Do you suspect that an insurance company in Crowley, Louisiana, denied your claim for benefits without a legitimate reason? Did the adjuster make the claims process more difficult than it needed to be? Were you continually lowballed? If so, call Kenny Habetz Injury Law. You have rights under Louisiana state law, and our Crowley bad faith insurance lawyer wants to help you get the compensation you need and deserve.
Since 2010, Kenny Habetz Injury Law has stood up to insurance companies throughout the state of Lousiana on behalf injury victims and grieving families. Putting over a decade of experience behind every client’s fight for justice, we’ve successfully obtained millions in settlements and life-changing jury verdicts.
Contact our law office in Crowley, LA, at (337) 399-9000. to discover how we can help you hold the insurance company accountable for its bad faith practices. We offer a free initial case evaluation, so reach out to get started today.
How Kenny Habetz Injury Law Can Help You Win a Bad Faith Insurance Lawsuit in Crowley, LA
An insurance company won’t admit that it’s crossed a line or violated its obligation to handle a claim for benefits in good faith. If you want to force the insurer accountable for its unscrupulous actions, you’ll need to make it clear that you won’t be walking away without the money you deserve.
How? Trusting Kenny Habetz Injury Law to take the lead on your bad faith insurance case.
Crowley personal injury lawyer Kenny Habetz has been recognized for his legal excellence by Super Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, Expertise.com, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. When you ask for our help, the insurance company will take note. They’ll know your law firm won’t rest until they make things right.
Our legal team will handle every aspect of your bad faith insurance claim, including:
- Reviewing the underlying insurance claim, as well as the accident/incident on which it is based
- Identify all of the ways in which the insurance company mishandled your claim
- Gather evidence demonstrating the insurance company’s bad faith actions
- File your bad faith lawsuit with the local court and serve copies of your complaint to the insurance carrier
- Present our case to the insurance company and give it the opportunity to make you a meaningful settlement offer
- Help you better understand your legal rights, options, and choices
- Bring your bad faith insurance lawsuit to an Acadia Parish jury if the insurance provider refuses to acknowledge its wrongdoing and make you a fair settlement offer
At Kenny Habetz Injury Law, we represent victims of bad faith insurance practices on a contingency fee basis. We only get paid for our hard work if we win compensation for you.
Call our Crowley law office to get started. Your first consultation is free.
What Is Bad Faith Insurance?
Insurance policies are contracts. In exchange for premiums, an insurance company has a legal obligation to process claims for benefits in good faith.
What’s good faith? Good faith essentially means handling a claim honestly and with the genuine intent to fulfill the terms of the insurance contract.
Of course, insurance companies are profit-driven entities. They also develop and control the insurance claims process. If they can find a way to limit payouts and deny claims, they might take it. Tactics such as this would be considered in “bad faith,” and they’re illegal in the State of Louisiana.
Louisiana has two primary bad faith laws.
The first, found in La. Rev. Stat. §22:1892, requires an insurance company to pay a claim within a certain timeframe after “receipt of satisfactory proofs of loss of that claim.” This prevents an insurer from holding a settlement check for an unnecessarily long period of time after an agreement is reached.
An insurance company can be sued for half the value of the claim or $5,000, whichever is greater, if its actions are determined to be “arbitrary, capricious, or without probable cause.”
The second, found in La. Rev. Stat. §22:1973, explicitly states that an insurance company “owes to his insured a duty of good faith and fair dealing” and “has an affirmative duty to adjust claims fairly and promptly and to make a reasonable effort to settle claims with the insured or the claimant, or both.”
If an insurance company attempts to sidestep its responsibility to make good on a claim without a legitimate reason, the insured can file a lawsuit for resulting damages.
What Are Examples of Bad Faith Insurance Practices in Crowley?
Bad faith insurance practices can take many forms. It can involve an act of deception or dishonesty in handling a claim for benefits.
Some common examples of bad faith practices include:
- Denying a claim for benefits without a legitimate reason
- Offering a settlement for significantly less than a claim is actually worth
- Failing to conduct a timely review and/or investigation into a claim
- Altering the terms of an insurance policy after a claim is received
- Misrepresenting the terms of an insurance policy
- Failing to pay a claim within 30 days of reaching a written settlement
- Attempting to intimidate or coerce a claimant
- Misleading a claimant during the claims process
Just because an insurance company denies a claim or takes action that is against a claimant’s interests does not automatically mean their actions are in bad faith. There are times when a denial is appropriate, such as when a policy has lapsed, the type of injury is not covered by the policy, or there is a legitimate dispute regarding liability.
Bad faith conduct is done intentionally and with the intent to deprive the claimant of benefits to which they’re rightfully entitled under Louisiana state law.
If you suspect an insurance company mishandled your claim for benefits, contact our Crowley bad faith insurance attorney. We can evaluate your situation, determine if and how the insurer breached its duty to you, and help you launch a legal claim to make things right.
Types of Bad Faith Insurance Cases We Handle
Insurance benefits can be a lifeline when you suffer property damage, a personal injury, or a family member’s wrongful death. When an insurance company wrongfully denies you the benefits to which you’re entitled, it can make a difficult situation even worse.
Kenny Habetz Injury Law advocates for clients in all types of bad faith insurance disputes, including:
- Car insurance
- Homeowner’s Insurance
- Malpractice insurance
- Workers’ compensation
- Health insurance
- Disability insurance
- Life insurance
Whether you’ve been in a car accident, suffered injuries in a slip and fall, or gotten hurt on the job, our bad faith insurance attorney in Crowley, LA, wants to help you move forward. Contact our law office today to set up a time for a case assessment at no charge.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Bad Faith Insurance Practices in Crowley, LA?
You can bring a bad faith insurance lawsuit under one or both of Louisiana’s bad faith statutes. However, you can only recover damages under one. Each statute allows plaintiffs to recover different types of awards.
Under Section 22:1892, the following damages can be awarded:
- Half the value of the insurance claim or $5,000, whichever is greater
- Attorney’s fees.
Under Section 22:1973, the following damages can be awarded:
- Economic and non-economic damages sustained because of the insurer’s breach of contract, such as lost wages, property damage, medical bills, and pain and suffering
- Twice the value of the damages sustained or $5,000, whichever is greater
Damages will be awarded based on which statute will provide a higher payout.
How Long Do I Have To File a Bad Faith Insurance Lawsuit in Louisiana?
You only have a limited amount of time to file a bad faith insurance lawsuit in Louisiana. State law on the issue is complex, so it’s best to contact our lawyer as soon as you can for help determining how much time you have in your case.
You must file your claim within the applicable statute of limitations to preserve the right to get justice.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Crowley Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer
Don’t hesitate to call Kenny Habetz Injury Law if you’ve been the victim of an insurance company’s bad faith conduct in Crowley, Louisiana. The insurance company has to be held accountable. Our Crowley bad faith insurance lawyer is here to make that happen for you.
Kenny Habetz is an award-winning litigator who’s helped victims of insurance company misconduct win millions in monetary awards. Now, he’s here to fight for your best interests, too.
We offer a free case evaluation, so contact our Crowley, LA, law office to get started today.
