Look, dealing with an insurance claim already sucks, right? But when the company you’ve been paying every month—the one that’s literally supposed to have your back—starts giving you the runaround? That’s when things go from annoying to absolutely maddening. And yeah, you’re probably wondering if you can actually sue them for making your life miserable. Here’s the thing: you totally can, and knowing how could be a game-changer for your situation.
Here’s what happens to way too many people: Something bad happens, they file a claim (like they’re supposed to), and instead of getting help, they get crickets. Or worse—lowball offers and straight-up denials. Meanwhile, the bills are piling up, you can’t sleep, and you’re stressed out of your mind. We’ve looked at hundreds of these situations, and there’s actually a legal path to make your insurer pay—not just for your original claim, but for all the emotional chaos they put you through.
The Legal Bottom Line:
The Short Answer: Yes, you can sue your insurance company for emotional distress, but not for a simple claim dispute. It must be part of a specific type of lawsuit called an “insurance bad faith” claim.
What is Bad Faith? It’s when your insurer acts unreasonably, without proper cause, in handling your claim. This goes beyond mere disagreement about coverage or claim value.
The Key to Your Case: You must prove their conduct was more than just a mistake or difference of opinion; it was intentionally malicious, reckless, or dishonest in nature.
This Guide Will: Explain what bad faith is, show you if you have a case, outline the damages you can recover, and provide a clear action plan to hold your insurer accountable.
Table of Contents
The Critical Distinction: Breach of Contract vs. Insurance Bad Faith
Okay, before we get into the nitty-gritty, you need to understand something most people miss. Not every fight with your insurance company means you can sue for emotional distress. There’s a huge difference between a regular contract dispute and a bad faith claim—and that difference determines whether you’re getting just your original money or a whole lot more.
So here’s how it works: When you buy insurance, you’re basically signing a contract. If they don’t pay up when they should, that’s a breach of contract. Pretty straightforward. But insurance companies have this extra legal duty that regular contracts don’t have. They’re supposed to treat you fairly and honestly. When they blow that duty? That’s when things get interesting—and potentially way more lucrative for you.
| Feature | Breach of Contract (A Simple Dispute) | Insurance Bad Faith (A Deeper Wrong) |
|---|---|---|
| What It Is | Your insurer makes a genuine mistake or disagrees on the claim’s value based on a reasonable interpretation of the policy. | Your insurer acts without a reasonable basis, delaying or denying your claim dishonestly, or failing to properly investigate. |
| What You Can Recover | Only the original benefits owed under the policy, plus interest. | The policy benefits PLUS emotional distress damages, consequential economic losses, attorneys’ fees, and potentially punitive damages. |
| Standard of Proof | You must show the insurer breached the policy terms. | You must show the insurer acted unreasonably and without proper cause. |
| Typical Timeline | Often resolved through standard litigation or arbitration. | May involve additional discovery into the insurer’s internal practices and decision-making process. |
| Financial Impact | Limited to your original claim amount. | Can be substantially higher, sometimes 2-10 times the original claim value. |
This table reveals why understanding the distinction matters so profoundly. In a simple breach of contract case, even if you win, you only recover what you were owed in the first place. But in a bad faith case, you can recover damages for all the harm the insurer’s misconduct caused you, including the emotional distress that brought you to this article.
Our analysis is based on the official RiskGuarder Review Methodology, which examines not only the legal framework of insurance disputes but also evaluates insurers based on their claims handling practices, complaint indices from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), and customer satisfaction data from J.D. Power studies. These metrics help us identify which insurers are most likely to engage in bad faith practices.
Understanding Insurance Bad Faith: What Qualifies as Unreasonable Conduct
Alright, so “bad faith” sounds kinda vague, right? Here’s what it really means: Every insurance policy has this unwritten rule (lawyers call it an “implied covenant”) that says your insurer has to play fair. They need to investigate your claim quickly, be honest with you, and make reasonable decisions based on what actually happened and what your policy says.
Now, there are two main types of bad faith situations. First-party bad faith is when your own insurance company screws up your claim. This is the most common one—like when you’re trying to get them to cover your house fire, medical bills, disability payments, whatever.
Third-party bad faith is different—that’s when your insurer won’t properly defend you when someone’s suing you. Like, imagine you caused a car accident, someone’s suing you, and your insurance company refuses to settle within your policy limits. Now you’re on the hook personally. Yeah, that’s bad faith too.
Bad faith insurance claims examples
- They denied your claim without even investigating anything
- The adjuster literally made up reasons to deny you that aren’t even in your policy
- They ignored obvious evidence that supported your claim
- They delayed everything on purpose to pressure you into taking less money
Here’s something interesting: Some insurance companies get way more complaints than others. There’s this thing called the NAIC complaint index that tracks this stuff. If a company’s score is above 1.0, they’re getting more complaints than they should based on their size. Below 1.0? They’re doing better than average. It’s a pretty good warning sign.
Also, if an insurance company’s struggling financially (you can check their A.M. Best rating for this), they might be more likely to deny legit claims just to save money. A solid rating doesn’t guarantee they’ll treat you right, but financial trouble definitely increases the risk of shady behavior.
Do You Have a Case? The Bad Faith Checklist
This is probably the most useful part of this whole thing. We’ve looked at tons of successful bad faith lawsuits and figured out what they all have in common. Go through this list and see how many apply to your situation. The more boxes you can check, the stronger your case probably is. Though honestly, even one “yes” on some of these—especially the ones about lying—can be enough.
✅ Did your insurer deny your claim without providing a clear, written explanation?
They’re supposed to tell you exactly why they’re denying you and point to the specific parts of your policy. If you got some vague “sorry, not covered” letter with no real explanation? Red flag.
✅ Did they fail to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation?
They need to investigate within a reasonable time. What’s “reasonable” depends on how complicated your claim is, but if months are going by for something straightforward, or they never even bothered to talk to witnesses or look at the damage? That’s a problem.
✅ Did they unreasonably delay payment on an undisputed part of your claim?
Even if you’re arguing about some parts of your claim, they still need to pay the parts they agree with. Holding everything hostage to pressure you? Classic bad faith move.
✅ Did they make a “lowball” offer that was far below the actual value of your loss?
Look, some negotiation is normal. But if their offer is ridiculously low compared to what contractors quoted you, what independent appraisers said, or what you can prove you lost—and they won’t explain why? That’s sketchy.
✅ Have they been ghosting you?
Sure, people miss calls sometimes. But if they’re consistently not returning your calls or emails for weeks or months? That’s not an accident. Document every single time you try to reach them.
✅ Did they lie about what’s covered or twist the facts?
This is serious. If they told you something wasn’t covered when your policy clearly says it is, or if they misrepresented evidence to justify denying you? Courts really don’t like that.
✅ Are they threatening you or pressuring you to settle?
Stuff like “take this offer or we’ll deny everything” or “if you sue us, it’ll cost you more than you’ll win”—especially when combined with other shady behavior? That’s bad faith territory.
✅ Do they keep asking for the same documents over and over?
If you’ve already sent them something and they’re asking for it again, or they keep saying “just one more thing” without actually moving your claim forward? They’re stalling.
✅ Did they deny you based on an exclusion that doesn’t even apply?
Like denying water damage from a burst pipe by claiming it’s “flood damage“? That’s either incompetence or dishonesty—either way, it’s not okay.
✅ Did they use their own in-house adjusters or contractors to undervalue your claim?
If they’re only listening to their in-house adjusters and contractors while ignoring the independent estimates you got—especially when there’s a big difference in the numbers? Yeah, that’s suspicious.
✅ Did they change their reason for denying your claim after you challenged their initial decision?
This “moving target” thing where every time you address one concern, they suddenly have a new reason to deny you? That’s strong evidence they’re just looking for any excuse not to pay rather than actually evaluating your claim fairly.
Proving Emotional Distress: What the Court Looks For
Okay, so knowing you can sue for emotional distress is great and all, but actually winning money for it? That’s a whole different ball game. You’ve gotta meet certain legal standards and have real proof. Courts get that suing your insurance company isn’t just about the money they didn’t pay you—it’s about the genuine psychological damage their BS caused.
Here’s the thing though: emotional distress damages aren’t just handed out like candy. You need to prove their behavior actually messed you up emotionally. This is where a lot of people trip up because they think “well, I’m super stressed and angry, isn’t that enough?” Unfortunately, no. Courts want to see evidence of real, serious emotional suffering that goes way beyond the normal “ugh, this claim process sucks” kind of stress.
How to prove emotional distress in an insurance claim Documentation is everything, and having professionals back you up is huge. The absolute best evidence? Medical records showing you got help for anxiety, depression, or stress-related stuff while dealing with your claim. If you started seeing a therapist, or your doctor put you on meds for stress or to help you sleep, those records directly connect what your insurer did to how you’re feeling.
Having family, friends, or coworkers testify about changes they noticed in you is really powerful too. Courts pay attention when people describe how you stopped doing things you used to love, how your relationships took a hit, or how your work started suffering because you were so stressed about fighting with your insurance company.
Your own story about sleepless nights, panic attacks, feeling helpless, or being depressed definitely matters—but it’s way more convincing when you’ve got other evidence to back it up. Keep a journal throughout this whole mess. Write down specific things that stressed you out, physical symptoms you had (headaches, stomach issues, can’t sleep), and how all of this affected your everyday life.
How badly your insurer behaved matters too. Courts are more likely to award serious money for emotional distress when the bad faith was really terrible—like if they knew you were broke and struggling and still deliberately delayed paying you, or if they straight-up accused you of fraud with zero evidence.
Some states have two different types of emotional distress claims. One’s called “negligent infliction” where you prove the insurer screwed up and that directly caused your emotional problems. The other’s “intentional infliction” which requires showing their behavior was so extreme and awful that it’s beyond what any decent person would do. That second one’s harder to prove—you usually need evidence they were being malicious or deliberately cruel.
How much can you sue an insurance company for bad faith It varies like crazy depending on how bad your emotional distress was, how terrible your insurer acted, and what state you’re in. We’ve seen awards anywhere from $25,000 to over a million bucks in really extreme cases. The economic stuff (lost wages, medical bills from the stress) is usually easier to put a number on than the emotional distress itself.
Then there’s punitive damages—that’s a whole other category. These aren’t about compensating you for what you went through. They’re about punishing the insurance company and making sure they (and others) don’t pull this crap again. Punitive damages can be massive, sometimes three to ten times more than the compensation damages, depending on your state’s laws and how awful the misconduct was.
The Consumer’s Action Plan: A 5-Step Guide to Fighting Back
If you think your insurance company’s acting in bad faith, what you do right now is super important. The moves you make will either make your case stronger or weaker. We’ve put together this plan based on cases that actually won and advice from lawyers who handle this stuff all the time.
Step 1: Document Everything with Obsessive Detail
Documentation is literally the foundation of winning a bad faith case. Starting right now, create a log of every single interaction with your insurance company. For phone calls, write down the date, time, how long you talked, who you spoke to, what their job is, and detailed notes about what you discussed, what they promised, and what you asked for.
Save every single piece of written communication. Emails, letters, texts, even sticky notes the adjuster left. Make copies—both paper and digital—and organize them by date. If they mail you stuff, keep the envelopes too. Postmark dates can prove they were delaying things.
Take tons of photos and videos of your damage before you fix anything, and keep documenting as things progress. If an adjuster comes to look at your property, take pictures of what they examined and what they completely ignored. Get contractor estimates in writing with all the details broken down.
Make a timeline that tracks all the key dates: when the damage happened, when you reported it, when they assigned an adjuster, when inspections happened, when you sent them stuff, when they responded (or didn’t), and when they paid you (or denied you). This timeline’s gonna be super valuable evidence later.
Document how this is affecting your life too. Keep a personal journal about how the claim fight is messing with you emotionally, physically, and financially. Write about nights you can’t sleep, anxiety attacks, fights with your family about money stress, days you missed work—all of it.
Step 2: Send a Formal Demand Letter
A demand letter is basically a written message to your insurance company that says “here’s what you owe me and here’s why you’ve been unreasonable.” This letter does a few important things for your case.
First, it shows you tried to work things out with them before getting lawyers involved. Courts like it when you make a good faith effort to resolve stuff first.
Second, it tells the insurer “hey, I know my rights and I’m keeping track of what you’re doing.” Sometimes just this is enough to get them to be more reasonable, especially if the bad faith was just one rogue adjuster and not the whole company’s policy.
Third, it sets a clear deadline. Your letter should say you expect a real response within a reasonable time—usually 15 to 30 days—and if they don’t respond or offer something reasonable, you’re taking further action.
Keep your demand letter professional but specific. Include your policy number, claim number, quick summary of what happened, how much you think they owe you, and a detailed explanation of why their handling has been unreasonable. Point to specific parts of your policy that back you up, and attach important documents.
You might want a lawyer to look at or write your demand letter. Yeah, you can do it yourself, but having it come from a law office shows you’re serious. A lot of bad faith lawyers will review or write a demand letter for a reasonable fee even if you’re not ready to hire them for the whole case yet.
Step 3: Do NOT Give Up—Persistence is Your Weapon
Insurance companies are literally counting on you getting tired and giving up. They know most people will eventually throw in the towel when they’re hit with denial after denial, endless document requests, and months of waiting. This is often their actual strategy, especially with regular people who don’t have the money for a long fight.
Your persistence tells them you’re not going away. Every time you follow up, every time you send them what they asked for right away, every time you push back on a BS denial, you’re building evidence that the problem isn’t you—it’s them.
Set up a regular schedule for checking in. If they said they’d get back to you by a certain date and didn’t (or if they never gave you a timeline), send a follow-up. Reference what you said before and ask for a specific update. This creates a paper trail showing they’re not being responsive.
Don’t let them hit the reset button with meaningless replies. If they send you a letter saying “we’re still investigating” without telling you anything useful or giving you a timeline, respond right away asking for details: What exactly are they investigating? What else do they need? When will they decide? This stops them from claiming they were being “responsive” when they were really just stalling.
Keep track of how much time you’re spending on this. Log the hours you spend on calls, putting documents together, meeting with adjusters, and researching your policy. Your time is valuable, and in a lot of states, you can actually get compensated for the time you had to waste fighting with your own insurance company.
Step 4: Stop Talking to the Adjuster Once You Suspect Bad Faith
This is counterintuitive for most policyholders. You’ve been taught to cooperate with your insurance company, to be responsive, to provide information they request. But once you recognize a pattern of bad faith, continuing to communicate directly with the adjuster can actually harm your case.
Everything you say to an adjuster can be used against you. They’re trained to ask questions that might get you to say something they can use to deny your claim or pay you less. Something innocent like saying you’re “doing okay” can get twisted into “proof” that you’re not really suffering or emotionally distressed.
Adjusters might also use these conversations to get you to give up stuff. They might hint that if you just take a certain amount, they can “wrap this up fast.” Or they might suggest that if you keep fighting, it’ll drag on forever and cost you more. These are pressure tactics that work when you’re talking to them directly but become evidence of bad faith when you document them properly.
Once you’ve talked to a lawyer (even if you haven’t officially hired them yet), tell the adjuster all future communication needs to go through your legal rep. This does a few things: it shows you’re serious, it stops the insurer from getting you to say something damaging, and it makes sure everything gets documented and looked at through a legal lens.
If you can’t afford a lawyer yet or you’re still thinking about it, you can still limit your contact with the adjuster. Switch to email only—no more phone calls where you might say something problematic. In emails, keep it short, stick to facts, and only address what they specifically asked for. Don’t volunteer extra info, don’t chat, and don’t share your opinions about the claim or the process.
Step 5: Contact an Experienced Bad Faith Insurance Attorney
This is the most critical step, and it’s one that many policyholders delay too long. Bad faith insurance cases are highly specialized. They require knowledge of insurance law, familiarity with industry practices, understanding of the specific duties insurers owe to policyholders, and experience with the litigation strategies insurers use to defend these cases.
An experienced bad faith attorney brings immediate value to your case. They can evaluate your situation objectively and tell you honestly whether you have a viable bad faith claim. Not every claim dispute rises to the level of bad faith, and a good attorney will tell you if your case is better suited to other remedies.
They understand the statute of limitations for bad faith insurance claims in your state, which varies significantly across jurisdictions. Some states allow only one to two years from the denial or final adverse decision, while others provide longer periods. Missing this deadline means losing your right to sue entirely, regardless of how strong your case is.
Most bad faith lawyers work on contingency, meaning they don’t get paid unless you win money. This lines up their interests with yours and makes it possible to get legal help even if you’re broke because of the unpaid claim. The fee’s usually 33-40% of whatever you recover, though it can vary based on how complicated your case is and whether it goes to trial.
Most importantly, once you’ve got a lawyer, the whole power dynamic changes. Insurance companies take things way more seriously when you’re represented because they know you now have access to the discovery process, expert witnesses, and the ability to actually take them to trial if needed. A lot of cases that seemed totally stuck suddenly become negotiable once a lawyer gets involved.
To find a bad faith insurance lawyer, look for ones who specialize specifically in insurance bad faith—not just general personal injury or business law. Check out their track record with cases against your specific insurer. Lots of bad faith lawyers offer free consultations, so you can talk about your case without spending money.
During your consultation, ask about their experience with cases like yours, how often they win, how they approach bad faith cases, and what they realistically think your case is worth. A good lawyer will be straight with you about what’s strong and what’s weak in your case and will explain the process, how long it’ll take, and what it’ll cost.
Real-World Case Study: When Delay Becomes Devastation
To show you how this actually works in real life and what’s possible, we want to share a case study. We’ve changed some details to protect privacy, but this represents the kind of situation that goes from a regular claim dispute to a major bad faith win.
The Situation: A family’s house got seriously damaged in a fire—couldn’t even live there anymore. They had homeowners insurance with a big national company that covered $450,000 for the dwelling, plus living expenses and personal property. The fire was an accident from an electrical problem, and coverage was crystal clear—this was exactly what the policy was supposed to cover.
The Initial Response: The insurer sent an adjuster within 48 hours, which seemed good. But the adjuster’s inspection was super quick—like 30 minutes for a house with damage in multiple rooms. The insurer’s estimate said repairs would cost $180,000, which was less than half what three independent contractors said it would actually cost.
The Bad Faith Conduct: For the next 18 months, the insurer pulled every delay tactic in the book. They kept asking for documents the family had already sent them. They’d schedule inspections and then cancel them, sometimes without even telling the family. They ignored the independent estimates and wouldn’t explain why their number was so much lower.
Worst of all, they delayed paying for temporary housing costs, so the family had to drain their savings just to have a place to stay. When the family hired a public adjuster to help, the insurer suddenly claimed they needed to investigate whether the fire was set on purpose—a total BS accusation with zero evidence that added another six months to everything.
The Impact: The dad developed serious anxiety and depression and needed meds and therapy. The mom’s blood pressure shot up to dangerous levels and she needed medical help. Their teenage daughter’s grades tanked because of all the family stress. They almost lost their temporary rental because they couldn’t pay for it. The dad missed work because of stress-related illness and lost out on a promotion.
The Legal Action: After 18 months of this nightmare, the family hired a bad faith attorney. The lawyer sent a detailed demand letter laying out all the unreasonable stuff the insurer did and demanding they pay the full claim plus damages. The insurer came back with a slightly higher offer but still way below what repairs actually cost.
The lawyer filed a lawsuit. During discovery (that’s when you get to see the other side’s documents), they found internal emails showing the adjuster had been told to “slow-walk” the claim and that the fraud investigation wasn’t based on any real evidence—it was just a delay tactic. The insurer’s own files showed they knew their estimate was way too low.
The Outcome: The case went to trial. The jury awarded the family the full $450,000 for dwelling coverage, $125,000 for living expenses they’d paid, $75,000 for lost wages and medical bills from the stress, $200,000 for emotional distress, and $1.2 million in punitive damages. Total recovery? Over $2 million, compared to the original claim of about $575,000.
The Lessons: This case shows a few really important things. First, the emotional distress money was substantial because the family had clear medical records showing the psychological and physical harm the insurer caused. Second, the punitive damages were huge because discovery showed the bad faith was intentional and part of how the company handled claims. Third, having an experienced lawyer made all the difference—the insurer barely changed their behavior after the lawsuit was filed, but now the family had the tools to actually hold them accountable.
This also shows why not giving up matters. If the family had quit after six months or taken one of those early lowball offers, they would’ve lost hundreds of thousands of dollars and gotten nothing for all the emotional devastation they went through.
Frequently Asked Questions About Suing Your Insurance Company
What qualifies as insurance bad faith?
Bad faith is basically when your insurance company acts like a total jerk for no good reason while handling your claim. This could be denying a legit claim without any real justification, not bothering to investigate properly, dragging their feet on paying you, throwing out lowball offers without explaining why, or straight-up lying about what your policy covers. The important thing is that it’s gotta be more than just “we disagree about this”—their behavior needs to show they had no reasonable basis for what they did or that they just weren’t acting in good faith at all.
How long do I have to file a bad faith lawsuit?
This varies depending on where you live, usually anywhere from one to six years. But here’s where it gets tricky—figuring out when that clock actually starts ticking can be complicated. In some states, it starts when they deny your claim. In others, it’s when you realized (or should’ve realized) they were acting in bad faith. Some states treat bad faith like a tort (that’s got a shorter deadline), while others treat it like a contract issue (longer deadline). This is exactly why you need to talk to a lawyer sooner rather than later—if you miss that deadline, you’re done, doesn’t matter how strong your case is.
Can I sue my health insurance company for emotional distress?
Yep, you absolutely can! Health insurance companies can totally be sued for bad faith and emotional distress, just like property or car insurers. The rules might be slightly different, but the core idea is the same.
With health insurance, “bad faith” usually means they wrongly denied coverage for treatment you really needed, dragged their feet on approving important procedures, or totally messed up the appeals process. And let’s be real, the emotional distress part can be extra rough here, because their delays or denials aren’t just about money—they can literally mess with your health and well-being. That’s a huge deal!
One big heads-up though: If you get your health insurance through your job, it might be covered by something called ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act). And, ugh, this law can unfortunately limit how much money you can actually get back. It’s a bummer, but it’s a crucial detail your lawyer will need to check out.
How much does it cost to hire a bad faith attorney?
Here’s some genuinely good news: most lawyers who handle bad faith cases work on what’s called a contingency fee. This is awesome because it means you don’t pay anything upfront! They only get paid if you actually win your case.
Their fee is usually somewhere between 33-40% of whatever money you recover. It can vary depending on how complicated your case gets and if it settles out of court or actually goes to trial (trials are way more work, so they might charge a higher percentage then).
Super important: Make sure you ask all about this during your very first meeting with a lawyer. Also, ask about “costs,” which are different from their fees. We’re talking about things like court filing fees, paying expert witnesses (who can be pricey!), and all those deposition costs. Some lawyers will cover these upfront and then take them out of your winnings later, which is super helpful. Others might ask you to pay them as the case goes along, so definitely clarify that!
What’s the difference between first-party and third-party bad faith?
Okay, this sounds a bit technical, but it’s pretty simple when you break it down:
First-Party Bad Faith: This is when your own insurance company acts like a jerk about a claim you made on your own policy.
Examples: Your house burns down, and your homeowners insurance is playing games. Or your health insurance won’t pay for your surgery. Or your disability insurance refuses to pay you when you can’t work. It’s your policy, your claim, your fight with your insurer.
Third-Party Bad Faith: This happens when an insurance company refuses to properly defend or settle a claim that someone else made against you.
Example: Let’s say you accidentally caused a car crash, and now someone is suing you for damages. If your auto insurance refuses to settle that claim for a reasonable amount (within your policy limits), and now you’re personally on the hook for a huge chunk of money, that’s third-party bad faith. They didn’t protect you from the other person’s claim.
The legal rules and what you can win are usually different for these two types, so your lawyer will help you figure out which bucket your situation falls into.
Will suing my insurance company affect my ability to get insurance in the future?
This is a totally valid concern, and a lot of people worry about it. But honestly? In most cases, no, it shouldn’t mess up your ability to get insurance in the future. Insurance companies can’t legally punish you just for exercising your rights and standing up for yourself. Plus, when you apply for new insurance, they usually ask about your claims history, not whether you’ve ever sued an insurer. Those are two very different things.
Now, that said, if you win a big bad faith case against your current insurer, they’ll probably decide not to renew your policy when it’s time. But hey, is that really a bad thing? Do you honestly want to keep giving your money to a company that treated you so poorly? Probably not! You’ll be able to find coverage with other insurers, and your lawyer can even give you some tips on how to handle those tricky questions about past claims when you’re filling out new applications.
So, don’t let that fear stop you if you truly have a case. Good luck!
Can I handle a bad faith claim on my own without an attorney?
Technically, yeah, you can represent yourself. But should you? Absolutely not. Bad faith cases are seriously complicated. You need to know insurance law, court procedures, evidence rules, litigation strategy—the whole nine yards. Insurance companies have entire teams of experienced lawyers who do this stuff every day. Going up against them by yourself is like bringing a butter knife to a sword fight.
Plus, bad faith cases can be worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. The fee you pay your lawyer (remember, only if you win) is almost always worth it because you’ll probably get way more money with professional help than you would on your own. Most importantly, lawyers know exactly how to document and present your case to get you the maximum recovery. That’s really hard to pull off by yourself.
Taking Control: Your Path Forward
Look, you’ve been paying your premiums faithfully—month after month, year after year. You trusted your insurance company to have your back when things went south. When they fail to act in good faith, it’s not just about the money. It’s a betrayal of that trust. And it has real consequences for your finances, your mental health, and your family’s security.
The law gets this. That’s exactly why bad faith claims exist. That’s why you can recover not just what they originally owed you, but compensation for all the extra damage their BS caused. The emotional distress, the financial hit, all the time and energy you had to waste fighting for what should’ve been paid right away—you can get compensated for all of it when you prove bad faith.
But knowing your rights is just step one. Actually doing something about it is what gets results. If you’ve read through this guide and thought “holy crap, that’s exactly what’s happening to me,” if you’ve been documenting all their unreasonable behavior, if you’ve genuinely been emotionally wrecked by your insurer’s actions—then you’ve got a choice to make.
You can keep fighting them on your own, hoping they’ll magically start being reasonable (spoiler: they probably won’t). Or you can level the playing field by bringing in an experienced lawyer who knows how to hold insurance companies accountable. You can take whatever crappy offer they’re making, or you can go after the full compensation you actually deserve—not just for your original claim, but for all the additional harm they caused.
At RiskGuarder, we’re all about giving people like you the info you need to make smart decisions about insurance and to hold insurers accountable when they drop the ball. We’ve given you the tools to evaluate your case, an action plan to make your position stronger, and the knowledge to understand what’s actually possible when you fight back.
Now it’s your turn. If you think your insurer’s acting in bad faith, don’t wait around. That statute of limitations clock is ticking, evidence can disappear, and every day you wait is another day they’re benefiting from treating you like crap. Contact an experienced bad faith insurance attorney today. The consultation’s usually free and confidential, and it’s the first step toward getting the justice you deserve.
You don’t have to do this alone. The law’s on your side. The evidence is in all that documentation you’ve been keeping. And there are experienced attorneys ready to help you hold your insurance company accountable for their bad faith conduct. Take that first step today—you’ve got this.
About the Author: Youssef at RiskGuarder specializes in insurance industry analysis and consumer advocacy. With extensive experience evaluating insurer practices, claims handling procedures, and policyholder rights, Youssef helps consumers navigate complex insurance disputes and make informed decisions about their coverage. This analysis is based on the RiskGuarder Review Methodology, which incorporates data from A.M. Best financial ratings, NAIC complaint indices, J.D. Power customer satisfaction studies, and comprehensive legal research into insurance bad faith standards across all 50 states.
