Kentucky insurance lawyer Steve Frederick routinely represents individuals against insurance companies who refuse to pay claims or make low ball offers.

Under Kentucky law, insurance companies have a duty to make a fair evaluation of claims that are brought by policy holders or others seeking benefits under a policy.  Unfortunately, many insurance companies attempt to take advantage of claimants by making low ball offers or by denying claims altogether.  An insurance company may be sued for “bad faith”  in Kentucky when it fails to fairly assess a claim that is made against one of its policies.  To prove “bad faith,” a claimant must only demonstrate that the insurance company acted with reckless disregard for the claimant’s rights under a policy.

There are several situations in which insurance bad faith may occur.  Personal injury claims, claims for medical bills, disability claims, and property damages claims all provide opportunities for insurance companies to act in bad faith.  In some instances, emotional distress damages and punitive damages may be awarded in a suit for insurance bad faith.

The Kentucky legislature established a cause of action for insurance bad faith.  The applicable excerpt from the Kentucky Unfair Claims Settlement Practice Act is provided below:

304.12-230 Unfair claims settlement practices.
http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/KRS/304-12/230.PDF

It is an unfair claims settlement practice for any person to commit or perform any of the following acts or omissions:

      (1) Misrepresenting pertinent facts or insurance policy provisions relating to coverages at issue;

      (2) Failing to acknowledge and act reasonably promptly upon communications with respect to claims arising under insurance policies;

      (3) Failing to adopt and implement reasonable standards for the prompt investigation of claims arising under insurance policies;

      (4) Refusing to pay claims without conducting a reasonable investigation based upon all available information;

      (5) Failing to affirm or deny coverage of claims within a reasonable time after proof of loss statements have been completed;

      (6) Not attempting in good faith to effectuate prompt, fair and equitable settlements of claims in which liability has become reasonably clear;

      (7) Compelling insureds to institute litigation to recover amounts due under an insurance policy by offering substantially less than the amounts ultimately recovered in actions brought by such insureds;

      (8) Attempting to settle a claim for less than the amount to which a reasonable man would have believed he was entitled by reference to written or printed advertising material accompanying or made part of an application;

      (9) Attempting to settle claims on the basis of an application which was altered without notice to, or knowledge or consent of the insured;

      (10) Making claims payments to insureds or beneficiaries not accompanied by statement setting forth the coverage under which the payments are being made;

      (11) Making known to insureds or claimants a policy of appealing from arbitration awards in favor of insureds or claimants for the purpose of compelling them to accept settlements or compromises less than the amount awarded in arbitration;

      (12) Delaying the investigation or payment of claims by requiring an insured, claimant, or the physician of either to submit a preliminary claim report and then requiring the subsequent submission of formal proof of loss forms, both of which submissions contain substantially the same information;

      (13) Failing to promptly settle claims, where liability has become reasonably clear, under one (1) portion of the insurance policy coverage in order to influence settlements under other portions of the insurance policy coverage;

      (14) Failing to promptly provide a reasonable explanation of the basis in the insurance policy in relation to the facts or applicable law for denial of a claim or for the offer of a compromise settlement; or

      (15) Failing to comply with the decision of an independent review entity to provide coverage for a covered person as a result of an external review in accordance with KRS 304.17A-621, 304.17A-623, and 304.17A-625.

Call us at 877-KYJUSTICE or contact us online to obtain a free assessment of your insurance needs and claims.