When you make an insurance claim in Macon, GA, you expect to be treated fairly. You pay your insurance premiums so that when you need to make an insurance claim, you’ll be able to recover damages. When an insurance company engages in bad faith practices, it breaches its contract with you.
If you believe the insurance company is not behaving appropriately, a Macon bad faith insurance lawyer can help. Contact The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers at (478) 292-7272 for a free consultation.
Why Choose The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for Your Bad Faith Insurance Case in Macon?
At The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers, our Macon personal injury lawyers have over 16 years of combined experience. We’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars in compensation for our clients. The legal community has taken notice of our attorneys, naming us to the Super Lawyers Georgia Rising Stars List for several years.
Additionally, our team in Macon, Georgia, has a former insurance defense attorney. We know what the insurance companies are supposed to do and the tactics they use to get out of paying fair settlements to clients. We can leverage our inside knowledge to fight for the compensation you deserve.
Contact us today to speak to a Macon bad faith insurance attorney.
What Is Bad Faith Insurance?
Georgia law states that insurance companies have an affirmative duty to:
- Adjust loss fairly and promptly due to injury or destruction of property covered by a motor vehicle liability insurance policy
- Make a reasonable effort to investigate and evaluate the claim
- Make a good-faith effort to settle with the claimant where liability is reasonably clear
Violating any of these duties is considered insurance bad faith.
Signs of Bad Faith Insurance
Just because the insurance company has denied your claim or offers less compensation than you want does not necessarily mean that it is acting in bad faith. Insurance companies are for-profit businesses that want to protect their profit margins. Bad faith occurs when the insurance company violates its legal duties.
Here are some examples of signs that the insurance company might be acting in bad faith:
- Denials without a valid reason
- Denials based on policy language that does not exist or misrepresentations of policy language
- No investigation into the claim
- Inadequate investigations
- Excessive delays in processing claims
- Requesting unnecessary information or the same information time and time again
- Unreturned phone calls or emails
- Failing to respond to communications
- Lowball settlement offers
- Attempting to blame you for the loss
- Using threatening language
- Suggesting you don’t need a lawyer
An experienced lawyer can compile evidence that helps establish the full extent of your damages.
What Happens if Insurance Bad Faith Is Found?
Under Georgia law, you can recover compensation for the following if insurance bad faith is found:
- The amount of the loss
- Up to 50% of the liability of the insurer for the loss or $5,000, whichever is greater
- All reasonable attorneys’ fees for the prosecution of the action against the insurer
Our bad faith insurance lawyers can investigate your case to determine whether bad faith occurred and the damages you can seek as part of your legal claim.
Evidence of Bad Faith Insurance Practices
Our attorneys can gather evidence that may indicate bad faith insurance, such as:
- Letters
- Call logs
- Emails
- Text messages
- App messages
- Internal communications
- Witness statements
- A history of previous bad faith practices
This information can be compelling evidence of bad faith practices.
What to Do if You Suspect Bad Faith
Here are some steps to follow if you believe the insurance company is acting in bad faith:
- Put everything in writing – If possible, use an app, email, or letters to communicate about your claim. This will help make things clearer.
- Keep detailed records – Document all your communications with the insurance company, including dates, names of individuals you spoke with, and the content of your conversations.
- File a complaint – File a complaint with the insurance company or the Georgia Insurance Commissioner.
- Seek legal advice – Contact an experienced lawyer for help protecting your rights.
Our law firm can assist you through this legal process.
What Is the Deadline to File a Bad Faith Insurance Claim?
Because bad faith insurance claims are based on the broken insurance contract, you may have up to six years to file a lawsuit against the insurance company. However, you should not delay in contacting an attorney. They will need sufficient time to investigate your case and gather evidence of bad faith.
Contact Our Macon Bad Faith Insurance Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If your insurance company has engaged in bad faith practices, The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can help. We want to protect your legal rights. Call us today to arrange a free case review.
Our experienced team is ready to fight for the compensation and accountability you deserve. Don’t let an insurance company take advantage of you—our Macon bad faith insurance attorneys know how to hold them accountable. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can begin building a strong case on your behalf.
