Bad faith of an insurance carrier happens when the insurance company refuses to honor its contract of insurance with a customer. If it refuses to pay a legitimate claim the insured person can be sued for money damages that are not covered by their insurance.

Insurance is supposed to be a safety net and protect people from being sued. If you caused an accident your insurance is supposed to protect you and pay the person you injured or harmed. That does not always happen. In Kansas the insurance company is supposed to treat their insured customer the same way they would want to be treated. In many circumstances, the insurance company will refuse to pay and you get sued.

But what if the insurance company doesn't want to help as much as they should? This can happen and it's called "bad faith". When an insurance company refuses to pay a legitimate claim, they act in bad faith. They might say "no" to paying for things they should.

This isn't right because insurance companies should be there to help, especially when you're already dealing with a lot from the accident. It's important to know about bad faith so you can make sure the other person's insurance company is treating you fairly. If they aren't, you might need to get an experienced bad faith insurance lawyer to help you get what you deserve.

Let's talk a little more about this idea of "bad faith" in insurance. It can seem like a hard topic but think of it like this: Imagine you and your insurance company are on the same football team. You and your insurance company should work together to win the game. In the case of an accident, winning the game means settling all the monetary claims properly.

So, here's the deal. When you sign up for insurance, the company promises to be your teammate in good faith. This means they agree to be fair and honest when dealing with your claim. Let's say, for example, you accidentally cause a car accident. Somebody else gets hurt. Your insurance company should help pay for their medical bills, if it's within the amount your insurance policy covers.

But what if the medical bills are more than your policy can cover? You'd hope your insurance company still helps you, right? But sometimes, they might refuse to pay. They might say the cost is too high and it's over your policy limit. This isn't playing fair and it's like they're breaking the team rules. When they do this, they're acting in "bad faith." They are risking your life and hard earned assets by taking a chance and refusing to pay a real claim.

This is why understanding "bad faith" law is so important. It helps you know when your insurance company isn't being a good teammate. If that happens, you might need to call in a coach or, in real life, a lawyer to help make sure you're being treated fairly. Kansas only had bad faith against an insurance company when it is a claim by someone other than their own insured like when you cause an accident and the other person brings an insurance claim against you.

All of this might sound a bit complicated, so let's look at some real-life examples to help us understand better.

When Insurance Companies Act Like Bullies in Kansas

A case from Kansas, called Bollinger v. Nuss, is like a legal guidebook that tells insurance companies how they should treat people who buy insurance from them. It's like the rules for a game. The big rule is that insurance companies have to be fair and careful (which means no cheating!) If they break this rule and don't pay what they should, they might have to pay even more than the amount of the insurance policy limits of insurance coverage.

When an insurance company bullies you and refuses to pay a valid claim for injuries or property damage and causes you to be sued you need a Kansas bad faith insurance lawyer.

Understanding Bad Faith Insurance Tactics

Sometimes, figuring out if an insurance company is acting in bad faith can be a bit tricky, kind of like trying to solve a tough puzzle. This bad behavior usually happens when the insurance company refuses to pay for a claim that is real and fair, or if they act mean on purpose, or careless, or if they intentionally cause you harm then you may have a bad faith insurance claim against your insurance company.

Recognizing bad faith isn't always straightforward. It usually occurs when your insurance company refuses to pay a legitimate claim, acts maliciously, negligently, or causes harm to their insurance customer intentionally. The duty of good faith implies that your insurance company should consider all reasonable offers of settlement within your policy limits. If your insurance company does not do this, they may be acting in bad faith.

Many insurance companies will play poker with your life. They take the chance of not paying in hopes that the other person's attorney will simply go away and never sue you. This real life game of chance with your life is a risky game. The only one who profits from these tactics is the insurance company.

So, what can you do if you think your insurance company is acting badly? You might need to reach out to someone who can help, like a Kansas bad faith insurance lawyer.