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What Is Bad Faith? What Does Bad Faith Look Like?
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 837 in March 2023. It made sweeping changes to the bad faith framework within the Sunshine State. Many Florida politicians praised him for doing it and talked about how it should minimize the number of frivolous lawsuits filed in the state.
House Bill 837 helped introduce many Floridians to the concept of bad faith. But some people in the state still don’t understand what bad faith is or what it looks like.
Are you one of them? Continue reading to learn more about bad faith so that you know how to spot it, and speak with a personal injury lawyer if you suspect you’ve been impacted by bad faith.
What Is Bad Faith?
When you file an insurance claim in Florida, you shouldn’t necessarily assume your insurance company will approve it and provide you with a payout. However, you should expect your insurance company to at least investigate your claim to see whether it should be approved. If they don’t do this, it’s one of the many examples of bad faith.
Whereas good faith involves detailed investigations, fair offers, and prompt communication, bad faith occurs when an insurance company is intentionally dishonest or deceptive when handling a claim. An insurance company doesn’t live up to the contract they signed with you in a situation involving bad faith.
What Does Bad Faith Look Like?
Bad faith is sometimes as simple as an insurance company not launching an investigation into a claim you’ve filed and denying your claim without merit. However, an insurance company can demonstrate bad faith in Florida in other ways.
Here are several further examples showcasing what it might look like:
- An insurance company misrepresenting the facts related to a claim so they can deny it
- An insurance company failing to communicate clearly with the claimant in a case
- An insurance company neglecting to let a claimant know additional information is needed from them to process a claim
Generally speaking, you might want to consider filing a bad faith insurance claim if you feel as though your insurance company has wronged you in any way. Bad faith claims aren’t always easy to prove, but an experienced personal injury lawyer in Florida can work on gathering evidence related to your case if you’re interested in taking legal action against an insurance company.
Call Us If You Believe You’ve Been a Victim of a Bad Faith Insurance Claim
When filing an insurance claim, the last thing you need is for your insurance company to act in bad faith. It can make a difficult situation even more challenging and cause you to lose trust in a company that’s supposed to protect you in a time of need.
If you would like to receive a free case evaluation for a potential bad faith case, Jeffrey R. Davis, P.A. can provide you with one. Reach out to us at (305) 577-3777 to schedule a consultation with a trusted Florida lawyer.