Tampa Insurance Law Attorneys
The attorneys at Schropp Law Firm in Tampa engage in civil litigation on behalf of policyholders who find themselves in a dispute regarding their insurance policy. Our practice includes the resolution of disputes involving first party and third party claims for coverage or benefits, as well as insurance bad faith claims when appropriate.
First Party Coverage Disputes
A “first-party” insurance dispute arises when an insurer refuses to pay funds that are owed directly to the insured or to a beneficiary the insured designates. Common examples include life-insurance policies or insurance written to cover damage to an insured’s property. Insurance policies are highly technical, lengthy and complicated documents that are rarely written in plain English. However, our attorneys have the background and experience necessary to analyze the facts and the policy and determine whether coverage exists with respect to these policies. Our mission is to provide persistent and tenacious representation in pursuit of our clients’ insurance policy rights, including the willingness and ability to litigate the matter all the way to judgment and through appeal if a reasonable settlement cannot be reached.
Third Party Coverage Claims
If you are sued in a civil matter and have liability or other applicable insurance, your carrier under most circumstances owes a duty to settle the claim with the third party or defend you in court. If the insurer denies responsibility for a claim or lawsuit against you, we can litigate the threshold question of coverage, in many cases forcing the insurance company by court order to meet its obligations under the policy. If a judgment is entered against you and the insurer refuses to pay, we may be able help in that situation as well. Additionally, in some instances, we may even be able to negotiate a settlement agreement that relieves the policyholder of liability and allows the litigation of the case to proceed against the insurer. When dealing with third-party coverage cases, our overriding goal is the protection of our client’s assets to the greatest extent possible through maximization of the benefits of insurance coverage.
Insurance Bad Faith Claims
Florida law allows a policyholder to recover from an insurer for a variety of unfair claim settlement practices, including failing to investigate the claim properly, misrepresenting pertinent facts or provisions of the insurance policy, or failing to acknowledge communications about the claims and act on them promptly, and unreasonable denials of claims. In addition, the insured may bring a lawsuit for damages if the insurer did not attempt to settle a claim in good faith when it should have, did not explain the coverage under which claims payments were made, or did not promptly settle a claim under one portion of the policy coverage in order to influence a settlement under another portion of coverage. Our insurance law practice covers the full range of insurance bad faith practices, and we are prepared to seek appropriate damages for the harm suffered by the policyholder from insurer bad faith.
Experienced Assistance is Available For Your Insurance Dispute
Chuck Schropp began his legal career 40 years ago with cases involving insurance matters, and the litigation of insurance coverage issues has been a central feature of his practice ever since, including after he entered into practice with his son in 2007. This experience has culminated in a Martindale-Hubble rating of AV-Preeminent®, the highest rating available. Mr. Schropp has also received recognition in Super Lawyers® and was named the Insurance Lawyer of The Year for Tampa in 2012 by Best Lawyers in America©. From our offices in Tampa, we are available to help insurance clients throughout the Greater Tampa Bay area and beyond, covering Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, Pasco and Hernando counties. If you believe your carrier has wrongfully denied coverage or treating unfairly, contact our office for a free consultation to evaluate your claim.
