Signs of Bad Faith Insurance Practices in Oklahoma
Insurance companies are not on your side in the claim process. Despite their reassuring ads and compassionate tones, they are powerful companies whose goal is to protect profits at your expense. Some insurance company tactics are frustrating and deceptive, but legal.
However, when their strategies cross the line into bad-faith insurance practices, you could have legal recourse to hold the company financially accountable through a lawsuit.
An Oklahoma City bad-faith insurance lawyer from Dan Davis Law can help you recover the compensation you deserve. But first, it’s important to recognize the signs of bad-faith insurance practices in Oklahoma.
Common Bad Faith Insurance Tactics to Watch Out for During the Claims Process
When an insurance company isn’t dealing with you fairly, there are signs to be aware of to prevent common pitfalls. An insurance company may do the following:
- Reach out quickly with an early settlement offer before you know the full scope of the damages you’re facing
- Call you on a recorded line, and then use your words out of context against you
- Ask for a medical authorization to review your injury, and then comb through your medical records for a pre-existing condition or previous injury to blame for your symptoms
- Claim that your doctor’s recommended treatment isn’t necessary for your injury
- Delay the process by failing to return emails or phone calls, asking for redundant paperwork, and assigning a new adjuster to restart the process
When an insurance company’s delays become unreasonable, it’s often a key indicator of an insurer that may resort to bad-faith practices to protect the company’s profits at your expense. If you’re experiencing these tactics, consulting with a bad-faith insurance attorney in Oklahoma City can help you understand whether the insurer’s conduct has crossed into bad faith.
What Is Considered Bad Faith Insurance Company Tactics in Oklahoma?
Insurance companies have a legal obligation to honor the terms of their contracts. When an insurer’s tactics violate the language of a contract, it’s actionable bad faith. In addition, under an Oklahoma insurance law, an insurer must decide in favor of the claimant if the language of a contract is ambiguous.
Common Insurance company bad-faith tactics include the following:
- Concealing or misrepresenting the language of a policy
- Denying a valid claim
- Unjustifiably delaying payment
- Unreasonably undervaluing a claim
- Inadequately investigating a claim
- Failing to disclose the limits of the policy
- Using coercive, threatening, or intimidating tactics
- Refusing a claimant’s request for documentation
Delaying payment on a claim may seem like a fruitless tactic, since the insurer must pay the claim eventually. However, a bad-faith insurance attorney understands that these delays are strategic attempts to pressure claimants into accepting lowball settlements. When an insurer’s actions do not uphold their contract, you have the right to file a bad-faith lawsuit against them.
What Does an Oklahoma Bad Faith Insurance Lawsuit Do For Me?
When an insurance company fails to adhere to the terms of its contract, the claimant has the right to demand accountability through a bad-faith lawsuit against the company. A successful insurance company bad-faith lawsuit in Oklahoma not only recovers the initial amount of the claim but also additional compensation for consequential damages, including expenses incurred as a result of the delay.
Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to claim additional compensation for emotional distress and anxiety caused by the insurance company’s actions. If the insurer’s actions are egregious, fraudulent, deceptive, or malicious, an award for punitive damages may be available. For instance, a judge instructed the court to consider punitive damages in a case against a medical malpractice insurer in a 2025 case.
An experienced Oklahoma City bad-faith insurance lawyer can evaluate whether punitive damages may be available in your case.
How Can an Oklahoma City Bad Faith Insurance Attorney Help My Case?
You don’t have to accept the financial consequences and frustration of an insurance company’s bad-faith practices. Instead, the court offers a legal remedy through a bad-faith insurance lawsuit.
Contact a bad-faith insurance lawyer from Dan Davis Law at (405) 930-4210 to learn about your legal rights and to increase your chances of recovering the compensation you deserve. With experienced representation, most bad-faith insurance claims end with a settlement rather than going to trial.