Des Moines Bad Faith Insurance Attorneys
You paid your premiums on time. You filed your claim correctly. Then your insurance company denied it, delayed it or offered you far less than what you’re owed. When insurers put their profits ahead of your valid claim, that’s bad faith – and Iowa law gives you the right to fight back.
Here at Carter Law Offices, P.C., we represent policyholders across Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Johnston and throughout Polk County when insurance carriers breach their duty to deal fairly with you. Whether your personal injury claim involves a car accident, workplace injury or uninsured motorist coverage, our lawyers can hold insurers accountable in the same courtrooms where they do business.
What Bad Faith Means Under Iowa Law
Iowa law sets a clear standard. When an insurer denies or delays your claim, they must have a reasonable basis for doing so. Bad faith occurs when the insurer had no legitimate reason to deny your claim and either knew it or recklessly ignored that fact. We prove both elements: that the denial was unreasonable and that the insurer knew or should have known they were wrong.
Insurance companies operate right here in Des Moines. They expect you to accept their decision and move on. We even the odds by taking them to court when they violate their obligations to you.
How Insurers Act In Bad Faith
Insurance companies use specific tactics to avoid paying valid claims. We see these patterns in case after case:
- Unreasonable delays: Adjusters drag out investigations for months without justification, hoping you’ll give up or accept less.
- Lowball settlement offers: They offer settlements that fall far below what your claim is clearly worth.
- Misrepresenting policy terms: They twist policy language to deny coverage you paid for.
- Workers’ compensation denials: They refuse to approve medical treatment you need or delay indemnity payments that keep your bills paid.
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist bad faith: They lowball injury victims who’ve already suffered because of someone else’s negligence.
These aren’t mistakes. They’re calculated strategies to protect the insurer’s bottom line at your expense.
What You Can Recover
When we prove bad faith, you can recover more than your original claim amount. Iowa law allows you to collect the full economic losses the insurer’s misconduct caused, including:
- Missed mortgage payments
- Damaged credit
- Medical bills that piled up while they stalled
- Compensation for the emotional distress of fighting your own insurance company during an already difficult time
In cases of especially reckless or intentional misconduct, juries can award punitive damages to punish the insurer and deter future abuse.
Why Work With Carter Law Offices, P.C.?
Our firm has spent over 25 years in Iowa courtrooms. We know the judges, the local rules and how to build a case that holds up at trial. Insurance companies count on you settling for less or walking away. We even the odds and fight for your rights. Bad faith insurance attorneys Jeff, Matt and Zachary work directly with every client – you won’t get passed off to junior staff. Contact us today at 515-644-4871 or use our online contact form to book a consultation.