Bad Faith Boat Insurance
Attorneys

Bad Faith Boat Insurance Attorney

Purchasing a boat is a very proud moment for the boat owner. Purchasing boat insurance is to help you in the case of an unexpected circumstance. If you are to spend several thousands of dollars on a boat, it is worth purchasing boat Insurance to make sure that there is some type of assistance if your boat was ever damaged. But what happens if your boat insurance company denies your claim? If you have experienced mistreatment by your boat insurance company, you may be able to file a lawsuit against them for bad faith. Bad faith lawsuits allow you to hold the insurance company responsible in the case that your insurance company denies or delays your boat insurance claim.

Contact our top-rated bad faith insurance attorneys today to see how we can hold the boat insurance company responsible for their bad faith actions.

What is bad faith?

Bad faith occurs when an insurance company does not put their insurer as a priority and violates their duties. For example, an insurance company has a duty not to delay the investigation that looks into the boat Insurance claim. If an insurance company acts in bad faith, they will be held liable in a lawsuit by the insurer.

California law provides that all insurance companies act with good faith and fair dealing towards their policyholders. This means that they cannot engage in any type of fraud or misrepresentation to try to take advantage of the policyholder.

What are examples of bad faith by a boat insurance company?

• Refusing to pay: when an insurance company refuses to pay without even looking into the claim, they could be held liable for bad faith Insurance practices.
• Delaying the investigation: a boat insurance company must hold an investigation when their policyholder files a claim for their boat damage.
• Denying the coverage without a valid answer: insurance companies must provide the policyholder with a reasonable answer if they were to deny the claim.
• Underpaying the boat insurance claim: an insurance company is required to pay the amount stated in the boat insurance contract.
• Denying any settlement negotiations: when a bad faith lawsuit is filed, the insurance company must work to negotiate with the policyholder and their attorney.

Bad faith actions by boat insurance companies can take place in many different ways. Even if it is not any of these circumstances above, but you feel as though the insurance company has been mistreating you, you could still hold the insurance company responsible. Contact us today to see how we can help you get the assistance you deserve. No person should have to be taken advantage of by their insurance company.

Can I file a lawsuit for my denied boat Insurance claim?

This depends on the circumstances of the denial. For example, if the boat insurance company had a valid reason to deny your claim, you most likely will lose if you were to file a bad faith lawsuit against them. However, if the insurance company has been engaged in some type of mistreatment towards you, you may be able to file a successful bad faith lawsuit.

In order to determine if your insurance company has engaged in any bad faith practices, contact our maritime bad faith insurance attorneys today to see how we can help you. It is very important that you get legal assistance as soon as you have experienced any type of bad faith actions you believe the insurance company has taken against you. The longer you wait, the more you could potentially lose out on filing a lawsuit. Having a denied claim is one of the first indicators for a bad faith action by the insurance company.

What is an underpaid claim?

Insurance companies, especially boat insurance companies, will always try to underpay the policyholder for the damage to the boat. Not only is underpaying a policyholder bad faith, it is also considered illegal in the state of California and Nevada. Therefore, do not accept an amount by your boat insurance company until you have discussed it with your bad faith attorney. Your bad faith attorney may be able to give you more of an idea as to how much you are owed, and how much you should accept from the insurance company.

What type of compensation can I receive for my boat Insurance bad faith claims?

• Punitive damages: this is awarded in exceptional circumstances, and is only awarded when the insurance company has acted maliciously. This means that the insurance company knew that they were doing something wrong, but proceeded with those actions anyway.
• Consequential damages: this refers to the amount of damages the plaintiff, also known as the party suing, missed out on while the insurance company was engaging in bad faith practices.

Why hire our bad faith boat insurance attorneys?

• In order to file a bad faith lawsuit, you need to have very strong examples of evidence that show how the insurance company did not act in good faith. This means that our attorneys will heavily investigate your claim to try and maximize your amount as much as possible. This includes hiring several experts and engineers to establish the fact that your insurance company acted in bad faith.
• Our attorneys will negotiate with the insurance company with your interest in mind. We will provide your case with individualized attention as we try to negotiate the case with your insurance company.
• If we are not able to negotiate with the insurance company, and negotiations fail, we are not afraid to take your case to trial. We have decades of experience representing victims who have had their boat insurance claims denied by their insurance companies. We know how to navigate through trials and how to help our clients make sure they get the help they deserve.
• Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means that you do not owe us a single dollar until we win compensation in your favor. Until we win a settlement or judgment, you do not owe our attorneys anything. Our attorneys will only take a small percentage when we recover compensation for you. This percentage differs depending on the circumstances of your case. For more information, and to determine what your contingency fee agreement could be, contact our attorneys today.

When should I file my insurance claim?

All insurance companies require that you file your boat Insurance claim as soon as possible. This means that if you have suffered any type of damage to your vessel, boat, or to your boating equipment, you must file a claim with your insurance company to start the claim process. If you wait too long, it could be used against you.