When Your Own Carrier Delays or Underpays
Because a UM/UIM claim is first-party, the good-faith duty applies at full strength. That makes unreasonable handling here something more than a hard negotiation.
The tactics are familiar
Extended investigation with nothing happening, an offer far below the medical evidence, disputes about treatment that no treating physician shares, and repeated requests for records already provided. What differs from a liability claim is that your own insurer owes you a duty while doing it.
Document as though it is a bad-faith claim, because it may become one
The timeline, the written follow-ups, the offers and their stated basis. If handling later becomes the issue, this record is the case — and it cannot be assembled retrospectively.
The remedy depends on your state
Whether you can sue under a statute, what fees are recoverable and what punitive exposure exists differ sharply between the states we serve. The conduct may look identical; what it is worth does not.
What you can do about it depends on your state
This describes the denial itself, which works much the same everywhere. Whether you can sue under a statute, what you can recover, and how long you have differ sharply — choose the state where your policy was issued.
Common questions
Can I bring a bad faith claim against my own insurer?
Yes — a UM/UIM claim is first-party, where the good-faith duty is strongest. What you can recover depends on your state.
They have not moved on my claim in months.
Put a written request for a status and outstanding items on the record, and keep the timeline. Unreasonable delay is actionable in every state we serve.
Is this what happened to you?
A free, confidential review can tell you whether the denial holds up — no cost, no obligation.
Other reasons claims get denied
General information, not legal advice. Insurance law differs by state and every policy is different.