RCW 48.01.030 requires insurance companies in the State of Washington to act in good faith, abstain from deception and practice honesty and equity. Shockingly, this doesn’t always happen. (Is the sarcasm coming through?) WAC 284-30-330 further breaks down violations that may constitute bad faith under the Consumer Protection Act.
So where to begin when you think an insurance company has wronged you? The obvious answer is call a lawyer. The maybe not so obvious answer is to check out the OIC’s website. No matter the type of insurance, you’ll find consumer resources here including general information and information about how to file a complaint that you need to do a precursor to filing suit. There is a form to file your 20 day notice on that site which is often enough to get your grievance resolved. If you intend to hire an attorney, you may want them to file it for you. Washington actually has decent consumer protection laws in place, and penalties for violating a duty to act in good faith can come with a hefty penalty against an insurance company. The website is worth checking out if you think you’ve been treated unfairly by an insurance company….especially your own.
https://www.insurance.wa.gov/
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