Alaska Personal Injury Lawyers

Alaska Personal Injury Lawyers, Fighting for Victims of Bad Faith Insurance

Alaska Personal Injury Lawyers
Fighting for Victims of Bad Faith Insurance

People purchase insurance policies for any number of reasons and for types of protection including auto insurance, homeowners insurance and life insurance among others.  Most people assume that when disaster strikes and the insurer’s end of the bargain as dictated by the insurance policy arises that the process will be completed in a relatively smooth fashion.  Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and anyone who has been receiving the runaround from insurance companies could have a valid claim for insurance bad faith.  Someone who thinks this is a possibility should seek the help of an Alaska personal injury attorney as soon as possible, and below is a brief introduction to this issue.

The Nature of Insurance Policies

Insurance policies are contractual agreements that are executed between the insurance carrier and the policyholder.  Therefore, these policies are generally examined on the basis of contract law.  However, anyone who has ever seen or even attempted to completely read an insurance policy understands that these documents are extremely long and just as confusing, even for someone who may have a relatively extensive legal background.  Generally, this vague and confusing language is not a mistake, as it allows for wiggle room by the insurance company to avoid paying claims when it desires not to do so.

What Constitutes Insurance Bad Faith

Insurance bad faith can arise in many different ways, but in general this legal claim can arise when an insurance company is avoiding paying a valid claim without any reasonable basis for doing so.  There have been cases in the past where insurance companies have initiated an internal policy of denying every initial claim that’s made, and that’s because many people simply give up on pursuing the matter at that point.

However, there are specific causes of action that can arise when an insurance company purposely delays a claim, purposely denies a claim or states invalid reasons for the denial of a claim.  Since consumers are often hesitant to take on an enormous corporation and they can be confused by the technicalities of the process, this strategy has worked out well for insurance companies over time.

Fortunately, there are options available to those policyholders who have paid their premiums and upheld their end of the bargain.  One such option is to seek the help of experienced Alaska personal injury lawyers who understand the laws that govern these situations and what it takes to hold insurance companies that are guilty of this conduct accountable.  Contact Barber & Banker today to schedule a free initial consultation if you are being denied a valid insurance claim.