Next Insurance claim stuck for 7+ months with no payout or clear status. What are my options?

Hi everyone, looking for some guidance on how to proceed

I filed an insurance claim back in September 2025 after a break-in at my warehouse. Since then, I’ve complied with every request from the insurance company (submitted all documentation, provided supplier contacts for invoice verification, and completed the field investigation)

Despite this, it’s now been over 7 months and I still haven’t received payment or a clear explanation of what’s holding things up

What’s been especially frustrating:
I’ve followed up consistently (often with no response)

I’ve been told “verification is pending” multiple times, but no one can explain what exactly is still outstanding

I’ve confirmed with suppliers that they’ve already communicated with the insurer

No firm timeline has ever been provided

At this point, I’ve warned them I may pursue legal action, but I’d prefer to resolve this without going that route if possible.

My questions:

At what point does this become bad faith (if applicable)?
(I’m based in Orange County, California)

Should I file a complaint with a state regulator, hire an attorney, or something else first?

I do have a lawyer but not for insurance

Is there anything specific I should be doing to push this forward?

Any advice or similar experiences would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance.