The Illinois Insurance Code allows insurance customers to sue their own insurance companies when those insurance companies engage in unreasonable conduct when handling claims for their customers. The Illinois Insurance Code (215 ILCS 5/154.6) describes the types of conduct that an insurance company should avoid when handling a claim for its own customers. If an insurance company engages in this prohibited conduct, and it is determined that they did so in a manner that was “vexatious and unreasonable,” then the customer can be awarded their attorney fees and costs in addition to what amounts to statutory punitive damages.

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First, gather all of your evidence (documents, pictures, phone logs, letters) and draft a timeline for all the important events related to the claim you filed with your insurance company. Important events include the facts underlying the claim, the date you first reported it to your insurance company, how you reported it to the company. What was their response? How did they respond? Letter? Phone call? Email? If they denied your claim, did they give you a written explanation? If they offered much less than the claim is worth, did they give you an itemized explanation of their offer?

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Second, contact an experienced attorney sooner, rather than later. There are numerous issues that factor into whether or not a bad faith case is viable. The sooner you get an attorney involved, the more likely you are to avoid making a mistake that can hurt your case.

Oftentimes, these unscrupulous insurance companies are experts at delaying and misdirecting their own customers in an effort to avoid paying on valid claims. Their representatives will lie to the customer about their rights under the insurance contract. An attorney experienced with these types of cases can force the insurance company to honor their contract or pay considerable sums of money in statutory damages. 

The experienced attorneys at the Beard Law Firm live and work in Southern Illinois. We are already familiar with most of the insurance companies that are the worst offenders and we have successfully prosecuted claims against many of them. 

If you or someone you love is getting the run around from their own insurance company, call the Beard Law Firm for a free consultation at (618)-351-1000. An experienced attorney will discuss your case with you and help you figure out the best way to move forward. If it is outside normal business hours, leave a voicemail or email us at the address listed on this site. An experienced attorney will usually call you back before the next business day.

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