While third-party bad faith litigation against insurance companies has essentially disappeared following the California Supreme Court decision in Moradi-Shalal v. Fireman’s Fund Insurance Companies, first-party cases are still unfortunately too common. Most of these claims are without merit, but the potential exposure to carriers remains significant because punitive damages are almost always alleged. We recognize the dangers in these claims and appreciate the implications of a direct attack on the way our insurance clients conduct their business.
The attorneys at Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar who specialize in defending bad faith litigation draw on collective experience of nearly 70 years of defending general liability claims. Because of this background, we have a working knowledge of how claims are properly handled. This is essential to an effective evaluation and defense of bad faith lawsuits, and enables us to provide legal counsel to our insurance carrier clients before problems arise. Our approach in defending lawsuits is to promptly recognize and evaluate the pros and cons of each case, provide cost-effective resolution of the claims which are adverse, and strenuously resist those which are unwarranted.
We also advise and provide seminars to our clients on how to prevent conduct that can lead to bad faith claims. Our goal is to reduce the incidents that cause problems, as well as handle the legal situations that inevitably arise in any substantial claims operation.