When insurance companies refuse to pay valid claims, they may be held accountable by the people they insure for acting in bad faith. The experienced personal injury attorneys at Hof & Reid LLC recognize and are willing to file insurance bad faith claims on behalf of people who have been wronged by the insurance company.
One type of bad faith claim arises when a responsible defendant is clearly being exposed to a verdict in excess of his or her insurance policy limits because his or her insurance company is unreasonably withholding payment of its insured’s full policy coverage. In those cases, the defendant may assign a bad faith claim to the plaintiff to resolve the matter with the plaintiff and protect his or her interests. The bad faith claim is then pursued in lieu of the personal injury claim.
More often, bad faith claims arise when the insured party’s very own insurance company withholds payments for legitimate claims for which its insured has paid premiums. For example, the law in Pennsylvania requires drivers to maintain at least $5,000 in medical coverage on their auto policies and the auto policy is primary when one is injured in accident. If the insurance company fails to make prompt payments on behalf of the insured, there may be grounds to pursue a bad faith action.
In addition, the law in Pennsylvania requires drivers to maintain a minimum of $15,000 in coverage to be made available to compensate other drivers on the roadway when they suffer personal injuries due to the negligence of the insured driver. Unfortunately, $15,000 is often not sufficient coverage to compensate the injured victim, and some drivers drive without insurance in violation of the law. This is why underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage is so important to Pennsylvania drivers.
If you have uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance coverage and you have been injured by a driver who is uninsured or who has insufficient coverage to cover your losses, your insurance company must consider the facts of your case and provide reasonable compensation for your injuries. We can help you pursue those claims, and if the actions of the insurance company toward you are in bad faith, we will recommend pursuing a bad faith claim as well.
No Attorneys Fees Unless You Recover
If you have been injured in an auto accident and your insurance company is acting in bad faith, we are pleased to handle your case on a contingent fee basis. This means you pay no fees to us unless we recover for you.
Contact Us About Your Bad Faith Insurance Claim
To learn more about auto insurance and insurance bad faith claims, contact Hof & Reid today by calling 610-258-6184 or by filling out our contact form to schedule an appointment with a lawyer at our firm.