(405) 463-6362

Why You Need a Bad Faith Attorney

If you pay your insurance premiums on time, it’s reasonable to believe your insurance company will be there for you when you need them. Sadly, some insurers prioritize profits over people, denying valid claims in “bad faith.” If this happens to you, don’t give up – a bad faith insurance lawyer can help you pursue the settlement to which you are entitled.

Insurance companies employ  powerful lawyers. Battling them alone is frustrating and rarely successful. Experienced bad faith attorneys, like Doug Terry, understand Oklahoma law and know how to prove your claim’s validity, navigate the legal maze, and maximize your compensation while minimizing the stress of your situation.

Doug Terry and his team know what to do to positively impact the lives of those whose insurance companies have acted inappropriately.

Contact them today at 405-463-6362 to schedule a free consultation and learn how they would approach your situation.

Why Engage Our Team

Our Experience, Knowledge, and Service Approach Lead to Success

When your insurance company delays, underpays, or outright denies your claim, you have two choices: accept their decision and move forward, or take action. If you believe their decisions were made in bad faith, engaging an Oklahoma bad faith insurance lawyer and pursuing the compensation to which you are entitled is smart.  You don’t want to assume responsibility for the costs they refuse to cover.

Identifying the right firm is the first decision and, in many cases, your most important decision. Below are some of the reasons why so many in Oklahoma contact Doug Terry  when their insurance companies’ responses appear unreasonable.

First, we are extremely knowledgeable about insurance bad faith laws. Led by Doug Terry, who spent the early years of his career representing insurance companies, our team knows what these organizations do and how to effectively address their actions.  For decades we have represented the citizens of Oklahoma as they questioned their insurance companies’ decisions.

Additionally, we have developed an approach to service that takes into account the individual aspects of each case. By actively listening and carefully investigating the circumstances of your situation, we are able to tailor our approach to meet your needs.

Helping individuals handle their conflicts with their insurance companies is the basis on which our firm was founded.  We know that there is an imbalance of power in these relationships, and we strive to bridge that gap.  Our commitment is powerful and longstanding and has led to significant success.  As a service provider, nothing speaks more strongly to this than our clients’ words.

We are well-positioned to help you with your bad faith insurance dispute. Contact us today to learn just how powerfully we can support you.

What We Do For You

Rely on Our Team to Oversee Your Legal Action

We know how to handle bad faith insurance actions. When you engage our team, rest assured we will:

  • Examine your policy to identify insurance company errors
  • Inspect police, first responder, and medical reports and documents
  • Review claim forms and all communication you received from the insurance company
  • Conduct our own investigation of the incident and gather evidence from the scene, including photos and videos from surveillance cameras
  • Interview  witnesses
  • Review repair cost estimates and bills
  • Negotiate a revised settlement
  • Keep you apprised of our progress
  • Engage expert witnesses to reconstruct the incident and testify on your behalf
  • Represent you in court if necessary.

It is likely that you simply don’t have the knowledge, experience, or time to effectively oversee the legal process . . . but we do. We will manage the entire process from A to Z, allowing you to focus on the day-to-day responsibilities of your life.

Insurance Bad Faith in Oklahoma

Understanding Bad Faith Actions

Insurance companies are businesses – they focus on their bottom line, sometimes at the expense of their customers. Common examples of their bad faith actions include:

  • Stalling
  • Providing lowball offers
  • Misrepresenting your policy
  • Imposing unreasonable requirements or exploiting policy loopholes
  • Forcing you to take them to court to get a fair payout.

Proving Your Bad Faith Insurance Claim

Oklahoma insurance companies have a duty of care of good faith. If they violate this duty, they may be held liable for your costs and damages.

In order to win your case, your bad faith insurance lawyer must prove that:

  • Your policy required the insurance company to pay the claim.
  • The insurance company unreasonably refused to pay the claim.
  • The insurance company did not deal fairly and in good faith.
  • The bad faith actions caused you injuries or damage.

Doug Terry and his team know how to prove bad faith and maximize settlements.

An Overview of Bad Faith Compensation

Oklahoma courts aim to discourage unlawful and unethical bad faith behavior.  When insurance companies violate their duty, your bad faith attorney can seek compensation for not only the full  payment you are owed on your claim, but also  “compensatory” and “punitive” damages.

Compensatory damages from bad faith actions may include:

  • Financial losses, including initial losses under the policy — the costs of the original accident, damages, and injuries up to insurance policy limits
  • Additional financial losses caused by the bad faith actions, such as lost wages, or revenue lost through business interruption
  • Embarrassment and loss of reputation, such as financial problems caused by delayed or denied insurance payments
  • Emotional distress resulting from the insurer’s improper conduct.

Punitive damages from bad faith actions are additional compensation awarded by a jury to punish the insurance carrier for their behavior.

Oklahoma wants to discourage insurance companies from being unfair or negligent; it uses punitive damages as an example so that other insurers are less likely to engage in similar conduct.

Insurance companies want to avoid huge compensation awards and damages. If you have a lawyer who is willing to proceed to litigation, they may negotiate in earnest and offer a more reasonable settlement.

Call an Insurance Bad Faith Lawyer for Help

Doug Terry Law Is Ready to Go to Work for You

Doug Terry founded his firm to protect individuals who have been wronged by their insurance company’s bad faith conduct. He is proud of the reputation he has built and is committed to protecting the citizens of Oklahoma who have problems with a wide range of claims, including health, automobile, homeowner’s, disability, life and commercial insurance claims.

Don’t accept your insurance company’s initial word as final. Contact Doug Terry today at (405) 463-6262 to schedule your free consultation. He is ready to hold your insurance company responsible for their actions.

Attorney Doug Terry

Lawyer Doug TerryAfter 25 years practicing in a larger firm, Doug chose to open his own practice in Oklahoma City. He brings his wealth of knowledge and his skills as a litigator to bear for his clients in matters of insurance bad faith, personal injury cases and class actions. Doug has the distinction of being awarded a Martindale-Hubbell “AV Preeminent” rating from his peers in the legal community. He has also been selected as an Oklahoma Super Lawyer. [ Attorney Bio ]

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    Compensation Your Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer Can Win for You

    Oklahoma courts wish to discourage unlawful and unethical bad faith behavior in the insurance industry. Case law and statutory enactments show that an insurance company has a duty of good faith and fair dealing and to investigate, communicate and inform the insured.

    When insurance companies violate their duty, your bad faith attorney can seek compensation for not only the full insurance payment you are owed on your claim, but go beyond policy limits and seek both “compensatory” and “punitive” damages.

    Compensatory damages from bad faith actions may include:

    • Your financial losses, including your initial losses under the policy — the costs of the original accident, damages, and injuries up to insurance policy limits
    • Additional financial losses caused by the bad faith actions, such as lost wages, or lost revenue through business interruption
    • Embarrassment and loss of reputation, such as financial problems caused by delayed or denied insurance payments
    • Emotional distress resulting from the insurer’s improper conduct.

    Punitive damages from bad faith actions are additional compensation awarded by a jury to punish the insurance carrier for their behavior. Oklahoma wants to discourage insurance companies from being unfair or negligent, so it uses these punitive damages as an example so that other insurers are less likely to engage in similar conduct.

    Oklahoma bad faith insurance punitive damages are capped or limited by:

    (1) $100,000 or the amount of compensatory damages awarded; or
    (2) $500,000 or the increased financial benefit derived by the insurance company as a direct result of its bad faith conduct.

    In some extreme cases, if the court finds the insurance company’s conduct was sufficiently cruel, plaintiffs may be awarded unlimited damages.

    If you win your case, the amount of your settlement will depend on factors that include:

    • The original policy amount you are owed and other financial losses you incurred
    • Additional losses you have sustained as a result, such as your emotional suffering and embarrassment
    • Possible assessment of punitive damages.

    Insurance companies do not want to be slapped with huge compensation awards and damage to their reputation, so once they know you have a lawyer who is willing to proceed to litigation, they may negotiate in earnest and offer a more fair and just settlement. If this does not happen, your bad faith insurance attorney Doug Terry is fully prepared to take your case to trial.

    Don’t delay. Call Doug Terry today at 405-463-6362 to get started with your claim.

    Proving Your Bad Faith Insurance Claim

    Oklahoma insurance companies have a duty of care of good faith and fair dealing and to protect their insured from excess liability. They have a duty to act in a diligent manner in relation to investigation, negotiation, defense, and settlement of claims and to inform the insured. If they fail to do so, they may be held liable.

    In order to win your case and hold your insurer, the defendant in the case, liable, your bad faith insurance lawyer must be able to show the following elements:

    1. Your insurance policy required the insurance company to pay the claim.
    2. The insurance company unreasonably refused to pay the claim.
    3. The insurance company did not deal fairly and in good faith.
    4. The bad faith actions caused you injuries or damage.

    To show these elements exist, we would investigate the circumstances of your claim and its denial and find evidence to prove your claim is valid and that the insurance company acted in bad faith by:

    • Examining your policy and its wording to look for errors made by the insurance company
    • Investigating the incident and gathering evidence from the scene, such as photos and videos from surveillance cameras
    • Interviewing any witnesses and getting their testimony
    • Examining police, first responder, and medical reports and documents
    • Reviewing repair cost estimates and bills
    • Hiring expert witnesses to reconstruct what happened and testify on your behalf.

    Not all evidence is relevant or admissible, and the courts will examine evidence and make decisions about the admissibility before allowing it to be presented to the jury. Once the court finds there is a sufficient amount of evidence, the case will go to trial.

    Doug Terry will then present the admissible evidence, provide witnesses to testify and exhibits to back your case, and cross-examine any witnesses for the insurance company. After closing arguments from both sides, the case then goes to the jury to decide if bad faith occurred.

    Types of Insurance Companies Acting in Bad Faith

    Any type of insurance company can act in bad faith, regardless of the type of policy, including:

    • Homeowners’ and renters’ insurance
    • Vehicle insurance
    • Business Insurance
    • Life insurance
    • Health insurance
    • Credit insurance
    • Disability insurance
    • Liability insurance
    • Commercial property insurance
    • Commercial liability insurance.

    Certain acts and events are more likely to lead to a bad faith insurance claim, including:

    • Storm and weather damage
    • Fire damage
    • Water damage, like flooding, burst pipes, or sewer back-ups
    • Defective products.

    Call Doug Terry for bad faith claims and if you need any type of insurance claim lawyer or health insurance lawyer.

    Call an Insurance Bad Faith Lawyer for Help

    Insurance lawyer Doug Terry is proud to protect individuals who have been wronged by an insurance company’s bad faith conduct. No insurance company is too powerful or too big to challenge or hold accountable for their wrongful conduct, when you have the right lawyer on your side.

    Doug believes bad faith conduct by insurance companies is just plain wrong and will immediately put his experience and skill to work helping you get the compensation you deserve. He represents clients across Oklahoma and beyond who have problems with a wide range of claims, including health, automobile, homeowner’s, disability, life and commercial insurance claims.

    When dealing with a bad faith insurance company, don’t take no for an answer. Call bad faith insurance lawyer Doug Terry today to hold insurers accountable for what they owe you. Call for your free, no-obligation consultation at (405) 463-6362.

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