Every time you put your signature on a document, you’re committing to more than what’s written there. Each and every contract made in the United States is accompanied by the implicit requirement of good faith and fair dealing. If you want for yourself reach California Business Lawyer & Corporate Lawyer, Inc. This signifies that both parties plan to uphold their half of the bargain and will not take any action that would deny the other party the advantages it is due under the terms of the agreement.
An automobile insurance policy is a good illustration of this. To protect themselves financially in the case of an accident, policyholders agree to pay premiums to insurance companies, and insurance companies promise to support policyholders financially if an accident occurs. An insurance company’s implicit obligation of good faith and fair dealing ensures that it won’t try to get out of paying an accident claim by any means necessary.
Insurance firms regularly breach the implied requirement of good faith and fair dealing by denying or delaying legitimate claims, leading to frequent bad faith insurance lawsuits.
Can You Define Good Faith?
The American Bar Association defines “good faith” as “honesty in a person’s behavior throughout the agreement.” It helps in dealing with the failure of consideration. Even if they make a mistake, someone operating in good faith does not want to take advantage of you. Sincere people don’t try to hide the facts either.
Consider a marriage contract as an illustration in this regard. A marriage may be declared invalid if it was entered into in bad faith and the parties failed to disclose any prior marriages to one another.
Can You Define “Fair Dealing” for Me?
When two parties are negotiating “fairly,” it means that they are respecting the “spirit of the contract” and not acting in a manner that would be detrimental to the other party. The failure to exercise reasonable care, the inaccurate or malicious performance of contractual responsibilities, the utilisation of a contract to confuse the other party, or interference with the other party’s capacity to enforce the contract are all examples of behaviour that run counter to fair dealing.
Instances of unfair treatment might include:
An insurance policy for a motor vehicle that has terminology that is unclear from the insurer
When it comes to claims for property damage, an insurance company that requires an excessive amount of proof
An employer who subjects an employee to harassment on the job or any other type of undue pressure in an effort to coerce them into quitting before the end of their employment term is considered unethical.
While building on a home, the contractor continues to make the same errors over and over again.
If one of the parties to a contract isn’t operating in good faith and with fair dealing, the other party may have grounds to terminate the agreement. It is possible that you may be able to file a lawsuit against the other party if they breach the implied duty of good faith and fair dealing.
What kinds of consequences may we anticipate if the implicit covenant of good faith and fair dealing is violated?
The consequences you face for violating the implied obligation of good faith and fair dealing will be determined by the type of the contract you are in violation of. In most cases, deception makes a contract voidable, enabling the party that was misled to cancel the deal without incurring any legal obligation for doing so.
If there was fraud involved, there is a possibility that criminal charges and other consequences may be pursued against both parties. A second piece of law lays out in great detail the procedures that are to be followed in the event that an insurance provider does not act in good faith.
When the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing has been broken, we at Busch, Reed, Jones & Leeper, P.C. are aware of the procedures that need to be followed in order to remedy the situation. We have more than 150 years of experience between us in litigating cases involving ill faith, and we are excited to learn more about your circumstance.
