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Insurance Bad Faith

Oxnard Bad Faith Insurance Lawyers

Standing Up to Insurance Companies on Your Behalf

Insurance companies have an obligation to pay insurance claims that meet the requirements of the policies they sell. Any attempt to dishonestly withhold the benefits of an insurance claim from a claimant may constitute bad faith insurance, which is a severe violation of a policyholder’s rights.

Have you been in an accident and need financial support from your insurer, only to be given an unreasonably difficult time or an unexplained denial in return? Our attorneys can use years of insight and legal experience to challenge bad faith insurance in all of its forms, pursuing fair and maximized compensation on your behalf.

Call (805) 470-1628 now to connect with The Schurmer Firm in Oxnard. We offer free case evaluations. Schedule yours today.

5 Ways Bad Faith Insurance is Often Conducted

Unexplained Delays

Investigating an insurance claim and deciding whether to pay the claimant or not does take time. Yet the time it takes to handle an insurance claim cannot be unreasonably long.

More importantly, any delays to the process should be explained to the claimant. Some insurance companies may be tempted to buy themselves time to avoid making a payout by delaying related processes as much as possible and never telling the claimant a valid reason why.

Lowballed Values

Insurance adjusters are tasked with determining how much money will be required to correct or repair all damages related to a filed claim.

Intentionally undervaluing the damages to try to pay as little as possible to the claimant is a form of bad faith insurance. To help catch an insurance company lowballing a claim, it is useful for claimants to hire their own third-party appraisers.

Incorrect Denials

Every insurance policy allows for claims that do not meet qualifications to be denied. Bad faith insurance happens when a denial is made for no valid reason.

When a claimant is sent a letter that notifies them of their denied claim, it is crucial to pass that letter along to an attorney, along with a copy of their insurance policy, to look for any discrepancies that would prove the denial was unjustified.

Inadequate Investigations

Insurance companies have a duty to carefully investigate claims to determine which should be paid and which should be denied.

Investigations can focus on:

  • Liability
  • Total damages
  • And more

Not conducting a thorough investigation in order to try to escape the responsibility of paying a claimant is a bad faith insurance tactic.

Misinterpreted Policy Language

In some instances, an insurance company will intentionally misinterpret the language of their own policies in order to construe a new reason to deny or undervalue a claim. All claimants should know the fine details of their own insurance policies to avoid this trick.

What Constitutes Bad Faith Insurance Claim?

Simply having your insurance claim denied is not enough to constitute bad faith insurance. There must be evidence that shows you were owed benefits as part of your insurance policy and that those benefits were withheld for invalid reasons.

When you get the help of our Oxnard bad faith insurance attorneys, you can leave the fine details of your claim to us, including the investigation of why your claim was denied. Using our extensive legal knowledge and understanding of various insurance policies, we can locate the signs of bad faith insurance and take steps accordingly.

How To Challenge Bad Faith Insurance

The first step in your bad faith insurance claim might be for our attorneys to write an official letter of demand to the insurance company that is withholding benefits from you. On the chance that the wrongful denial or undervaluing of your claim was actually unintentional or due to a misunderstanding, the letter of demand will give the insurer one final opportunity to make things right.

In case the letter of demand is denied as well, the next step will likely be filing a lawsuit against the insurer. The lawsuit will force the insurer to either enter negotiations with our attorneys to give you a fair settlement or take the case to the courtroom for litigation.

Due to our extensive history of success with litigating difficult cases, many insurers prefer to offer our clients a settlement.

Damages we can demand in your bad faith insurance lawsuit can include:

  • Economic damages: In your original insurance claim, you requested payment of actual damages you have experienced due to an accident, like a car accident. We will continue to pursue those damages, so you can work on getting your life back on track.
  • Noneconomic damages: The trouble of having to fight an insurance company for deserved damages has likely put you through undue strain and stress. Noneconomic damages seek financial compensation for your pain, suffering, and hardships related to your claim.
  • Punitive damages: When an insurance company takes deliberate and significant steps to use bad faith insurance against you, the court may approve of punitive damages if your lawsuit is successful. Punitive damages essentially punish the defendant for intentional wrongdoing in an effort to deter them from doing something similar in the future.

    "Earl Schurmer and Lauren Wood were the only reason that I received a fair settlement."

    - Christopher C.

    "The whole staff is nice and professional."

    - Martha Mora

    "Trustworthy, hard-working and incredibly intelligent!"

    - Eunice C.

    "I Am Truly Grateful"

    - Nordella

Ready to Fight Insurance Companies for You – Call Us Today!

The Schurmer Firm has always been a proponent of doing what is right and a champion for the mistreated and injured around Oxnard and Ventura County.

Please let us know if an insurance company is putting you through hardships by:

  • Mishandling
  • Undervaluing
  • Or wrongfully denying your insurance claim

During a free initial consultation, we can hear your story and let you know how our bad faith insurance attorneys can help.

Call (805) 470-1628 or contact us online now to connect with our team of Oxnard bad faith insurance attorneys. Schedule your free case evaluations today.

The Schurmer Firm

Our firm's personal promise and commitment to you is to make sure that we care about you as a person. Every client who has been injured deserves the proper representation and our goal at The Schurmer Firm is to ensure that they get that.

Decades of Experience

Millions of Dollars Recovered
  • $1 Million Policy Limit Settlement

    Settlement for man and wife rear-ended by a truck on the freeway.

  • $1.2 Million Back Injury

    The defendant’s negligence resulted in a hole in the dumpster that the man fell through causing injuries to his lower back.

  • $340,000 Car Accident Verdict

    Plaintiff's parents received a $340,000 verdict for the wrongful death of their son.

  • Avvo 10.0 Top Personal Injury Attorney
  • SuperLawyers
  • American Association for Justice
  • Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
  • Consumer Attorneys of California
  • The National Top 100 Trial Lawyers
  • American Institute of Legal Counsel
  • American Inns of Court

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Call 805-470-1628 or email us today.

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