When you purchase a vehicle service contract (commonly known as an “extended warranty”) covering your auto, you are protecting your family’s investment and purchasing the assurance that if your vehicle needs expensive repairs, you will not have to compromise your family’s monthly budget. Sadly, many people throughout Oklahoma have experienced the stress and frustration of taking their vehicle in for repair only to be turned away because for reasons that are usually unclear and ambiguous the problem is not covered. An even more aggravating scenario involves taking your auto back to have the defect fixed over and over again to no avail. Finally, after months pass with repeated failed attempts to fix the problem, your request to have the vehicle replaced is denied.
If you find yourself embroiled in this type of frustrating scenario,our experienced Oklahoma bad faith insurance attorneys will deal with your extended auto warranty provider so that they perform according to the terms of your vehicle service agreement and will even file a lawsuit for bad faith requesting punitive damages if the company will not deal with you fairly. Because this area of bad faith litigation is very new and still developing, it is in your best interest to seek legal advice and representation from a firm that focuses on bad faith denial of extended warranty claims.
Oklahoma law treats extended warranties as insurance products based on a recent decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. This means that a third-party company that sells a vehicle service contract owes a duty of good faith and fair dealing to patrons that purchase these protection plans. If the vehicle service provider refuses to repair your vehicle or cannot repair the vehicle and refuses to replace it, you may be able to pursue a lawsuit for breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Oklahoma’s highest court has recently clarified the law in Oklahoma finding that because an extended warranty functions like insurance, those who are dealt with unfairly when making a claim may seek punitive damages.
A vehicle service contract provider may violate its obligation to deal with contract holders in good faith in a number of ways including but not limited to the following:
- Denying a claim by refusing to repair a vehicle defect or vehicle that is malfunctioning
- Insisting on repeatedly and unsuccessfully repairing the auto when replacement is appropriate
- Subjecting contract holders to excessive delays, unreasonable tactics or otherwise refusing to handle a claim fairly
Our Oklahoma insurance bad faith attorneys represent clients all over Oklahoma who are given the run around or denied when attempting to have their auto repaired for defects covered under a vehicle service contract. We know the importance of having your family vehicle available on a daily basis and the stress and difficulty that result when the terms of an extended protection plan are not honored. Our Oklahoma bad faith insurance lawyers will help you obtain the protection that you have paid forand are prepared to file a lawsuit against your vehicle service contract provider seeking punitive damages. Punitive damages are designed to punish the extended warranty provider for refusing to exercise it obligation to deal with its patrons in good faith.
Under Oklahoma law, your extended warranty provider has a fiduciary duty to you just like an insurance provider. This means that your extended warranty provider is expected to discover a basis for covering your loss rather than searching for a way to deny the claim. Our Oklahoma insurance bad faith lawyers fight for the rights of out clients to receive the protection they pay for when purchasing an extended protection plan.
Feel free to schedule a free consultation online or call The Bennett Law Firm at 405.272.0303 or to discuss your legal options with an experienced Oklahoma City lawyer today. No Recovery, No Fee! We will meet with you face to face and can handle cases anywhere in Oklahoma.