When a New Hampshire Insurer Acts in Bad Faith

What Fair Claims Handling Requires

Insurance companies have a duty to handle claims in good faith. That means investigating promptly and reasonably, communicating honestly, paying valid claims without undue delay, and not denying or undervaluing claims without a legitimate basis. Most claim disputes are ordinary disagreements about value, not bad faith — but some insurer conduct crosses the line.

Recognizing the difference matters. A low offer is normal negotiation; a pattern of unreasonable delay, misrepresentation, or baseless denial may be something more.

Signs of Potential Bad Faith

Warning signs include unreasonable and unexplained delays, failing to investigate, misrepresenting policy terms or your coverage, denying a clearly valid claim without explanation, making lowball offers with no rational basis, and pressuring a claimant to settle through improper tactics. When these behaviors appear, especially in a claim against your own insurer, they may support additional remedies beyond the underlying claim.

Documenting and Responding

If you suspect bad faith, documentation is everything: keep records of every communication, note dates and what was said, and preserve written correspondence. An attorney can evaluate whether the insurer's conduct rises to bad faith under New Hampshire law and pursue the appropriate response. Even short of a formal bad-faith claim, demonstrating that you are documenting the insurer's behavior often improves how the claim is handled.