Were you recently injured in an accident in Orlando, FL? Did you file an insurance claim that was denied or severely undervalued? You may have a valid bad-faith insurance claim. Call our Orlando bad faith insurance lawyers at Payer Personal Injury Lawyers at (407) 648-1510. We’ll help you fight to recover full financial compensation.
Our lawyers have over 28 years of collective experience representing clients like you. We’ve successfully recovered over $100 million in settlements and verdicts to help innocent people get justice.
Bad faith insurance practices can be difficult to prove. Contact our law offices in Orlando, Florida, to schedule a free consultation for the legal advice you need and deserve.
How Payer Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With a Bad Faith Insurance Claim in Orlando, FL
An insurance policy is a contract like any other. If you hold up your end of the bargain and pay your premiums, the insurance company must do the same. Unfortunately, they don’t always fulfill their duties.
Insurance companies have virtually limitless resources. They know how to manipulate the claims system to their advantage. It’s always important to consult an experienced Orlando personal injury attorney if you suspect they aren’t acting fairly.
At Payer Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ve earned places on both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
You can benefit from our law firm’s experience as we:
- Carefully investigate and gather evidence
- Build a strong case against the insurance carrier
- Document your losses
- Determine how much your case is worth
- Consult expert witnesses who can help strengthen your case
- Negotiate with the insurance company and defense teams for a fair deal
Our Orlando personal injury lawyers are committed to helping clients like you get justice. Contact us today to learn more about this area of law and how we can help.
Bad Faith Insurance Laws in Florida: An Overview
Insurance companies are strictly regulated by the state of Florida.
Florida law requires insurance companies to act in good faith when they deal with insurance policyholders. When you file a claim under a valid insurance policy, you have the right to expect the insurance company to handle your case fairly.
What is “fair” can mean many different things. At a bare minimum, “good faith” requires the insurance company to take your case seriously, communicate with you, answer your questions, and promptly investigate the details of your claim.
Do I Have a Valid Bad Faith Insurance Claim Under Florida Law?
The Florida Unfair Insurance Trade Practices Act gives victims of bad faith insurance practices the right to take legal action and demand compensation from the insurance company in civil court. The law also gives some examples of what types of practices can amount to “bad faith” insurance practices.
You may have a valid claim against an insurance company that was acting in bad faith and:
- Lied about the terms of your insurance coverage or the available benefits
- Failed to communicate with you in a timely manner after you submitted a valid claim
- Ignored your claim or failed to start an investigation in a reasonable amount of time
- Misrepresented the facts to convince you to accept an unfair insurance settlement
- Denied your claim without providing a valid justification (or any justification at all)
- Engaged in certain tactics in an attempt to unreasonably delay payment of your settlement, such as by requesting unreasonable documentation
- Failed to tell you that they needed additional information to process your claim
- Pressured you to avoid seeking a lawyer’s advice
- Lied about the insurance company’s ability to pay or its financial situation
- Discriminated against you when issuing a life insurance policy
Proving that the insurance company was negligent is not, by itself, enough to recover compensation for your losses. Instead, you must prove that the insurance company’s specific actions or omissions amounted to bad faith insurance practices.
That can be tough to prove. The insurance company knows the law. They also know how to defend themselves. If you suspect you were a victim of bad faith insurance tactics, contact our experienced bad faith insurance claims attorneys in Orlando for a free case review.
Can an Orlando Insurance Company Ever Legitimately Deny My Insurance Claim?
Yes. Insurance companies in Florida are required to act fairly toward policyholders. They aren’t required to hand over a check in every single case.
Examples of some situations in which the insurance agent may legitimately deny your claim include:
- The policy lapsed for failure to pay the premiums on time
- The insurance company has a legitimate dispute over whether they’re responsible
- The risk or person wasn’t covered by the insurance policy
- You missed the deadline for filing a claim
- You did not respond to the insurance company’s reasonable requests for additional information
- The documentation you submitted was incomplete
- The amount of the claim exceeds the policy limits (in which case, the insurance company may still be required to pay a portion of your claim)
- You have not yet satisfied an applicable deductible
These are some of the most common reasons that an insurance company might deny a claim. However, there are other reasons. In all cases, the insurance company must tell you why your claim is being denied.
How Much Is My Orlando Bad Faith Insurance Case Worth?
Your case value depends on the facts and the nature of your losses.
In almost every case, the following factors will be relevant:
- The nature of the insurance company’s actions
- Whether you suffered additional damages or losses because of the delay
- Your financial costs and expenses
- Whether the delay or denial impacted your health – and how
- Whether the delay or denial resulted in permanent damage
- How the ordeal has impacted your earnings, mental health, and quality of life
As with any personal injury case, it’s important to consult an experienced attorney to fully understand your case value. Our Orlando bad faith insurance attorneys have been helping clients like you for decades. You can learn more about how much compensation you deserve in a free case review.
What Types of Damages Are Available To Victims of Bad Faith Insurance Practices in Orlando, Florida?
Like any motor vehicle accident victim, you may be entitled to recover economic damages and non-economic damages.
The damages you recover will depend on your specific losses and might include:
- Interest charges you incurred because you covered the costs on your own
- Attorneys’ fees
- Court costs
- Lost wages if you lost income due to the insurance company’s actions
- Additional damage or harm caused by the insurer’s delays
- Property damage
- Any additional out-of-pocket expenses
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Inconvenience and frustration
The types of damages that are available often depend on the nature of the insurance policy in question. For example, someone who suffered physical injuries will have incurred different types of losses than someone who is dealing with property damage only.
Regardless of the circumstances, it’s very likely that the insurance company will try to downplay the extent of your losses. Working with an experienced attorney is the best way to make sure you recover the most compensation available.
Our Attorneys Handle All Types of Bad Faith Claims in Orlando
Insurance coverage is a powerful tool for offsetting the costs of accidents, natural disasters, and other risks. If the insurance company wrongly denies your claim, it can have a significant impact on your life.
At Payer Personal Injury Lawyers, we handle all types of bad faith insurance cases, including those involving:
- Property insurance
- Homeowners insurance
- Renters insurance
- Car insurance
- Personal injury protection (PIP) coverage
- Flood insurance
- Wind insurance
- Fire insurance
- Hurricane insurance
- Commercial insurance
- Business liability insurance
- Disability insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Professional liability insurance, including malpractice insurance
- Workers’ compensation insurance
Your claim may be against your own insurance company or someone else’s insurance company. For example, if you were injured in a car accident, you first file a first-party claim with your own insurance company under Florida’s no-fault insurance law. You may also have a valid third-party claim against a negligent driver’s insurance company.
In either case, if the claim is valid, the insurance company has an obligation to handle the claim in good faith.
How Much Time Do I Have To File a Bad Faith Insurance Lawsuit in Florida?
Most victims of bad faith insurance have five years to file a lawsuit. That might seem like a long time. In reality, it’s important to take legal action as soon as possible. The strongest evidence may be lost with time. It’s also possible that the insurance company could claim you failed to mitigate damages by creating unnecessary delays.
Of course, if you wait longer than five years, you lose your right to compensation entirely.
Contact an Orlando Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Has the insurance company been unfair in handling your claim? An experienced Orlando bad faith insurance lawyer can help. At Payer Personal Injury Lawyers, we offer free initial consultations–so there’s never any risk in learning about your legal options.
