Arizona Insurance Bad Faith Lawyer
What if your own insurer won't pay? Your policy is a contract, and Arizona law also expects an insurer to treat you fairly when it handles your claim.
As insurance bad faith lawyers, we act when an insurer denies or delays a valid injury claim without a reasonable basis.
Arizona law on insurance bad faith
Each point links to the statute or court decision it comes from.
Bad faith is its own claim
An insurer that denies or delays a fair claim without a reasonable basis can owe damages beyond the policy limits.
Rawlings v. Apodaca (1986) (opens in a new tab)Underinsured coverage for each car
A policy covering several cars carries separate underinsured motorist coverage for each one, and those coverages can be added together.
Franklin v. CSAA (2023) (opens in a new tab)Your own auto coverage counts
Uninsured motorist, underinsured motorist and medical payments coverage are paid by your own insurer, which owes you good faith on each.
How an insurance bad faith case works with us
- 1
The denial, read closely
Send us the denial letter and your policy. The reason the insurer gives and the policy language it cites shape the response.
- 2
What the insurer knew
We gather what the insurer had in front of it when it decided, and what it left out.
- 3
A response on the policy's clock
Many policies allow an appeal inside the company first, and the policy sets how long you have.
- 4
Suit when it won't move
If the insurer still refuses, the case goes to court for the benefits and for the harm the bad faith caused.
Why clients choose Saks Law for insurance bad faith cases
We don't get paid unless you get paid
Our fee is a percentage of the recovery, set in writing before work begins. If the case ends without one, the costs of pursuing it are ours.
Direct access to Sam
Every client receives Sam's personal cell number when the case begins. Questions go straight to the attorney handling the case.
A denial reversed in two weeks
One client came to Sam with two weeks to contest a denied claim. Sam pulled together the police report, the medical examiner's report and the doctor's account, and the insurer reversed its denial.
Insurance bad faith questions clients ask
If your question isn't here, call 480-440-3331.
Is a low offer bad faith?
A low offer alone usually isn't. Bad faith means the insurer acted without a reasonable basis or failed to investigate fairly. A low offer can become bad faith when the insurer ignored records that showed the claim was worth more, and the claim file often shows whether it did.
How long do I have to bring a bad faith claim?
A bad faith claim generally must be filed within two years, under A.R.S. § 12-542. A claim on the policy itself, as a written contract, can have six years under § 12-548. Your policy may set shorter deadlines for proof of loss, so read it early or send it to us.
What should I keep while my claim is pending?
Keep every letter and email from the insurer, and write down the date and content of each phone call, with the name of the person you spoke to. Notes made at the time carry weight later, and the insurer will have its own records of the same calls.
Does bad faith only apply to auto insurance?
Every Arizona insurer owes its policyholders good faith, whether the policy covers a car or a home. Our practice centers on claims tied to an injury, such as a denied uninsured motorist claim, and Sam can tell you on a free call whether we'd take yours.
Can I recover more than the policy limit?
In a bad faith case, you can. The damages aren't capped at the policy limit, because the claim is about the insurer's conduct as well as the benefits it owed. Arizona also allows punitive damages, though only when the insurer acted with an evil mind, which is a high bar to clear.
Insurance bad faith cases across Arizona
We take insurance cases for policyholders anywhere in Arizona, and a denial letter can be reviewed by video without a trip to our office.
Speak with an injury lawyer before you speak with the insurer.
The case review is free and confidential, and you decide afterward whether to retain us.
Call weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm, or send the form at any hour.