Services to Insurers & Their Counsel

An insurer can successfully oppose bad faith claims by demonstrating it relied upon the expert(s) it retained during the course of the claim investigation to deny coverage.

Every insurer that denies a claim faces a potential bad faith lawsuit. Zalma Insurance Consultants (ZIC) exists to strengthen an insurer's defenses to make it possible to defeat almost every bad faith suit.

It is now settled law in most states that when an insurer denies a claim or delays the payment of policy benefits due to a genuine dispute with its insured, it is not liable in bad faith, even if it is liable for breach of contract.

A ZIC consultation will allow your counsel to prove that the denial of a claim was a well-reasoned decision based upon the facts, the policy wording and the law. A ZIC expert consultant will establish that there was a genuine dispute between the insurer and the insured. If a suit is filed against an insurer counsel should be able to eliminate the allegations of bad faith by motion, save the insurer the expense of defending a bad faith action, and eliminate the hazard of a punitive damages judgment.

ZIC is a service of Barry Zalma, Inc. and provides the services of Barry Zalma, Esq. 

My rates are all inclusive. My hourly fee takes account of all incidentals from telephone calls and postage to computer time and word processing. As for third-party costs, I pass along all discounts and vendor savings. You pay what I pay. Not a penny more. I've made the billing process simple.

To the extent you have questions regarding services, call me at the office, on the weekend, or whenever convenient to you.

Services to Insureds & Their Counsel

Almost every lawsuit filed against an insurance company, especially when a claim is denied for fraud, alleges that the insurer acted in bad faith. 

In the first party context, bad faith claims typically allege that the insurer did not have a reasonable basis to deny coverage, and that the insurer engaged in unfair or deceptive conduct in the process of handling the claim and reaching its conclusions regarding coverage. 

In the third party context, there is typically an allegation that the insurer failed to timely settle a claim in which liability had become reasonably clear. Insurers, with unfounded courage, deny claims based on the recommendations of a claims handler whose experience may be, and usually is, limited.

Consultation with ZIC can make it possible for the plaintiff to obtain the information necessary to successfully pursue a suit against an insurer and defeat a claim that the denial was based on a genuine dispute. If Mr. Zalma has no conflict with the insurer he can promptly and effectively enhance your probabilities of success.

ZIC is a service of Barry Zalma, Inc. and provides the services of Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE. 

To the extent you have questions regarding services, call me at the office, on the weekend, or whenever convenient to you.