The trial lawyers at The Bradley Law Firm handle all types of insurance related claims, from car accidents to fire claims. Missouri law requires all insurers to act in good faith in dealing with insurance claims. There are two basic types of claims Missouri insurance holders can make against their insurance company when they mishandle a claim.

The first type of claim is called bad faith. A Missouri bad faith claim is made by an insured against the insurer when the insurance company refuses to pay a claim or settle a claim for a reasonable amount. Every contract of insurance has a covenant of good faith and fair dealing to protect the insured's interests. When the insurance company violates this trust, the insured often finds himself or herself highly exposed. Bad faith is committed every day by large insurance companies that attempt to put profit ahead of their insured's interests. At The Bradley Law Firm, we believe this is wrong and have a known reputation to fight insurance companies for bad faith whenever necessary.

The other type of insurance is called vexatious refusal. Vexatious refusal is a type of action that is very similar to bad faith, however this action is created by Missouri statute. Recent Missouri case law has blurred the distinction between that of bad faith and vexatious refusal. Missouri limits the amount of recovery on a claim for vexatious refusal. Because of this, it is typically better to bring a claim for bad faith.

In most cases, you may be able to recover punitive damages if the court or a jury determines the insurance company acted with conscious disregard for the insured's interests or acted with malice. In addition, you may be able to recover for any attorneys' fees incurred in bringing the lawsuit.

If you feel like your insurance company has violated their duty of good faith and fair dealing in an insurance claim, contact us at the Bradley law firm to discuss your Missouri bad faith case for free.