Is Your Insurance Company Treating You Fairly?

In November 2007, Washington voters approved the Insurance Fair Conduct Act (IFCA). IFCA establishes rules requiring your insurance company to treat you fairly. It applies to nearly every type of insurance you purchase, with the notable exception of health insurance.

The guts of this law allow you, an insured, to sue your insurance company anytime your insurance company “unreasonably denies” a claim you make. If you win, you get not only what the insurance company owes you under your policy, but also triple damages as well as the cost of your lawsuit and your attorney fees. So, for example, if a windstorm knocks a tree down onto your garage and you make a claim against your insurance company and your insurance company denies the claim, you can bring a lawsuit and recover up to three times the cost of the repair of the garage, along with the cost of your lawsuit and the fees you have to pay a lawyer to bring the lawsuit.

This statute provides a strong incentive for insurers operating in the State of Washington to promptly investigate claims made by consumers and to make reasonable offers. If you feel you have been mistreated by an insurance company by either denying payment of a claim under your policy of insurance or by making an offer for much less than your actual damages, call Abeyta Nelson Injury Law at (509) 575-1588.