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Bad Faith Verdicts

Insurance bad faith verdicts are the legal decisions that courts (judges) make as the resolution to a bad faith claim. Although many insurance bad faith claims are resolved without the need to go to court — which is usually a very time-consuming, lengthy and expensive process — some cases are fought so hard by the insurance companies that the matter ends up in court. The verdict, whether issued by a judge or by a jury, is a decision that may be:

In favor of the plaintiff (the party that feels it was abused by an insurance company)
In favor of the defendant(s) — one or more insurance companies and/or its affiliates
A compromise that is not clearly in favor of one party or another

Verdicts at the District Court Level

The first venue (court level and place) where a bad faith verdict is issued is often a District Court of a given state. This court may have a name other than "District," but the principle is the same: it's the first-level court for arguing one's case against an insurer.

Actual and Punitive Damages

A verdict in favor of a plaintiff that is obtained at the District-court level may include financial compensation for the plaintiff's losses that are found due to the insurer's bad faith. In addition, a judge or jury may include "punitive damages." This is an amount of money that the defendant insurance company is being ordered to pay as punishment for its bad faith practice(s).

These punitive damages may well be larger — much larger — than the amount of compensation that is ordered to cover the plaintiff's losses (often called the "actual" damages). For example, a verdict may include an award of $100,000 as actual-damages compensation for a plaintiff's losses, plus $2 million dollars in punitive damages, in part to punish the insurer that engaged in bad faith and in part to dissuade other insurance companies from using bad faith tactics.

Learn More about Bad Faith Verdicts

There are many varieties of bad faith practices that insurance companies have used (and continue to use). The bad faith verdicts awarded in the past cover the entire spectrum of bad faith, and an individual with a bad faith case can learn more about his or her prospects from an experienced bad faith lawyer. If you believe that you have been treated in bad faith and would like to speak with a qualified attorney about a possible verdict, contact one of our bad faith insurance lawyers today and we will put you in contact with the right attorney in your area to discuss your circumstances and learn about your legal rights.

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