A dreadful Albion performance saw Palace win comfortably with two goals from Ismaila Sarr and one from Trevoh Chalobah.
Marc Guehi gifted Albion a lucky consolation but players like Tariq Lamptey and Jan Paul van Hecke looked well below par.
Palace took the lead just after Yasin Ayari had tested Dean Henderson. A Palace corner ricocheted around the penalty area, taking a touch off Sarr before Chalobah scooped the ball into the roof of the net.
Albion were undone again six minutes later when Maxence Lacroix seized on a ball that Lamptey couldn’t reach and crossed for Sarr to double Palace’s lead.
Albion had a chance to halve the arrears before half time but Lamptey shot well wide – and Eberechi Eze could have put the game to bed in the first half but placed a header just wide.
Bart Verbruggen looked less assured than normal and, after spilling a shot, managed to make a great save just before half-time from Eze.
Julio Enciso replaced Lamptey at half time as Brighton went three at the back, giving far more attacking impetus to the Seagulls.
Henderson made a great save from a close-range header from Lewis Dunk from a set-piece and also saved well from Kaoru Mitoma.
Van Hecke then appeared to deflect away a goal-bound shot from Mitoma.
Albion were finished off by a breakaway Palace goal, similar to one disallowed for a foul just moments before, with Sarr slotting past Verbruggen after great work from Will Hughes.
Albion’s consolation came courtesy of another goal-mouth scramble.
The ball eventually appeared to go in off Guehi although substitute Evan Ferguson had made his presence felt.
But it wasn’t enough and Albion drop to ninth with a trip to West Ham United in prospect next week.
Hurzeler out of his depth.