If you want to sue your insurance company under the Insurance Fair Conduct Act, you'll need to provide written notice to both the insurance company and our office 20 days before filing suit.
Under IFCA, you may receive three times the actual damages if your insurer denies your claim without good reason. "Actual damages" means the amount of money you would have received if your insurer had approved your claim.
Types of claims IFCA covers
This law covers claims you make with your insurer. It doesn't cover claims you have with someone else’s insurer. It also doesn't cover health insurance, but may cover claims for auto and homeowner policies that include medical costs. The Patient Bill of Rights protects health insurance policyholders.
How to file your notice of potential lawsuit
Send your notice to us and your insurer. It should include a cover sheet and explain the reason for your lawsuit.
Where to send your notice
You can send us your notice through regular postal mail, registered mail or certified mail with return receipt. When we receive your notice, we'll date-stamp it and enter it into our tracking log. Please note that our office and your insurer are not deemed to have received your notice until three business days after you mail it. This means you may have to wait 23 days to file your lawsuit against your insurer.
To find your insurer's mailing address, use our agent and company lookup tool.
Our mailing address is:
Office of the Insurance Commissioner
IFCA Claim Notification
P.O. Box 40255
Olympia, WA 98504-0255
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Insurance Fair Conduct Act laws and rules
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Laws and rules regarding the Insurance Fair Conduct Act (IFCA) RCW
Topic
Unfair practices in general - Remedies and penalties
Unreasonable denial of a claim for coverage or payment of benefits
Specific unfair claims settlement practices defined
Misrepresentation of policy provisions
Standards for the insurer to acknowledge pertinent communications
Standards for prompt investigation of a claim
Settlement standards applicable to all insurers