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What Is Bad Faith?
Under Alabama law, every insurance contract has a “covenant of good faith and fair dealing.” This means that your insurance company is required to act in good faith and to treat you fairly when deciding whether to pay a claim. Unfortunately, for the sake of profits, some insurance companies breach the duty it owes to its customers.
Insurance companies that commit bad faith are committing insurance fraud and need to be held accountable for their actions.Insurance companies may deny some of the benefits that are due under their policies, they may refuse to pay certain claims, they may unreasonably delay paying claims, or they may suppress material information regarding available coverage.
If you own a business and get sued, your insurance company may be obligated to provide you with a defense to the claims made against you and/or to provide indemnification coverage for the damages related to those claims. A similar situation may arise if you are in a car accident and sued as a result.
In cases where “coverage” is questionable, the insurer may still owe you a duty to provide a defense to certain claims. Under Alabama law, the insurance companies’ duty to provide a defense to its insureds is much greater than its duty to indemnify. Nevertheless, to save money, some insurance companies elect to refuse to provide a defense to their insureds without appropriate legal justification. These unscrupulous tactics may be actionable under Alabama law.
The insurance fraud attorneys at Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann have successfully represented many individuals and insureds throughout Alabama, who have been harmed by insurance companies that committed bad faith / insurance fraud.
What Should I Do If I Think My Insurance Company Has Wrongfully Denied My Claim Or Withheld Certain Benefits?
If you think your insurance company may have wrongfully denied your claim or withheld certain benefits, you will ultimately need to determine whether they had a legitimate basis for their actions. Because insurance contracts can be difficult to understand, it is important that you contact an attorney with experience in this area.
If you think you have been wronged by your insurance company, contact Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann today.
What Is Insurance Fraud?
Under Alabama, law there are several types of actionable fraudulent conduct, including Fraudulent Misrepresentation, Suppression, Promissory Fraud, and Deceit.
Generally speaking, a defendant company is guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation if it makes misrepresentation of material fact, which causes the plaintiff to act to his or her detriment. Suppression is based on the defendant withholding material information that the defendant owes a duty to disclose to the plaintiff. Promissory fraud involves the promise to do some act in the future with the knowledge that the act cannot or will not be completed.
Insurance companies and various other businesses may engage in fraudulent conduct. Under Alabama law, you may be entitled to recover monetary damages if another person or business has misrepresented material information to you and you relied on this information to your detriment.
Under certain circumstances, the person or business that you are dealing with may have the duty to truthfully convey material information. If material information is suppressed or hidden from you, you may be able recover damages for their fraudulent conduct.
In addition, under some circumstances, the jury may award punitive damages to punish the defendant and to prevent others who are similarly situated from engaging in similar wrongful acts.
What Do Our Clients Say?
Ruth Weakley
I highly recommend this law firm. I was always kept informed of any progress in my case. Any time I called them my concerns were met. Attorney Jon Mann was always very through in his responses. I can't thank this law firm for taking excellent care of my case.
Lee Huffstutler
Outstanding firm! Extremely pleased with the service, consistency & hard work of the firm as a whole and Michael Bradley as my representative.
Without a doubt, I would recommend anyone who is in need of a personal injury attorney to give Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann a call - good people that strive to look after your interests. Thanks for all you have done!
Larry Smith
I have nothing but great things to say about this firm. Initially I mostly spoke to Rebecca & she made me feel very comfortable in a stressful situation. Later many of my calls were with Jon Mann & he also spoke to me with respect & thoughtfulness. Kind of strange but a close bond between lawyers & a client but not only did we discuss the matter at hand but we would discuss our personal lives & the good & bad going on in my life & their concern for my health was comforting. I would definitely recommend this firm! Keep up the great work guys.
Doris M.
I feel very fortunate to have met this firm. During the first conference, my attorney made me feel totally at ease when sharing my situation with him. He has a way about him that makes you feel his sincerity and honesty. Thank you for taking my burden and for the wonderful job that you did to complete my case successfully. I am VERY PLEASED!
Cathye H.
My case was one that was a part of a nationwide claim. I researched and prayed for the appropriate attorney and I found that in Mike Bradley. While my case lasted, Mike and his assistant Karen stayed current and knowledgeable on the status and updates. I never once called or emailed that one of them didn't respond to me immediately. Mike would call to answer an email because he felt it would be more personal and efficient than typing. I highly recommend this firm.
Tyna B.
I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Jon Mann of Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann. I am so grateful for your knowledge, passion, dedication, and professionalism you have exhibited through this entire ordeal. Mr. Jon Mann took in all the relevant information, analyzed it and created a plan to settle my case. Again, I value the help you've given me. Thank you!!
Emily W.
I was very pleased with the work that Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann did for us. I had been injured in a car accident and was in quite a bit of pain for sometime. They always treated me like a person and not a case—never failed to return a call and kept us apprised of what was going on. I had a time when I had to be totally focused on recovery, they were able to take care of the situation and I didn’t have to worry about it. I owe this firm a lot of thanks.
Luxi Choi
Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann prides themselves on hard work and proven results.They earnestly work to provide the best outcomes for their clients. It's truly been an honor to work with them.
Andre Madison
Skilled attorneys that are extremely knowledgeable of the Law. There friendly staff and environment helps you in any way that they can. I would highly recommend this firm! And Attorney Austin Whitten.
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Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann is a team of personal injury lawyers in Birmingham, Alabama. We serve clients throughout the United States for all types of personal injury cases.
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The recoveries and testimonials on this website are not an indication of future results. Every case is different, and regardless of what friends, family, or other individuals may say about what a case is worth, each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the injuries, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties, and the testimony, among other factors. Furthermore, no representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.