If Your Insurance Company Is Not Paying Out For Business Interruption
You bought into a business interruption policy. You’ve been paying your premiums. Now, when the situation arises where you need to file a legitimate claim, your insurance company is not coming through on its end of the deal. It’s bad enough that your business has been interrupted, but now you have to consider some kind of legal action to get your insurer to follow the terms of the contract you both agreed to. In this type of situation, you need the legal help of someone who knows how to level the playing field, an attorney who is not afraid to stand up to the insurance company and make them pay as promised.
At The McMillan Law Firm, APC, I know how to fight for you. With my law firm on your side, you will find an experienced lawyer who knows how to fight for you and how to win. You do not need to fight this battle alone.
The Truth About Insurance
The fact is: Insurance companies and the people they insure are in an inherently adversarial relationship. There is a conflict of interests built into the system. As long as you are paying your premiums and nothing has gone wrong, everything is fine. But as soon as you have a claim to file, your interests are in direct conflict with the insurance company’s interests. They don’t make a profit by approving and paying out claims without a fight. The insurance company will find any way possible to delay or deny your claim unless you have someone to fight for you.
How I Fight: Preparation For Trial
I always prepare our insurance bad faith claims for trial. When the other side thinks I’m just looking for a quick settlement, they will lowball. But when they know I’m ready for court and prepared to win big, they will be much happier to make reasonable settlement offers. I prepare to fight so that, hopefully, I don’t have to. But if I do need to fight, I am prepared for trial.
Determining Bad Faith In Business Interruption Insurance Cases
Business interruption insurance is usually part of a larger commercial property insurance plan. It is triggered at the occurrence of an event that would trigger your regular commercial property policy. Usually, these policies only cover physical damaging events like storms, floods and fires, depending on your specific policy. Once in effect, your business interruption insurance should cover all the expenses involved with not being able to continue your normal business operations. These costs should include lost income, temporary or permanent relocation expenses, payroll expenses, and taxes.
Insurance should cover these costs.
When your claim has been denied or is being delayed, you need an experienced lawyer to help you determine whether you have a legal claim. A lot of it depends on your specific policy. In the case of the COVID outbreak and government-forced shutdowns, for example, some policies cover government shutdowns and some do not. Most policies will not automatically cover business interruption caused by bacteria and pandemics, though, so it might be difficult to recover without specific physical property damage.
Whatever the case, I will give you a straight answer about your situation. If you have a claim, I will fight to get you the insurance benefits you deserve.
Contact Me
An insurance bad faith claim can be extremely difficult and time-consuming. Get started on your case right away so I can get the results you need. Call me at 619-577-4533 or email me to schedule a consultation.