What does it mean when an insurance company acts in bad faith?

Recently, we’ve seen “bad faith” used as a buzzword in personal injury advertising. It’s a term misunderstood by most consumers and attorneys. When you’re threatened with a lawsuit, your automobile, commercial or professional liability insurer has a duty to defend and reasonably settle the claim, thereby protecting your personal assets. When your insurer acts in its own financial interest and refuses to do that, they are acting in “bad faith” and putting you at risk for financial ruin.

John Shikles
Partner

When looking for answers on how to handle a personal injury or insurance issue, John Shikles says it’s important to talk directly with a licensed attorney who can apply up-to-date and relevant legal principles to your situation. Shikles, partner at Carson & Coil, says most of the easily accessible information about personal injury and insurance comes from legal or insurance marketing professionals who have only one purpose: getting you “in the door.”

“At Carson & Coil, we are selective in the clients and cases we take on,” Shikles says. “We will give you a genuine analysis and only ask you to hire us if we believe we can achieve the outcome you deserve.”

Shikles, a Columbia native, says he was inspired to go into the service industry by his parents, who made their livings in service to others. “I discovered personal injury law allows me to directly serve good people facing their biggest life struggles,” he says.

Carson & Coil’s practice was built over decades of representing everyone from insurance companies to medical professionals in a variety of issues. Shikles says the firm’s attorneys are not only the most talented in the field, but kind and caring people. “We are recognized legal innovators in personal injury and insurance law, with the humility to prioritize our clients’ physical and financial well-being in every case,” he says.