You Are At War—But It’s a War That Can Be Won

The day you were injured, you entered a war zone. Insurance companies and some in the government have declared war on injured people and their attorneys. They have waged the war in the media and their propaganda has had a tremendous effect on juries and their verdicts. This is called tort reform. The success that the insurance companies have had in tainting the minds of jurors has emboldened them to not offer fair settlements until you prove to them that you are ready, willing and able to go to trial.

Admit it. Until you or a family member were injured you, too may have thought, that a personal injury lawyer is a bad person and that people who make claims and file lawsuits are stealing from society. That’s what billions of dollars in insurance company advertising will get you!

California personal injury attorney Jonathan Stein has an interesting post about a trial involving Allstate itself. According to his blog, a former Allstate claims manager described how the insurance company (and they aren’t the only ones) tried to take advantage of people.

Now, you can’t be bullied if you have good quality information in your hands. That’s why at least consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney is usually a good idea before you talk to the insurance company.

Some cases can be settled without an attorney. You should arm yourself with good info before you make that call to the adjuster.

Not sure how to find the right lawyer in your area? Take a look at the Truth About Lawyer Advertising. 

Austin personal injury attorneys Mark Perlmutter and Brooks Schuelke have an interesting thought this morning about Progressive Insurance Company’s bonus structure, suggesting that if employees, including claims adjusters, can get bonuses, doesn’t that give them an incentive to low-ball claims?

While the link seems “obvious” I’m not sure I totally agree. Does this mean that no insurance company can have bonuses? This is probably pretty much a non-issue in Virginia since Virginia lacks any bad faith insurance laws with teeth.

Then again, Progressive Insurance Company did get caught spying on folks in a Church support group meeting.