Which unfair claims settlement practice occurred when an insurer made Horace file a claim with his own insurer before paying a claim?

Insisting that Horace file a claim with his own insurer to confirm liability exemplifies an unfair claims settlement practice known as "claim filtering." This practice can be problematic as it places an unnecessary burden on the policyholder to pursue a claim with their own company before the insurer takes responsibility for evaluating and paying the claim. The role of the insurer is to investigate and resolve claims in a timely and fair manner; asking a policyholder to first file with their own insurer can delay the resolution process and potentially diminish the policyholder's confidence in the handling of their claim. This approach is considered unfair because it could be interpreted as the insurer attempting to avoid their obligation rather than working directly with the claimant to address the issue at hand.

In contrast, taking 30 days to pay a claim, waiving any potential requirement for a polygraph, and acknowledging the likelihood of a legitimate claim do not directly reflect the unfair practice of making a policyholder file a claim with their own insurer. Taking 30 days might be an acceptable timeframe depending on the claim's complexity, while the other two options do not pertain directly to unfair tactics or practices in the claims process.