Can I Sue An Insurance Company for Altered Hurricane Damage Reports?
In the event that your insurance company changes hurricane damage reports in order to lower or reject your claim, you can sue them. This is known as acting in bad faith, which is against the law and can have very bad results for the insurance company. The policyholder's trust and legal rights are breached when an insurance company changes damage reports to benefit itself. Here's what you can do to sue an insurance company for this kind of behavior.
What Does "Bad Faith" Mean in Claims?
It is called "bad faith" when an insurance company does something wrong to avoid paying a claim. The law says that when insurance companies handle cases, they have to do so in good faith. This means that they have to carefully and honestly look into claims, talk to policyholders, and pay out valid claims according to the terms of the insurance. It is dishonest for an insurance company to change hurricane damage records to downplay how bad the damage was or to lie about what caused the loss.
Changes to Damage Reports As Proof of Bad Faith
One of the worst kinds of bad faith is changing stories of hurricane damage. For instance, if the initial report said that your roof had major damage during the storm but was later changed to show only minor damage, the insurance company may be trying to lower the payout in an unfair way. Changes to reports can result in smaller settlements or outright rejections of valid claims, which can make it harder for you to get your finances back on track after a disaster.
To sue for bad faith, you'll need to show that the insurance company changed the report on purpose to trick you and lower the amount of money it had to pay out. To do this, you need to gather proof, like the original and changed damage reports, any conversations you had with the adjuster, and any other opinions you have about the damage.
What the Law Says to Do
If you think someone changed your storm damage report, the first thing you should do is get a full copy of it and read it carefully. When you see problems or think there is bad faith, it's best to get help from an insurance law expert. By filing a case against the insurance company for bad faith, your lawyer can help you gather the proof you need.
You might be able to get more than just your original claim in damages. These could include money to make up for mental pain, lost wages because the claim was delayed, and punitive damages meant to punish the insurance company for bad behavior.
Conclusion
Under bad faith rules, you can sue an insurance company for changing reports of hurricane damage. If you think your claim was unfairly rejected or reduced because of a changed report, you should talk to a lawyer to hold the insurance company responsible and get fair compensation.