At Onyx Law Firm, our skilled Los Angeles lawyer works hard to ensure those car accident victims receive the top-quality guidance and repAt Onyx Law Firm, our skilled lawyer works hard to ensure that car accident victims receive the top-quality guidance and representation they need to pursue compensation, even when insurance companies use bad-faith practices to wrongfully deny or undervalue a claim.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident and you have questions about what to do next, we invite you to contact our firm to discuss your case with a qualified car accident lawyer during a free, no-obligation consultation. We would be happy to answer your questions about what types of compensation you are eligible to pursue, how much your case may be worth, and who can be held liable for your accident.
Call an experienced California attorney at Onyx Law Firm today to learn more about your legal rights when an insurance company fails to follow the terms of a contract at (844) 669-9529.
Why Choose Onyx Law Firm for you Los Angeles Insurance and Bad Faith Claim?
Onyx Law Firm is so confident in our ability to recover compensation on your behalf that we only take payment once we have secured the money that you are owed. Our no-fee unless we win guarantee allows people who have been hurt to retain competent legal counsel without having to pay extensive legal fees or retainers up front. Let us help you get paid so you can recover financially, physically, and emotionally following your accident.
- Personalized, attentive representation
- You pay nothing unless we win your case
- Open communication during your case
- Spanish-speaking services available
- Millions of dollars recovered for the injured
After a car accident or personal injury caused by someone else, you have the right to seek compensation for your damages under California’s fault-based injury laws, as defined in California Code CIV 1714. Most claims are filed against the at-fault party’s insurance. Unfortunately, insurance companies are not on your side and may use bad-faith practices to deny or minimize claims.
What Is Bad-Faith Insurance Practice In California?
Insurance companies may run reassuring ads and adopt a compassionate tone, but they are private companies that exist to make profits. This means their goal does not align with the injury victim’s objective. Instead of paying out fully and fairly on claims, insurance companies may use common tactics to reduce the amount they have to pay to a lowball settlement. They may also wrongfully deny the claim completely. Some of these tactics may seem ethically wrong, but they don’t violate the law. However, when an insurance company fails to act in accordance with the policy’s expressed language, it violates the contract. In these cases, a car accident or personal injury victim may file a claim for their damages and seek additional compensation for bad-faith insurance practices by the insurance company.
Common Tactics Used in Los Angeles to Delay, Dispute, or Deny Claims
Insurance companies assign adjusters to investigate claims. The insurance adjuster’s job requires them to seek ways to minimize payouts. Common tactics insurance companies use include the following:
- Contacting the injury victim soon after an accident to offer them a low settlement before they know the true extent of their damages
- Calling on a recorded line and then using the injury victim’s words out of context against them
- Asking for a medical authorization to review the injury report and then using a blanket authorization form, which allows the insurance adjuster to comb through the victim’s entire medical history, seeking a pre-existing condition or prior injury to blame as the cause of the injury victim’s symptoms
- Claiming that the injury can’t be serious based on the fact that the car received only minor damage
- Stating that a doctor’s recommended treatment isn’t necessary for the injury
In some cases, an insurance adjuster may find photos and comments on an injury victim’s social media pages to use out of context against them.
Proving a Los Angeles Insurance Company Used Bad-Faith Practices
While all insurance company tactics to protect the company’s profits at your expense are distressing, sometimes the behavior crosses the line into bad-faith policy. Proving that an insurer has breached the terms of a contract requires collecting evidence such as the following:
- Copies of all emails and written communication between you and the insurance company
- Dates and notes detailing verbal exchanges during phone calls
- Supporting evidence for your claim, such as medical bills, employer statements, and your medical record
- Copies of claim submissions and denial letters
- A copy of the at-fault party’s insurance contract
It’s always best to call a Los Angeles car accident or a personal injury lawyer after suffering an injury and before speaking with the at-fault party’s insurance company; however, if you’ve already filed a claim and received an unfair denial or are experiencing unreasonable delays or lowball settlement offers, it’s not to late to speak to a bad faith insurance claim attorney about your rights. A successful bad-faith insurance claim serves as a punishment and deterrent to insurance companies while also compensating you for the unreasonable delay or denial.
Contact Our Los Angeles Insurance and Bad Faith Attorneys Today
An attorney at our firm can help you recover financial compensation for the losses you have suffered, including medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering. You may also be able to obtain additional compensation for an insurance company’s bad-faith practices. We take all car accident injury cases on a contingency basis, so you only pay if we win.
Contact us now at (844) 669-9529 for a free case evaluation.