Damages That Can Be Awarded in Oklahoma Bad Faith Claims

Posted on 05/6/26

in Bad Faith Insurance

You’ve paid the often exorbitant insurance premiums for crucial protection for your car, health, home, and liability. Naturally, you expect the insurance company to uphold the terms of your contract, but unfortunately, insurance companies often protect their profits at the claimant’s expense. While some common insurance company tactics are frustrating, but not illegal, other methods insurers use may go beyond legal strategy and violate the terms of their contract with a policyholder. In these cases, a bad faith insurance attorney in Oklahoma City can help you recover compensation not only for the original damages in your claim, but for the additional damages caused by the insurance company’s bad faith practices.

When Is It “Bad Faith” In Oklahoma Insurance Claims?

When you’ve filed a valid insurance claim, the insurer should react fairly and honor the terms of your agreement. Often, insurance companies delay processing claims, look for loopholes, or try to shift responsibility to the claimant, but when an insurance company violates the actual language of the contract, it’s a bad-faith practice and becomes actionable. Insurance companies have a legal obligation to uphold the terms of their contracts.

A successful claim against an insurance company using bad faith practices not only recovers the compensation a claimant deserves but also helps deter insurance companies from repeating these unethical and unlawful practices.

What Can I Recover In a Bad Faith Insurance Claim In Oklahoma?

It may feel overwhelming to take on an insurance company for its bad faith practices, especially when you’ve already had the frustration of filing a claim and experiencing unwarranted delays, undervaluation, or denial of your valid claim; however, an experienced attorney will meticulously scrutinize the language of your contract to determine whether there was a violation, and then assertively seek the following damages:

  • The damages you were owed under the contract for your original claim
  • Compensatory damages for further financial losses due to the insurer’s delay or denial of the claim
  • Non-economic damages for the emotional distress caused by the insurance company’s bad faith action, and compensation for damage to your reputation if the bad faith practice negatively impacted your business
  • Punitive damages may be awarded in some cases if the insurer’s actions were egregious or caused severe economic or emotional consequences to the claimant

An experienced bad faith lawyer in Oklahoma City pursues the maximum compensation available to you through a settlement or in court.

Do I Have to Go to Court For a Bad Faith Insurance Claim In Oklahoma City?

An Oklahoma City bad-faith insurance claim can be a challenging process, but often it results in a settlement from the insurance company, especially when the claimant has assertive legal representation. Insurers prefer to avoid court, since juries typically side with the claimant over a powerful insurance company that violated a contract. Only about 4% of claims require litigation. If your case goes to court, a bad-faith insurance attorney in Oklahoma City will ensure that you are fully prepared and will apply a well-executed legal process on your behalf.