In order to obtain insurance, you have to sign a contract with your insurance company. Basically, you agree to pay premiums (money) to the insurance company and the insurance company agrees to quickly investigate any claims and pay for anything that falls within the "coverage" of the insurance policy up to the amount of insurance you purchase.

When an insurance company doing business in West Virginia fails to meet their obligations under this contract, it is called "bad faith." An insurance company can be held liable for bad faith if they do any of the following:

   +Delay payment
   +Fail to investigate the claim in a prompt and thorough manner
   +Deny payment in an unreasonable manner
   +Refuse to settle a case


If an insurance company is found liable for bad faith, a consumer can recover compensation for expenses due to the denial, mental and emotional distress, and/or punitive damages.


If you suspect that your insurance company has acted in bad faith in denying your legitimate claim, contact a bad faith attorney from Rist Law Offices. We provide free consultations to all of our clients and accept all bad faith cases on a contingency fee basis. You do not owe us a fee until your case is settled or we win at trial. Call us toll free at 1-866-982-5299 to discuss your bad faith case.