Fighting Against Insurance Companies

Many business owners have policies issued by AIX Specialty Insurance Company, a member of the Hanover Insurance Group. AIX is a large specialty insurer that advertises itself as a company that is very discerning and stands by its customers’ insurance policies with quality and expertise. Despite their advertising, many AIX policyholders come to find less-than-promised coverage under their policies in the event of commercial property damage.

Our bad faith attorneys’ experiences with AIX indicate that the company, along with several other major insurance carriers, commonly undervalues property damage claims caused by natural events. These problems aren’t limited to just AIX; we have seen that these same practices taint their related companies as part of the Hanover Insurance Group.

Dodging Rules and Regulations to Achieve Higher Profits

Although other parts of the Hanover Group family of insurance companies are licensed and authorized insurers, much of Hanover’s insurance business is written through AIX Specialty Insurance Company, which operates as a surplus lines insurer. That means AIX is exempt from many of the rules and regulations that govern admitted insurance companies. By using its AIX subsidiary in this way, Hanover avoids having to abide by consumer protection regulations, since much of the insurance written by AIX could just as readily be written by a licensed insurer or even a different Hanover-owned entity. Yet despite its unlicensed character, AIX is a subsidiary of Hanover, so all of the profits end up in the same place.

Very few insurance companies are permitted to establish subsidiaries that don’t need to follow the rules and regulations of the states where they do business, simply as a way to avoid oversight and make more money. This is precisely what Hanover has done with AIX, to the detriment of business policyholders.

Combating AIX Group Insurance Bad Faith Practices

Insurance law is clear that an insurance company like AIX is required to show reasonable cause for denying or delaying the payment of a valid claim, if the damage is covered by the policy. By delaying, underpaying, or denying a legitimate claim while knowing it should pay or without investigating the claim, an insurance company is engaging in bad faith activity, thus resulting in increasing insurance claim disputes with AIX. If you are offered a low-ball amount by your insurance company, Raizner Slania can help you fight for the full amount to which you are entitled.

Allstate’s slogan claims “You’re in good hands.” Unfortunately, these words carry little meaning: many business owners have filed valid insurance claims for property damage only to see them unfairly delayed or denied. These situations often involve water or ice damage, wind and hail damage, fire and smoke damage, and damage from natural disasters and hurricanes.

Was your business insurance claim wrongfully denied, delayed or disputed?

An insurance company’s refusal to compensate policyholders what they’re owed can have distressing effects, preventing businesses from operating and resulting in lost revenue. If you believe your property damage claim was unfairly denied, or your claim is being unreasonably delayed, consider pursuing a lawsuit against Allstate and get in touch with Raizner Slania today to schedule a free consultation. Our team of seasoned lawyers is ready to tackle your claim.

Allstate’s Unfair Treatment of Policyholders

In spite of their empathetic slogan, Allstate routinely values profit over policyholders. In fact, Allstate agents have reportedly been instructed to deny a claim at any cost, even if it means deceiving their own policyholders. This method of routine denial until a claimant concedes is otherwise known as the “boxing gloves” approach. Former Allstate agent Shannon Kmatz explains this approach is intended to make claims “so expensive and so time-consuming that lawyers would start refusing to help clients.” It’s evident where Allstate’s true concern lies, and as a result of their unethical behavior, numerous complaints have been logged against the company.

Complaints Against Allstate

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners identified Allstate as one of the major insurance companies that receives an exceptionally high volume of customer complaints. Previous customers report agents have blatantly disregarded vital facts that would have forced the company to pay more to the policyholder, offered lowball settlements that ignore true value, implemented significant rate increases without providing notice, and continued to charge previous customers even after they canceled their policies.

Furthermore, communication with Allstate agents is inefficient and unresponsive to ensure a long claims process that leaves customers frustrated and willing to give in to the lowball settlement. Policyholders have filed endless complaints detailing ignored or counterproductive phone calls and calling out belligerent agents unwilling to negotiate. When accidents happen, policyholders are left feeling stressed, neglected, and bullied in their time of need by the very people that are supposed to help.

Allstate Denies Valid Business Insurance Claims in Bad Faith

The vast majority of complaints logged against Allstate are textbook examples of bad faith practices (intentionally dishonest acts), and they are illegal. At Raizner Slania, our lawyers have seen many specific instances of this type of unfair and financially devastating treatment. Allstate — a company with revenues consistently above $30 billion each year — is widely viewed as being especially committed to “tightening up on claims.” For policyholders trying to recover and rebuild after a disaster, this may mean:

• Outright denial or unreasonable delay of your business insurance claim without a valid reason
• False allegations that you are responsible for the damage to your business, due to wear and tear, poor original construction, or lack of maintenance, such as the failure to repair damage after a previous event
• Major delays and intimidating obstacles aimed at getting you to either accept a lowball settlement or abandon your claim altogether

Insurance law is clear that insurance companies are required to show a reasonable basis for denying or delaying payment on a claim if the policy clearly covers the damage. If your claim has been denied or held up for unknown administrative purposes, Allstate may be acting in bad faith and illegally denying you the money you are contractually owed.

American Family’s Deceptive Practices Prompt Complaints

American Family Insurance touts itself as a company with 90 years of experience and a strong reputation that provides customers with peace of mind. They claim their business insurance process is easy and convenient, yet more often than not, we see customers whose experience is anything but easy and convenient.

Although insurance companies claim to put their customers first, they’re often discovered engaging in bad faith or unethical practices intended to put more profit in their pockets – American Family is no exception.

Acting in Bad Faith

Insurance companies delay payments, undervalue claims and attempt to place blame on anything but the covered event in order to save money. They use tactics such as intimidation, delayed responses, and disputed damage values to berate the policyholder into accepting their decision and moving on. These actions are considered bad faith practices, and they are illegal.

If American Family has engaged in unfair practices to prevent granting you the money you’re owed, then you may have a valid legal claim for additional damages.

Unethical Treatment of Policyholders

American Family Insurance has further been accused of unethical claim denials, outrageous premium increases, policy cancellations and more. Policyholders describe experiences with adjusters who deny seeing any damage after a natural disaster, contrary to the contractor’s claim. Additionally, alarming numbers of customers report their policy was canceled without any basis. Some previous customers report American Family continued billing them even after they canceled their policy.

An insurance company’s purpose is to assist their policyholders in a time of need and relieve stressful burdens. American Family Insurance’s immoral practices instead exacerbate an already stressful situation with poor customer service, penny-pinching tactics, and unanswered phone calls.

How Crawford Operates in Bad Faith

When selling insurance policies, most insurers hold themselves out as having a friendly staff of helpful people to assist with any problem that might arise.  Unfortunately, that rosy presentation isn’t always real.  In fact, many insurers don’t maintain any staff whatsoever to handle claims.  This problem is particularly prevalent among surplus lines insurers, and unfortunately, many business owners are unaware of the risks they face with a surplus lines insurance policy.

Because many so-called insurance companies are merely fronts for other companies or investors, they lack the employees and resources to properly investigate claims. This means when a policyholder submits a claim, many insurers simply hire an outsourced, third-party administrator or claims management company like Crawford to handle the claim. Crawford’s investigations are often the sole determining factor in claims resolution, so they’ve quickly gained a reputation among many policyholders and their representatives for their bad faith insurance tactics.

Reasons Crawford Might Deny or Undervalue Your Claim:

• The property damage is considered normal “wear and tear”
• The damage was caused by improper maintenance
• Age or alleged disrepair of the property
• The damage was less than the deductible on the policy
• The damage doesn’t fall under the terms of the insurance policy

Deceptive Tactics Engle Martin Uses to Undervalue Claims Include:

• Claiming the property damage is normal “wear and tear”
• Claiming the property damage was caused by alleged improper maintenance
• Claiming the property damage was caused by a different event than one covered under the policy
• Claiming the property damage was below the amount of the deductible
• Claiming the property damage doesn’t fall under the terms of the insurance policy

The Texas Insurance Code states that no claim can be denied without conducting a reasonable investigation of the claim and providing a reasonable explanation of the denial. Doing so is a violation of both the Texas Insurance Code and the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act (DTPA), a state consumer protection law that aims to provide financial relief to consumers who are victims of deceptive, improper, or illegal practices.

Farmers Routinely Acts in Bad Faith

Our experience with Farmers indicates that the insurance company routinely acts in bad faith and undervalues business insurance claims when policyholders cite property damage. These problems aren’t limited to just Farmers, as these same practices infect their related companies: Truck Insurance Exchange, Foremost Insurance, and Mid-Century Insurance Company.

Insurance law is clear that an insurance company such as Farmers is required to show reasonable cause for denying or delaying the payment of a valid claim, if the damage is covered by the policy. By delaying, underpaying, or denying a legitimate claim while knowing it should pay or without investigating the claim, an insurance company is engaging in bad faith activity. If you feel pressured to accept a low-ball offer from Farmers, we can help you fight for the full amount to which you are entitled.

Reasons Farmers Might Undervalue or Deny Your Claim:

• Your property damage is considered normal “wear and tear”
• Your property damage doesn’t fall under the terms of your insurance policy
• Age or disrepair of the property
• The damage was caused by improper maintenance
• The damage was below the amount of the deductible
• The property was not up to state and local building codes

Fireman’s Fund Acting in Bad Faith

Often when a claim is submitted, Fireman’s Fund claims that the business property was in poor condition before a loss, even when their own underwriting demonstrates that the property was in good condition before the loss. Far too often, a property’s condition may have been considered highly rated when the insurance was being purchased, but that original condition is called into question when repairs are needed.

The company likes to rely on crafty legal arguments in order to deny claims and uses the court system to delay and obstruct fair payments. The company’s legal team employs tactics that intimidate a policyholder to either drop a claim or accept a low settlement amount. Rather than protecting your business assets when disaster strikes, they are more worried about their own bottom line. Fireman’s Fund depends on its policyholders giving up on claims rather than having to deal with their methods, often turning into your enemy rather than your ally in order to achieve this goal.

Insurance law requires insurance companies to show reasonable cause for denying or delaying payment if the policy clearly covers your damages. Insurance companies must also provide timely and reasonable payment for losses so that repairs can be made. When failing to do so, these companies are acting in bad faith.

Surplus Lines Insurance Abuse

GuideOne operates as a surplus lines insurer, which means that it avoids most regulatory oversight by state departments of insurance. In Texas in particular, GuideOne writes millions of dollars in insurance premiums each year, yet it remains a non-admitted insurer operating outside of the rules applicable to many reputable insurance companies in Texas. Unfortunately, this lack of legal oversight sometimes results in GuideOne skirting its contractual responsibilities to business owners and commercial property owners.

GuideOne Insurance Acts in Bad Faith

When the damage a commercial property sustains is covered by the insurance policy, all insurance companies – GuideOne included – are required under Texas insurance law to demonstrate a reasonable cause for denying or delaying the payment of that valid claim. If the company delays, underpays, or denies a legitimate claim it knows is valid or does not investigate the claim before delaying, underpaying, or denying, they are engaging in bad faith activity. Oftentimes, insurance companies will also pressure their policyholders to accept low-ball offers, making the claims process so frustrating that property owners accept what little is offered just to end the process.

Surplus Lines Insurance Rules Abuser

Many large insurance companies have found a loophole in the law that allows them to pass insurance risks on to their unlicensed and unregulated subsidiaries. This is called surplus lines insurance, and it is designed to cover claims for unique risks that more reputable insurance companies would never cover.  Unfortunately some large insurance companies are breaking these rules by passing acceptable risks to their own surplus lines insurance subsidiaries, for no apparent purpose other than to avoid regulation, oversight, and accountability.

In Hanover’s case, a good amount of their insurance risk is written by a wholly owned subsidiary, AIX Specialty Insurance Company, which is not licensed or regulated by many states.  Regardless of what name they are using, policyholders subject to Hanover’s tactics face the same challenges.

Dealing with Hanover Insurance Bad Faith Practices

Insurance law is clear: an insurance company such as Hanover is required to show reasonable cause for denying or delaying the payment of a valid claim if the damage is covered by the policy.  By delaying, underpaying, or denying a legitimate claim or failing to thoroughly investigate the claim, an insurance company is engaging in bad faith activity. If you feel pressured to accept a low-ball offer from Hanover or any other insurance company, we can help you fight for the full amount to which you are entitled and carry out an insurance claim dispute with Hanover.

Indian Harbor Acts in Bad Faith

Indian Harbor Insurance is a surplus lines insurer that is part of a group of companies owned by XL Catlin, a global insurance company based in Ireland. By operating in the United States as a surplus lines insurer, Indian Harbor Insurance avoids many of the regulations that are set in place to protect policyholders from bad faith insurance practices.

In the event of a business insurance claim, many policyholders discover that Indian Harbor Insurance offers less than the promised coverage under their policies. Under the Texas Insurance Code, insurance companies must effectuate a fair, prompt, and equitable resolution of a claim. However, Indian Harbor Insurance has earned a reputation with some business owners for unfairly denying or grossly underestimating the value of commercial property insurance claims without properly investigating the claims.

Bad Faith Practices Include:

• Restricting policy coverage following a claim
• Denying claims for covered commercial property
• Denying claims based on age or disrepair of the property
• Minimum dollar assessments and settlement offers
• Unreasonable delay of a claim without a valid reason

Lexington Insurance Bad Faith Practices

Insurance companies are known for bad faith practices, such as unwarranted denial of claims, lack of investigation, overall delays, and undervalued offers. When it comes to denying or delaying claims, Lexington Insurance bad faith practices are no different. Lexington Insurance is a commercial property insurance company, and though few can tell by its name, they are part of the group of companies owned by insurance giant AIG. Lexington often avoids formal licensing in certain states, and instead acts as a surplus lines carrier to avoid having to comply with certain laws.

A state’s insurance commissioner does not license surplus lines carriers and they do not have to comply with many regulations regarding insurance practices. Surplus lines insurance is supposed to be used when a policy is too high risk for traditional insurance companies, but often large insurance groups take advantage of the surplus lines structure to dodge regulations and boost their own profits. Due to the lack of regulation, the language of a surplus lines policy is not subject to oversight by the department of insurance, and often limits coverage to the detriment of policyholders.

Lexington Unfairly Denies, Delays, or Disputes Claims

Based in Boston, Lexington Insurance handles policies for many businesses. As with most insurance companies, Lexington Insurance counts on denied, delayed, and disputed claims to be an obstacle for the policyholder, resulting in a lower number of claims to pay. Lexington Insurance often uses outside adjusting firms for their policyholders’ claims, relying on firms like York Services and others to handle the claims process.

Companies like Lexington Insurance may undervalue or deny claims by falsely claiming the damage is associated with wear and tear or regular maintenance that the owner should cover. Insurance companies may also deny a claim based on a decision that the damage was not caused by the event in question. A skilled Lexington Insurance bad faith attorney can help dispute these issues.

Bad Faith Practices by Liberty Mutual

In many cases, the insurer’s bad faith practices include providing policyholders with very small initial settlement offers and waiting until the last possible moment to disperse funds hoping to wear policyholders down. Common bad faith practices routinely performed by Liberty Mutual include:

• Wrongful denial of your business insurance claim
• False claims that the commercial property damage was caused by wear and tear, faulty maintenance or other prior conditions
• Delays in claims processing
• Drop of your insurance coverage or denial of a policy renewal

Thankfully, policyholders have legal rights and are not limited to accepting the insurance carrier’s low settlement offers. Hiring an experienced and knowledgeable bad faith attorney can help you recover the compensation you deserve.

Fight Against Bad Faith Practices

Following a disaster, many business owners have their claims disputed, delayed, or denied—and are often unaware why. If you have experienced any of the following practices regarding bad faith insurance claims with Lloyd’s, you may have a claim against your insurer:

• Claims denial for covered property damage
• Policy cancellation or refusal to reinstate insurance
• Failure to promptly pay claims
• Counterclaim that your property did not meet code or maintenance requirements
• Minimum dollar assessments and settlement offers

Lloyd’s is one of the most aggressive insurance companies when it comes to handling claims, but Raizner Slania has a successful record of helping Lloyd’s policyholders recover what they are owed under their policies.

Bad Faith Practices by Nationwide

Nationwide regularly participates in the following bad faith tactics:

• Wrongful denial of your business insurance claim
• False claims that commercial property damage was caused by wear and tear, faulty maintenance or other prior conditions
• Delays in claims processing
• Drop of your insurance coverage or denial of a policy renewal

In many cases, the insurance carrier’s bad faith practices include stipulations that the business property must continue to meet many of the same codes and maintenance standards over the lifetime of the policy. Nationwide adjusters often deny claims based on disrepair or age of the property, even if the property damage was not directly related to upkeep or maintenance.

Sometimes Nationwide will even deny payments based on a questionable claim of prior damage when Nationwide’s own underwriting and inspection reports show that the property was in good condition when it was originally insured and premiums were collected.

Praetorian Commonly Undervalues Business Insurance Claims

Praetorian Insurance Company is a large insurer and is part of the QBE Insurance Group of companies based in Australia. Masquerading as an American company, Praetorian advertises its ongoing, personal reviews of customers’ insurance policies, thus enticing many property owners to purchase its policies. Despite this campaign, many Praetorian policyholders come to find less-than-promised coverage under their policy in the event of property damage.

Our experience with Praetorian indicates that the insurance company acts in bad faith and commonly undervalues business insurance claims in the event of commercial property damage. These problems aren’t limited to just Praetorian, as these same practices infect a number of companies inside and outside of the QBE Insurance Group, but the issues are particularly troubling with regard to Praetorian because of its marketing practices.

Undervaluing Claims is an Act of Bad Faith

Insurance law is clear that an insurance company such as Praetorian is required to show reasonable cause for denying or delaying the payment of a valid claim, if the damage is covered by the policy. By delaying, underpaying, or denying a legitimate claim while knowing it should pay or without investigating the claim, an insurance company is engaging in bad faith activity. If you feel pressured to accept a low-ball offer from your insurance company, we can help you fight for the full amount to which you are entitled.

QBE Insurance is a global insurance provider based in Sydney, Australia, and while clever advertising slogans might try to convince consumers of their dedication to their policyholders, many policyholders are discovering the opposite. QBE Insurance often grossly underestimates or wrongfully denies business insurance claims in the event of property damage.

Surplus Lines Insurance Abuse

QBE Insurance operates as a surplus lines insurer, which allows them to operate in a gray area of the market where they are not closely regulated. Because of this, policyholders are often left hung out to dry when it comes time to file a claim. The Texas Insurance Code makes it clear that all insurance companies, including QBE Insurance, are required to demonstrate a reasonable cause for denying the payment of a valid claim if the policy covers the property damage. When an insurance company fails to do this, they are operating in bad faith.

Other instances of operating in bad faith include:

• Claiming the property damage doesn’t fall under the policy
• Claiming the property damage is regular wear and tear
• Unnecessary delays in the claims process
• Failure to promptly pay claims
• False claims that the property did not meet code or maintenance requirements

All policyholders have rights under the law, and insurance companies sometimes infringe on these rights to help lower the number of claims they actually pay. Insurance companies have their own bottom lines, and representatives are often incentivized to save money by delaying, underpaying, and/or denying claims.

Many business owners have policies issued by Seneca Insurance Group, including Seneca Insurance Company and Seneca Specialty Insurance Company. Seneca is a large insurer that advertises what it refers to as customized commercial property and casualty insurance products they claim other insurance companies won’t underwrite. This indicates an intention to go above and beyond when it comes to service – which means high premiums for coverage that goes above and beyond.

Seneca Fails to Live Up to Expectations

Despite the implications of Seneca’s marketing practices, a number of Seneca policyholders actually come to find less-than-promised coverage under their business insurance policy in the event of commercial property damage caused by natural weather events. Our experience with Seneca indicates that the insurance company commonly undervalues property damage claims, although these problems aren’t limited to just Seneca. While these same practices infect their related companies, being a specialty insurance company makes such an issue with Seneca especially problematic.

Combating Bad Faith Insurance Practices

Insurance law is clear; an insurance company such as Seneca is required to show reasonable cause for denying or delaying the payment of a valid claim, if the damage is covered by the policy. By delaying, underpaying, or denying a legitimate claim while knowing it should pay or without investigating the claim, an insurance company is engaging in bad faith activity. If you feel pressured to accept a low-ball offer from Seneca, we can help you fight for the full amount to which you are entitled.

State Farm is one of the largest insurance carriers in the United States, but it is not always the “good neighbor” its advertising suggests when it comes to settling business insurance claims. Our experience with State Farm suggests that the company commonly undervalues its estimates, particularly on high-value claims.

Struggling to Get a Fair Valuation of Your Commercial Property or a Full Damage Settlement?

The aftermath of a natural disaster or severe weather event can be among the most trying times imaginable for any business owner, as they can experience a loss of income while having to wait for the property to be fixed. Disputing your claim with a giant, bureaucratic insurance company such as State Farm only adds to an already difficult situation.

Some common problems you may face after a disaster are:

• Determining whether your commercial property is able to be repaired or is a total loss
• Disputes with your insurer regarding the valuation of your property and/or the costs of repair or replacement
• Allegations by your insurer that the catastrophic event is not the real cause of damage
• Your insurer disputing, delaying, or denying your business insurance claim outright without conducting a proper investigation

For these reasons, turning to proven insurance recovery attorneys can make a sizeable difference in obtaining a fair valuation or full damage settlement for your property damage claim.

Was Your Claim Unfairly Denied by Steadfast Insurance Company?

Many property and business owners are finding out the hard way that their insurance carrier isn’t as honest as they thought. Steadfast Insurance frequently denies or seriously underpays insurance claims. While policyholders thought they were covered, Steadfast often employs unfair practices to handle claims. Steadfast is a surplus lines insurance company owned by the Zurich Insurance group. Unfortunately, many commercial insurance customers have found that what is most “steadfast” about this insurance company is its willingness to delay and deny legitimate business insurance claims.

Fighting Against Bad Faith Insurance Practices

The Texas Insurance Code requires all insurance carriers to effectuate a prompt, fair, and equitable resolution to a claim as well as provide a reasonable explanation for the denial of a claim – but this doesn’t always happen. Often, companies like Steadfast might deny a business insurance claim on the grounds that part or all of the damage is normal “wear and tear” or that the damage doesn’t actually fall under the policy coverage.

If you have experienced bad faith practices by Steadfast Insurance, including denial of your property damage claim, false claims that the damage is the result of prior conditions, delays in your claim process, or denial of a renewal of the policy, it’s important to remember that you have legal rights and you are not limited to accepting low settlement offers or complete denials.

Fighting Travelers’ Bad Faith Practices

Insurance companies often delay, dispute, and deny claims to avoid large payouts. The attorneys at Raizner Slania are skilled at fighting the bad faith practices of Travelers Insurance. Our experienced team of lawyers have taken on business insurance claim disputes of all sizes. We are prepared and equipped to protect you against:

• Claims denied based on wear and tear or other supposedly preexisting conditions
• Delay in business owner policy claims
• Lowball payouts for property damage
• Disputes over commercial and residential property damage claims
• False allegations about your policy

USAA – which markets itself to current and former U.S. service members – insures business owners across the United States. Unfortunately, USAA, like other insurers, frequently produces low-ball estimates, particularly on high-value claims. Despite its efforts to market itself as a protector of current and former military families and businesses, USAA all too often shirks its responsibility to pay claims when they are needed the most.

Bad Faith Practices by USAA

In many cases, USAA employs bad faith practices that include conducting an inspection of the business property at the time it is insured and premiums are paid with a resulting determination that the property is in good condition. Yet when a claim is made, USAA will often ignore its own inspections and claim that the damage was there before a storm or fire. USAA adjusters often deny claims due to disrepair or age of the property, even if the property damage was caused by an unrelated factor.

USAA Acts Illegally When Wrongfully Denying Your Business Insurance Claim

Insurance law requires insurance companies to show reasonable cause for denying or delaying payment if the policy clearly covers your damages. Insurance companies must also provide reasonable payment for losses so that repairs can be made. Reach out to the insurance recovery lawyers at Raizner Slania if you have experienced any of these bad faith practices by USAA Insurance:

• Denial of your business insurance claim
• Denial of roof damage claims because of supposed age of roof or improper maintenance
• Unnecessary delays in claims processing
• Dropping your insurance coverage or denying the renewal of a policy

What is VeriClaim?

If you have a business insurance policy through a surplus lines insurer, your insurance company will need to assign any claim you file to an independent adjuster in the event of damage to your commercial property. VeriClaim is a loss adjusting and claims management company that is often used by surplus insurers. Frequently, VeriClaim works with groups like Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London to handle and adjust their claims.

Reasons VeriClaim Might Undervalue or Deny Your Claim:

• Your property damage is considered normal “wear and tear”
• Your property damage doesn’t fall under the terms of your insurance policy
• Age or disrepair of the property
• The damage was caused by improper maintenance
• The damage was below the amount of the deductible
• The property was not up to state and local building codes

The Texas Insurance Code states that no claim can be denied without conducting a reasonable investigation of the claim and providing a reasonable explanation of the denial. Doing so is a violation of both the Texas Insurance Code and the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act (DTPA), a state consumer protection law that aims to provide financial relief to consumers who are victims of deceptive, improper, or illegal practices.

If your business insurance claim has been grossly undervalued or completely denied based on a VeriClaim investigation, our insurance trial lawyers can help. We have extensive courtroom experience handling insurance litigation claims from inception through trial and appeals. We know the complex legal issues involved in insurance law, and we have successfully dealt with VeriClaim in many of our cases.

Zurich Insurance is a large insurance provider that offers coverage for a wide range of commercial entities in the United States and internationally. Their business insurance policies include wind damage, private and excess flood insurance, business interruption, and other commercial insurance coverages.

Unfortunately for business policyholders, Zurich has a reputation for being among the most aggressive companies when dealing with commercial property claims. This has led to Zurich frequently disputing insurance claims and denying payments for legitimate property damage following a disaster, severe weather event, or catastrophic fire.

As your Zurich Insurance claims attorney, we are committed to achieving positive and timely results that work for you. Our attorneys are equipped to keep you protected and recover the compensation you’re owed for your business insurance claim.

Bad Faith Commercial Claim Denials by Zurich Insurance

It is not uncommon to encounter bad faith disputes with Zurich Insurance. Insurance companies must demonstrate a reasonable basis for denying or delaying payment on a claim. Despite this, Zurich has been investigated by state insurance commissions on several occasions for engaging in bad faith practices, including:

• Canceling policies or refusing to reinstate policy coverage for your business
• Restricting policy coverage following a claim
• Denying claims for covered commercial property
• Failing to promptly pay claims and delay tactics
• Low-ball settlements and property valuation
• Denying claims based on age or disrepair of commercial property