FAQs

It happens more often than you might think.

 

You purchased an insurance policy, paid your premiums promptly while having the peace of mind that you had the appropriate coverage. Then, when the time came to make a claim, you were denied benefits and told by the insurance company that your policy does not provide the coverage you thought it did.

This comes as a surprise, because the insurance agent who sold you the policy had told you that it would provide the necessary coverage. That is why you bought it in the first place. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. If you thought you had coverage because an agent told you that you were covered, or you asked for certain coverage and your agent failed to tell you it was not obtain for you, you may have been the victim of insurance agent misrepresentation.

Homeowners in California may find they did not have the fire or earthquake insurance coverage until a natural disaster occurs. Workers may purchase long-term disability insurance coverage only to discover when they need benefits, there was some exclusion to coverage. And in other cases, some brokers and agents sell polices that are completely fake and have no value at all.

 

Insurance Agent / Broker Misrepresentation

Your insurance agent described your policy verbally, either in the office or over the phone. If the agent’s promises do not correspond with what is written in your insurance policy, you may think that you do not have a leg to stand on. After all, there is no recording, no evidence of what the insurance agent told you. The insurance company certainly wants you to believe that you have no options. Thankfully, you do.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners warms consumers, “Fake insurance companies and dishonest insurance agents can defraud consumers by collecting premiums for bogus policies with no intention or ability to pay claims. These “companies” may offer policies at costs that are significantly lower than the traditional market price in order to woo consumers who are trying to save money. In many cases, a fake insurance company will provide consumers with documents that look real. In other instances, these policies may even be represented by legitimate insurance agents who themselves have been misled by fraudulent companies.”

In 2002 alone, more than 200,000 bogus health insurance policies were sold to consumers, resulting in more than $252 million in unpaid insurance claims.

To protect yourself, it pays to investigate the insurance company by contacting the state insurance department to confirm that the company you are doing business with is legitimate.

 

Los Angeles County Insurance Bad Faith Attorneys Serving All of California

If you have been the victim of insurance fraud, call us for a free consultation. Serving all of California including San Diego, San Jose, Glendale, Pasadena, Fresno.

Our attorneys have more than 50 years of experience working with insurance policies of all types, including disability insurance policies, life insurance policies and property insurance policies. We are dedicated to getting results for policyholders in the Los Angeles area and throughout California, no matter how challenging a case may seem. At the law firm of Donahue & Horrow, LLP, our attorneys are skilled at resolving disputes involving insurance agent misrepresentation. We want you to understand that you do not have to simply accept “no” for an answer. You have options, and we can help you explore them.

We take all cases involving insurance fraud and broker / agent misrepresentation on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing and we receive nothing unless you win your case by way of settlement or verdict. Call us toll free at 877-664-5407 or e-mail us using the link button below to schedule a free, no-obligation legal consultation with our California insurance problems attorneys.