How to Spot Bad Faith Insurance Practices After a Hurricane

You can spot bad-faith insurance practices after a hurricane by keeping an eye out for certain red flags. For example, your insurance company may engage in bad-faith practices by delaying your claim, refusing to settle with you, making changes to your policy without your consent, or denying your claim without an investigation. 

A New Orleans hurricane damage lawyer can step in to help if you suspect bad-faith actions from your insurance provider. An attorney can push back against these unfair practices and help you get the compensation you need.

What Are Bad Faith Insurance Practices?

Generally, professionals consider any attempt by an insurance company to go back on its promises to policyholders as bad faith insurance practices. Insurance companies may engage in bad faith behaviors by:

Unreasonably Delaying Your Claim

Sometimes, insurance companies try to drag out the claims process. The company may unnecessarily delay the resolution of your claim in the hope that you will take a smaller settlement or even drop your request for compensation. 

Bad faith in insurance can prevent you from getting the money you need to recover after a natural disaster.

Misinterpreting the Language in Your Policy

In some cases, insurance companies will try to misrepresent the language used in your policy to try to get out of paying for your losses. The company may try to twist definitions of covered damages to reduce your payout or even deny your claim. 

Refusing to Properly Investigate

Your insurance company may deny your hurricane damage claim before even investigating your losses. These companies have a duty to thoroughly and properly review the damage you sustained. They can act in bad faith by summarily dismissing your claim. 

Offering Unfair Settlements

In some cases, insurance companies will repeatedly offer low settlements that fail to cover your losses. Lawyers may consider this bad faith behavior if the offers do not align with the terms of your insurance policy. 

Adjusting Your Policy Without Your Permission

Finally, in some cases, insurance companies will make changes to your policy without telling you or waiting for your approval. Professionals consider this action deceptive, and you may have a valid claim against the company in this situation. 

You can learn more about how to spot bad faith insurance practices after a hurricane by contacting a legal professional.

Why Do You Need to Recognize Bad Faith Insurance Practices?

Recognizing bad faith practices from your insurance company can help you identify unfair treatment after a hurricane. If you notice unfair actions, you can reach out to a New Orleans insurance claims lawyer for help. 

An attorney can assess your situation and determine if the insurance company has engaged in misconduct. If the insurance company has not upheld its obligations to you based on your policy, you may take legal action against the company.

What Losses Should Your Insurance Company Cover?

Your insurance policy will specifically describe the losses covered by your insurance company after a hurricane. The funds available after a natural disaster will vary depending on the type of policy you purchase. 

However, many insurance policies will cover:

• Costs to repair cosmetic or structural damage from a storm
• Damaged or destroyed possessions 
• Damage from high winds 

Generally, insurance companies do not include flood damage in standard homeowner’s insurance policies. However, if you bought extra flood insurance, the company may also need to cover these losses.

A lawyer can review your policy and explain the funds you qualify to receive. Your lawyer can also explain how to identify bad faith insurance practices after a hurricane if the insurance company tries to avoid paying out your claim. 

How to File an Insurance Claim After a Hurricane

Correctly filing your insurance claim can help you avoid issues with securing compensation. Your attorney can offer tips for filing an insurance claim after an accident. In many cases, you can file your claim online or over the phone.

You will need to provide information about the damage you experienced and all of your losses. Generally, legal professionals recommend that you:

• Take videos and pictures of your property before and after a hurricane
• Make an inventory of all the possessions damaged or destroyed by the storm
• Make emergency repairs to stop additional damage

You should include as much information as possible about your losses in your claim. The insurance company should then assess your claim and investigate the results of the storm before making you an offer.

You can have your attorney review the offer made by the insurance company to ensure they treat you fairly and do not engage in bad faith practices.

Talk to Us About Bad Faith Insurance Practices in Louisiana

Our team at Laborde and Earles can explain how to spot bad-faith insurance practices after a hurricane. We can help with your storm damage claim and assist you during this challenging time. 

Find out more by calling or completing our online contact form.