CIGNA Gets Called Out for Bad Faith
February 4, 2009
American Broadcasting Companies News Department partnered with a West Palm Beach, Florida resident after discovering her insurance company acted in bad faith and refused to pay her disability insurance benefits.
When Susan Kristoff was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, her doctors told her it had spread throughout her body and that the necessary treatment programs would disable her from working.
Disability Insurance Company Refused to Pay
Shortly after Kristoff was diagnosed, she contacted CIGNA, her disability insurance company. CIGNA, however, ignored the terms of their contract which required them to pay 60 percent of her pre-disability income, and refused to pay a dime.
American Broadcasting Companies News Department found out about Kristoff’s battle with CIGNA and jumped on board to help. They pressed CIGNA with questions regarding the claim denial and CIGNA, who refused to respond, eventually announced they were going to cover Kristoff’s disability benefits.
Insurance Bad Faith Happens Often
Unfortunately, insurance companies engage in bad faith practices quite frequently, and most policy holders do not have the backing of a major television network as Kristoff did.
Alicia Paulina Grisham, Kristoff’s lawyer, stated that had CIGNA not stepped in, the outcome may not have been so pleasant. "The only thing that changed this case is that 'Good Morning America' started calling CIGNA. And they knew that there was a good chance that their normal insurance delay tactics would be exposed,” said Grisham.
Types of Bad Faith Insurance
Like Kristoff, thousands of Americans suffer from bad faith insurance claims every year. There are several ways in which an insurance company can act in bad faith, for instance:
- Not thoroughly investigating a claim
- Delaying a claim investigation
- Misrepresentation of the contract
- Denial of payment on a covered claim
What You Should Do If You Experience Bad Faith
If you or a loved one has been denied a claim and you feel your insurance company has acted in bad faith, the best thing you can do is contact an experienced bad faith insurance lawyer who will thoroughly investigate your case and fight to ensure you recover the compensation you are entitled to.
(Source: Injury Board)
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