CALIFORNIA BAD FAITH INSURANCE LAW
Policyholders rely on insurance for
protection, for peace of mind, for "good
hands", or a "piece of the rock". They
pay premiums in advance, expecting
the insurance company to act promptly
and in good faith when the need arises.
Insurance is therefore a special type
of contract, in which the insurance
company may be sued for "bad faith" damages
if it denies a claim unreasonably.
Insurance companies can profit by
just saying "no". The coverage promised
when a policy is sold often disappears
when the policyholder submits a claim.
The policyholder is usually at a disadvantage
because insurance companies are in
the business of handling claims; and
thus are professionals in the litigation
business. The American Insurance Association
has explained that the insurance industry
spends (conservatively) over a billion
dollars a year in fighting policyholders
over coverage.
To fight an insurance company requires
special knowledge, skill and experience.
The attorneys at Stanzler Funderburk & Castellon
have a proven track record of success
in recovering hundreds of millions
of dollars in insurance claims for
our clients. To level the playing field
against the largest insurance companies
in the world, we've even written the
book on this subject, which has become
a leading treatise in this areas of
the law -
Insurance Coverage Litigation (Aspen
Publishers 2006).
We also write frequent articles, put
on seminars, and appear in court as
expert witnesses.
