Bad FaithPosted by hopefulPolicyholder962

Is it bad faith when Allstate sat on my claim for 91 days then offered 30% of the estimate the day after i filed a DOI complaint? Trying to figure out next steps

Trying to get some clarity from people who have been through this before because im honestly not sure if what im looking at meets the bad faith threshold or if its just garden variety carrier delay. Here is the timeline. February 8th we had a windstorm in our area, max recorded gust 71 mph. Our home (built 1988, original cedar shake roof replaced with architectural shingles in 2017) had a section of roof shingles peeled back, two soffit panels torn off, gutter section ripped down, and a window shutter sheared off the side. I filed the claim with Allstate that same day, sent in photos within 24 hours, and had a contractor estimate within 6 days for $14,800 in repairs.

What followed was 91 days of nothing. The first adjuster was reassigned after 3 weeks without ever visiting. The second adjuster scheduled an inspection then no showed twice. The third adjuster finally came out on day 47, took about 35 minutes, and said "we will get back to you." I called every week. Each call ended with "your claim is in review" and "we will follow up within 7 business days" and then nothing. On day 78 i emailed both the adjuster and her supervisor demanding a written status. Got back a one line response saying it was "pending evaluation."

On day 89 i filed a complaint with the state department of insurance, attached the full call log (i had been logging every contact attempt for weeks), the contractor estimate, the photos, and the dates of the missed inspections. Day 90 i got a call from a senior claims handler. Day 91 i had an offer in writing for $4,400. Less than a third of the contractor estimate. The reduced offer cited "wear and tear" on a roof installed in 2017 (7 years old, architectural shingles rated 30 year), "pre-existing damage" to the soffits with zero supporting documentation, and a $1,200 deductible deducted from the total.

Im sitting here trying to figure out the right next move. Is this textbook bad faith or just standard carrier behavior that im inexperienced about? Do i hire a public adjuster now or jump straight to a bad faith attorney? Does the timing of the DOI complaint and the sudden lowball offer actually help my case or hurt it? Anyone in a similar situation that ended well or badly, please share. The roof is going to start leaking with the next big rain and i cant keep waiting.

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Is it bad faith when Allstate sat on my claim for 91 days then offered 30% of the estimate the day after i filed a DOI complaint? Trying to figure out next steps | ClaimCave