Continuing from 3 Ways Insurers Can Practice Bad Faith with Car Accident Claims (Part 1), here are two more common ways in which insurance companies may practice bad faith in order to try to undercut or deny legitimate car accident claims.
insurance companies may practice bad faith
in order to try to undercut or deny legitimate
car accident claims.
Bad Faith Practice 2: Insurers say you don’t have an active policy or that you aren’t covered for the accident in your claim.
If you have been paying your premiums, insurers have been accepting your payments and you have not been notified prior to the accident that your policy has been cancelled, then you have an active policy. This active policy is essentially a contract between you and your insurance company.
Unfortunately, however, some insurers will try to go back on their part of the contract by claiming that there is no policy (i.e., no legal contract) and, therefore, they don’t have to pay you for your claim.
Alternatively, insurers may try to say that you aren’t covered for the specific type of accident associated with your claim (like, for instance, if you are trying to get compensation for a hit-and-run accident via your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage).
If you know that you have an active policy and/or that you do have specific coverage but an insurer tries to claim that you don’t after you submit an accident claim, it’s time to talk to an attorney who can help you fight insurers for the compensation to which you are entitled. Such practices are illegal and are typically referred to as post-claim underwriting.
Bad Faith Practice 3: Insurers say that you are at fault.
Although determining who is at fault in an accident can be difficult, do NOT accept insurers claims that you caused the accident if you know that this is not the case. This is a common way that insurers may try to undercut the value of your car accident claim. However, evidence like the following can be used to prove insurers wrong and force them to pay you the full amount of compensation to which you are entitled:
- Police reports
- The pictures you took of the accident
- Witness statements (This can include statements from expert witnesses when or if necessary.)
- Doctors’ reports
- Surveillance footage (like, for instance, from red light cameras).
St. Louis Car Accident Lawyers at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law
If you have been involved or injured in a car accident and are getting ready to file a claim with your insurance company, contact the St. Louis car accident lawyers at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law. We are skilled at going up against insurers to help our clients obtain the full amount of compensation they deserve. While we have a long-standing commitment to serving our clients, we are also experienced at aggressively defending our clients’ rights in any legal setting.
For more than 10 years, our lawyers have been successfully representing our clients in car accident cases. Our steadfast dedication to the pursuit of justice in every case we handle means that we will work relentlessly to help our clients achieve the best possible resolutions to their cases. One of our primary goals is to help accident victims secure the maximum possible compensation for their injuries and losses so they can focus on their recovery and moving on with their lives.
Let’s Talk – We Invite You to a Free Initial Consult
You can learn more about your rights by attending a free initial consult with one of our trusted and esteemed car accident attorneys. Set up a meeting today by emailing us using the form at the right-hand side of the screen and/or by calling us at 573-333-3333 for our Missouri office or at 618-888-8888 for our Illinois office.
