Insurance Dispute

When you buy insurance coverage and pay the policy premiums each month, you have every right to expect that your insurer will compensate you for losses covered under your policy. Unfortunately, insurance companies sometimes put profits over people and look for excuses to avoid paying covered claims when disaster strikes.

If you are involved in a disagreement with your homeowners’ insurance company, your car insurer, your health insurer or any other insurance company that refuses to pay for covered losses, you have legal rights. A Louisiana insurance dispute attorney can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and use the options provided by the legal system to compel the insurer pay what they promised under the policy. Call Lavis Law today to speak with a member of our legal team and learn how we can help you resolve your problems with your insurance company.

When you make a claim after a covered loss occurs, the insurance company has a legal obligation to handle that claim in a reasonable manner. An “implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing” exists in every insurance contract and insurers are legally liable for the consequences if they unjustly fail to fulfill their obligations under the policy.

Insurance companies may engage in a number of tactics that violate the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing including:

• Imposing unnecessary delays and unexpectedly burdensome requirements in processing your claim for covered damages.
• Significantly undervaluing the amount of your claim and refusing to pay for the covered losses in full.
• Denying a legitimate claim and refusing coverage for something that your insurance policy says that you should be compensated for.

In these and other situations, when an insurance company acts inappropriately in handling a claim, a Louisiana insurance dispute attorney can pursue legal action and file a bad faith lawsuit.

If you can prove the insurer violated the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, the court may require the insurer to not only pay your claim but also to provide you with additional compensation. The money you receive may exceed your policy limits. The compensation serves to both punish the insurance company for its dishonest claims handling practices and compensate you for damages or harm that occurred because of the insurer’s unfair delay or denial.

Even when no bad faith claim is necessary, a Louisiana insurance dispute attorney can provide invaluable assistance by negotiating with the insurer to try to get you the full amount of the money you need to repair or replace damaged property or to otherwise compensate you for covered losses.

You have a limited period of time to take legal action against an insurance company, and it is essential that you fight for the coverage that you paid for and now need. Call Lavis Law today to speak with a member of our legal team for help making sure that your insurance company does not enrich itself at your expense while you are left with losses that should have been covered.