When you put your trust in an insurance company and faithfully make your monthly payments, you expect to get what you’re paying for. When you need your benefits and the insurer denies you in bad faith, you are entitled to compensation for your losses.
Bad faith damages have a number of categories, and, depending on the impact the delay in your benefits caused, as well as the extent of the malice by the insurer, you could deserve a sum far greater than the limits stated in your contract.
Economic Losses
Possibly the most impactful way a wrongful delay in insurance benefits affects your life is economically. These losses include any damage to your financial situation.
If you were unable to work and your claim for disability benefits was wrongfully denied, you likely couldn’t pay your mortgage or other household expenses and incurred numerous late fees. If you had bills that had to go unpaid and were sent to collections, you could be entitled to compensation for the damage done to your credit score, as well.
You should never need to worry about how you will continue to provide for your family when you’ve taken out an insurance policy that is supposed to give you peace of mind that you’ll be protected in the case of an emergency.
Non-Economic Restitution
Damages categorized as non-economic will include mental anguish from your anxiety and worry about obtaining your benefits and your inability to support your family. This category can also include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of companionship, and any damage done to your reputation, where applicable.
Consequential Damages
Consequential damages, or special damages, are awarded when it is proven that your insurer has breached its end of a contract with you. Not only will these damages cover the benefits the insurer is obligated to pay you, but they can include any losses you suffered as a result of the breach of contract.
For instance, a small business owner who was wrongfully denied benefits listed in his or her property insurance policy might have lost equipment, inventory, customers, and income due to a bad faith denial of coverage.
Punitive Damages
This type of compensation is awarded when an insurance company has acted with severe malice or gross negligence and is punished for its behavior in the hope of preventing any future policyholders from being treated the same way.
Consult a California Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer
As you can see, damages resulting from a bad faith insurance claim can add up quickly. For help getting what you’re owed, enlist the help of a California bad faith insurance lawyer who will advocate for you in your time of need. To schedule your free consultation at Haffner Law, call 1-844-HAFFNER (423-3637) or fill out the form below.
