Holding Insurance Companies Accountable for Unjustifiably Denying, Lowballing, and Delaying Claims – Cook County Auto Insurance Bad Faith Attorneys
When you are involved in a car accident, the stress and aggravation associated with serious injuries, crash-related expenses, and a difficult course of rehabilitation can be exacerbated by the bad faith of insurance companies. You might be seeking to have your insurance company defend and indemnify you against an auto accident lawsuit, or you might be pursuing benefits under your uninsured motorist or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage.
At Stein & Shulman, LLC, our experienced State Farm auto insurance bad faith lawyers have over 45 years of experience turning up the heat on insurance carriers that refuse to fulfill their obligations to policyholders. Because our law firm has represented many policyholders in bad faith claims against their insurance carrier, we can anticipate the tactics insurers use to deny, lowball, and delay claims. This familiarity allows us to take proactive steps to preempt such strategies and seek compensation for the emotional stress and other costs caused by our clients’ insurance company.
“You’re In Good Hands” – An Empty Advertising Slogan
While State Farm has built its company on the slogan about policyholders being in good hands, the reality is that the insurance company has a reputation for engaging in bad faith practices that deprive policyholders of the benefits promised by their policy. Under your auto insurance policy, State Farm will typically be obligated to defend you if you are sued following a crash and to indemnify you against a verdict or settlement by paying the claim up to policy limits.
If you are involved in a collision with an unreasonably careless or distracted driver with no insurance or inadequate insurance, you might have the right to uninsured motorist or underinsured motorist benefits under your policy. While many auto accident victims expect that their insurance company will cooperate in paying such claims, the relationship between the insurance company and its clients often turns adversarial in these situations. If you want to be in good hands, you need an advocate dedicated to tenaciously pursuing your best interest rather than State Farm’s bottom line. Our Illinois bad faith insurance claims attorneys aggressively pursue the benefits that our clients are entitled to receive under their policy while seeking compensation for policyholders stymied by bad faith tactics.
Providing a Defense and Indemnification Against Verdicts or Settlements
State Farm policyholders who are sued following a car accident have a right to a defense funded by their insurance company. Further, the insurance company must give at least as much consideration to the interest of its insured as to the carriers interest’s when negotiating with the plaintiff. This principle means that the insurance company cannot reject a reasonable settlement that is at or near policy limits and expose an insured to personal liability for a larger verdict simply because the insurance carrier has nothing to lose by taking the case to trial.
In some cases, State Farm might opt to defend an insured with a “reservation of rights.” This approach means that State Farm is preserving its right to deny liability for paying the claim once the case is resolved. When the insurance company refuses to indemnify an insured against a judgment or verdict, the policyholder faces the risk of enforcement of the judgment against his or her personal assets.
Denial of Uninsured Motorist & Underinsured Motorist Claims
Uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) insurance protect policyholders when the at-fault party lacks coverage or carries insufficient coverage to pay the full value of a claim. UM coverage provides compensation to an accident victim when the other driver has no insurance or commits hit and run. UIM coverage provides additional coverage when the insurance limits of the defendant are not adequate to cover your damages.
Once you seek to have your insurance carrier pay your UM/UIM claim, you might be surprised when you are treated like an adversary rather than a customer. Our experienced State Farm bad faith insurance lawyers can assist you in negotiating with your insurance company. If your insurer refuses to pay out UM/UIM benefits that you are entitled to receive, we might even file a lawsuit seeking damages for insurance bad faith.
Our experienced Chicago State Farm bad faith auto insurance lawyers at Stein & Shulman, LLC have the experience and skill to assist clients frustrated by insurance companies that refuse to fulfill their policy obligations. Our law firm has recovered over $40 million for our clients. We invite you to contact us today at 312.422.0500 or email us to schedule your free case evaluation.
