extreme acts of bad faith, be awarded punitive damages.
Oklahoma courts do not look favorably on insurance companies who act in bad faith in settling legitimate insurance claims and often return judgments against these insurers, which are many times larger than the original claim.
Here are some examples of behavior that, if proven, would be grounds for compensation:
- They have not paid on your claim even though they know that you are entitled by your policy to be paid.
- They have denied your claim without a legitimate reason to support their denial.
- They have unreasonably delayed paying your claim without a legitimate reason to do so.
- They have refused to pay your claim for reasons that are against the law.
- They have not properly investigated and evaluated your insurance claim.
- They have failed to act in good faith in attempting to achieve a fair settlement of your claim.
Other actions that would be grounds for compensation include: accusing you of being at fault for an accident when there is really no basis for making that assertion; waiting unreasonable amounts of time to pay claims; not offering reasonable amounts to settle claims; claiming that a particular event is not covered by a policy when it clearly and unquestionably is; failing to respond to phone calls and letters.
Initial Consultation and Case Evaluation
If an insurance company is giving you the runaround, seek help from a qualified attorney. For a low-cost confidential consultation and personal injury case evaluation, call Personal Injury Law Office of Tulsa today. There’s no risk and no obligation.
Contact your personal injury counselor at (918) 924-5528 or send us a question using the form on the right side of this page.
