If you’ve been injured in an accident in Nashville, Tennessee, insurance benefits can be a lifeline to get you through a tough time. If your claim for benefits is denied, it can put you in a really difficult situation. If you suspect that the insurance company denied your claim without a valid reason, it’s important to contact Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers. Our Nashville bad faith insurance lawyer can help you fight to hold the insurer responsible for their deceptive practices.
Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers is known for standing up to powerful insurance companies and fighting tirelessly on behalf of its clients. Led by an award-winning Tennessee trial attorney with nearly a decade of experience, our law firm has successfully recovered millions of dollars in life-changing monetary awards.
Force the insurance company to take your bad faith lawsuit seriously. Put our top-rated legal team in your corner. Contact our law office in Nashville, TN, today at (615) 685-8546 to schedule a free consultation.
How Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help if Your Nashville Insurance Claim Was Handled in Bad Faith
If the insurance company acted in bad faith, it won’t go out of its way to help you prove it. Instead, the company will use its considerable resources and skilled defense attorneys to fight your allegations. The good news is that you don’t have to take on the insurer on your own. You can put a trusted legal advocate of your own in your corner and level the playing field.
That’s why you won’t want to hesitate to call our Nashville personal injury lawyer for help with your bad faith action.
At Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers, we’re recognized by Expertise.com as among the best personal injury lawyers in Nashville, Tennessee. Why? We genuinely care about our clients and do everything in our power to make a positive impact on their lives. Our results speak volumes, with millions of dollars in settlements and jury awards.
When you ask for our help proving that an insurance company acted in bad faith, count on us to:
- Carefully assess how the insurance company handled your initial claim from start to finish
- Determine exactly why the claim was denied or otherwise handled in bad faith
- Investigate the circumstances of your initial claim for benefits
- Bring in expert witnesses and specialists to lend insight into and support for your case
- Represent you during all hearings, conferences, and negotiations with the insurance company
- Help you determine whether to accept or reject settlement offers you receive
- Bring your bad faith insurance lawsuit to a Davidson County jury if the insurer refuses to acknowledge its wrongdoing
We advocate for our clients on a contingency fee basis. This means you’ll never have to pay anything unless we win compensation for your bad faith claim.
Contact our Nashville law office today to learn more. Your first consultation is free.
What Is Bad Faith in Nashville, TN?
Insurance policies are contracts. Both parties – the policyholder and the insurance provider – are expected to act in good faith. Good faith means having the intent to be honest, transparent, and open in regard to any claims that are submitted.
The policyholder acts in good faith by submitting a claim for a valid, legitimate loss. The insurance company acts in good faith by evaluating the claim thoroughly with the intent to pay out benefits whenever appropriate.
However, some insurance companies don’t take this obligation seriously. They handle claims by trying to deceive policyholders and trying to deprive them of their rights under the policy.
When an insurance company acts dishonestly or attempts to deceive a claimant, their actions are considered to be in bad faith.
In Tennessee, an insurance company can be sued for its bad faith practices. Lawsuits can be based on the statutory obligation to act in good faith or common law. However, bad faith lawsuits are limited to first-party claims. Simply put, you can sue your insurance company for denying a claim under your policy. You can’t file a statutory bad faith action against someone else’s insurance company for a denied claim.
What Are Common Examples of Bad Faith Insurance Practices?
Bad faith can involve any action that’s intended to deceive a claimant or misrepresent the terms of a policy. The Tennessee Unfair Claims Settlement Act lists several practices that are considered to be bad faith.
These include:
- Denying a claim without a legitimate reason
- Knowingly misrepresenting the facts of a claim to deny coverage
- Knowingly misrepresenting the terms of a policy to deny coverage
- Attempting to settle a claim for less than it is worth
- Failing to launch a timely and thorough investigation into a claim
- Changing the terms of a policy after a claim is submitted
- Delaying the claims process unnecessarily
- Burdening a claimant with unnecessary paperwork
- Coercing or threatening a claimant to accept a lowball settlement
- Failing to pay a claim within a reasonable time after a settlement is reached
- Failing to provide a claimant with necessary forms within 15 days after they’re requested
If you believe that your insurance claim was mishandled or denied without a valid reason, it’s important to ask for help. Our experienced Nashville bad faith attorney can review your situation, evaluate the insurer’s conduct, and help you understand your legal rights and options. If you file a lawsuit, we’ll be ready to put the full force and resources of our law firm behind your case.
Do Insurance Companies Ever Have a Legitimate Reason To Deny a Claim?
Insurance companies are not required to approve every claim, and there are times when they might be justified in delaying the claims process.
Here are a few reasons why an insurance company might deny a claim, offer a lower-than-expected settlement, or extend the claims process:
- The policy under which benefits are sought has lapsed due to non-payment
- The claimant is not covered under the policy
- The type of damage suffered is not covered under the policy
- The claim was fraudulent
- There is a genuine dispute regarding liability
- The insurance company needs additional time to investigate the claim, gather evidence, and/or assess the situation
- The claimant has not provided all necessary documents or forms
Our bad faith insurance attorney in Nashville can evaluate your situation and determine whether the insurance company’s actions were lawful. If we determine that it acted in bad faith, we will not hesitate to help you hold them accountable.
What Damages Can I Get in a Nashville Bad Faith Insurance Lawsuit?
When you file a bad faith insurance lawsuit in Nashville, Tennessee, you may be entitled to recover damages for:
- The value of your initial insurance claim, up to the policy’s limits
- Up to 25 percent of the value of that initial claim
- Interest
You may also be able to recover compensation to cover the cost of litigation and attorney’s fees. If your bad faith insurance lawsuit goes to trial in Nashville, you may be able to recover punitive damages, as well. Punitive damages are appropriate when a jury finds by clear and convincing evidence that the insurance company’s conduct was malicious, fraudulent, or intentional.
Our Nashville bad faith attorney can help you pursue all of the compensation to which you’re entitled under Tennessee state law. We won’t let the insurance company lowball you again or continue to stand between you and the compensation you need and deserve.
What’s the Statute of Limitations for Tennessee Bad Faith Insurance Lawsuits?
You will have a limited time to pursue compensation through a bad faith insurance lawsuit. Generally speaking, the State of Tennessee gives you six years to file a bad faith action against your insurance company. The statute of limitation begins to run on the date of the insurer’s bad faith conduct.
However, many insurance companies put language in their policies that limit the amount of time claimants have to take legal action for bad faith. In some situations, this time limit can be as short as one year.
Don’t let the statute of limitations pass by without bringing a claim. Once that happens, you will lose the right to hold the insurer responsible for their actions. Reach out to our law office in Nashville for help right away. We can assess your policy, determine the applicable deadline, and help you assert your rights.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Nashville Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer
Did your insurance company recently lowball your claim or deny it altogether? Call Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers. We help victims of bad faith fight back against car insurance companies, homeowner’s insurance companies, health insurance companies, and other providers. Our Nashville bad faith insurance lawyer is ready to help you fight back, too.
When you choose Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers to handle your bad faith lawsuit, you benefit from an accomplished attorney with nearly a decade of legal experience and a proven track record of success. We’ve won millions for our clients. Now, we’re here to help you get top results, too.
Contact our law office in Nashville, TN, today at (615) 685-8546 to schedule your free case assessment.
