You paid your premiums. You filed a legitimate claim. And your insurance company denied it, delayed it for months, or offered a fraction of what your policy covers. That is not just unfair — under Illinois law, it may be bad faith. And bad faith carries real consequences for your insurer: the full amount owed, your attorney’s fees, and significant statutory penalties on top.
Mag Mile Law has recovered millions for policyholders whose insurers refused to pay — including a $2.4 million fire claim and a $500,000 false pretense claim where the carrier initially denied coverage entirely. We work on contingency. You pay nothing unless we win.
Call 773-644-9593 for a free case evaluation.
If any of these sound familiar, you may have a bad faith claim under Illinois law:
Unreasonable delays. Weeks turn into months. Your adjuster stops returning calls. Every time you follow up, they request more documentation they already have. Some carriers stall deliberately, hoping you will give up or accept less.
Wrongful denials. Your claim is clearly covered, but the denial letter cites an exclusion that does not apply — or provides no specific explanation at all. We have seen carriers deny claims their own adjusters recommended approving.
Lowball offers. Your home has $300,000 in fire damage. The insurer offers $80,000 and calls it fair. Their adjusters use artificially low material costs and excessive depreciation to gut the payout.
Misrepresenting your policy. The carrier tells you something is not covered when it is, interprets ambiguous language in their favor, or buries relevant coverage provisions. Under Illinois law, policy ambiguities are construed against the insurer.
Refusing to investigate. Your insurer denies the claim without inspecting the damage, ignoring your evidence, or relying solely on a desk review. Illinois requires carriers to conduct a reasonable investigation before denying a claim.
Excessive documentation demands. Asking for the same records repeatedly, demanding information unrelated to your claim, or imposing impossible deadlines to create a pretext for denial.
Sound familiar? Contact us for a free evaluation.
Illinois does not just allow you to sue for the amount owed. Section 155 of the Illinois Insurance Code penalizes insurers whose conduct is “vexatious and unreasonable.” If we prove bad faith, you can recover:
On a $200,000 denied claim, Section 155 penalties can add tens of thousands of dollars on top of the full amount owed — plus attorney’s fees. This is why carriers settle once a credible bad faith claim is established. They know the math.
We understand insurance from the inside. Our attorneys Steven Mikuzis and Mario Iveljic are also licensed insurance producers in Illinois. They have worked on both sides — they know how carriers evaluate claims internally, how adjusters are trained, and what the internal cost-cutting guidelines look like. When we obtain your insurer’s claim file through discovery, we know exactly what to look for.
Millions recovered for policyholders. A $2,394,290 fire insurance recovery after the carrier initially refused to pay. A $500,000 false pretense claim that was denied outright. A $220,000 loss of income claim the insurer tried to bury. These are real results from real fights with real carriers.
Contingency fee — and the insurer may pay your legal costs too. You pay nothing out of pocket. And under Section 155, the court can order the insurer to pay your attorney’s fees on top of the claim and penalties.
We try cases. Insurance companies know which firms will actually go to trial — and that changes how they negotiate.
Call 773-644-9593 today. The evaluation is free.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case depends on its own facts and circumstances.
Bad faith under Illinois law means the insurer handled your claim in a way that was “vexatious and unreasonable.” Common examples include denying without investigation, unexplained delays, lowball offers unsupported by evidence, and misrepresenting policy terms. The test is whether a reasonable insurer would have handled it the same way — if not, Section 155 penalties may apply.
Under 215 ILCS 5/155, you can recover the full amount owed, a statutory penalty (up to 60% of the amount owed, subject to statutory caps), and your attorney’s fees — all paid by the insurer. The penalty amount depends on the specific facts and the court’s discretion under Section 155.
Key evidence includes the complete claims timeline, all communications with the insurer, independent damage assessments, and — most importantly — the insurer’s internal claim file, which we obtain through litigation discovery. Internal documents often reveal adjusters who recommended approval being overruled by supervisors, or carriers applying internal cost-cutting guidelines with no basis in the policy. We build this record systematically.
The statute of limitations generally follows the underlying breach of contract claim — 10 years under 735 ILCS 5/13-206. However, your policy may contain a shorter limitation period. Do not assume you have unlimited time. Contact an attorney promptly.
Bad faith claims involve intensive discovery, complex legal standards, and insurance company defense teams with unlimited budgets. Because we work on contingency and Section 155 can require the insurer to pay your attorney’s fees, there is typically no financial cost to having experienced representation. Call 773-644-9593 for a free evaluation.
Bring your policy and your denial letter. Free consultation. No fee unless we recover.
Free consultation. No fee unless we recover. Call 773-644-9593 or submit the form.
