Do You Have Enough of the Right Kind of Insurance?
17/02/11 20:28
Everyone knows that liability insurance is required when you own or drive a car. In California, the minimum liability insurance coverage provides $15,000.00 of coverage per person and $30,000.00 per accident. This protects you from bodily injury damage claims if you are at fault for an accident up to those limits. But, what happens if someone else causes an accident that injures you or your loved ones? Your liability coverage does not cover you for your injuries caused by another person. Are you willing to depend on someone else to have enough insurance coverage, [or any coverage for that matter] to protect you or your family? By some estimates, 20% to 40% of the drivers on the roads are uninsured. Relying on others to protect you is a mistake that puts you and your family at risk for serious injuries without good financial protection.
Uninsured motorist coverage provides protection for you if you are in an accident that was caused by someone else who has no insurance. In California, uninsured motorist coverage automatically includes underinsured motorist coverage. This coverage protects you if the person who hit you has insurance in an amount less than you. Let me give you an example: Lets say another driver runs a red light at totals your car. You become injured; you are taken by ambulance to the hospital and undergo testing, examination and care for serious injuries. The injuries knock you out of work for 3 months while you heal and get treatment. Your total medical bills are $20,000.00. You lose another $15,000.00 in income. It takes 9 months before you feel good again. You returned to work, not because you were well, but you could not afford to take more time off of work, so you work in pain and with limitations. You claim $35,000.00 in actual economic damages, plus another $50,000.00 in general damages for you pain and suffering. So your total losses are $85,000.00. Unfortunately, the at fault driver only had minimum coverage and his insurance company is willing to pay the policy limits of $15,000.00. Its not enough to cover your losses. Not even enough to cover all of your medical bills. What do you do?
If you had uninsured motorist coverage in the amount of $100,000.00, you would be covered. Your uninsured motorist coverage would pay up to an additional $85,000.00 over and above the $15,000.00 you recovered from the at fault party's insurance company. Uninsured motorist coverage is inexpensive. It is important because it covers you and your family. When you have this important insurance, you are taking steps to protect yourself and your family and taking control of what can happen out of the hands of strangers who may not carry enough insurance to protect you.
I am constantly shocked that insurance agents do not explain the importance uninsured motorist insurance to their customers. Many agents do not understand this coverage. I think you should provide at least as much protection for yourself and your family as you provide for others in your insurance coverage. That means carry more than minimum liability coverage on your policy and an equal amount of uninsured motorist coverage. If you can afford it, carry at least $100,000.00 of liability coverage and $100,000.00 of uninsured motorist coverage. Hopefully you will never need it, but, the chances of being hit and injured by an uninsured motorist, or someone with minimum insurance coverage is too high to risk.
Uninsured motorist coverage provides protection for you if you are in an accident that was caused by someone else who has no insurance. In California, uninsured motorist coverage automatically includes underinsured motorist coverage. This coverage protects you if the person who hit you has insurance in an amount less than you. Let me give you an example: Lets say another driver runs a red light at totals your car. You become injured; you are taken by ambulance to the hospital and undergo testing, examination and care for serious injuries. The injuries knock you out of work for 3 months while you heal and get treatment. Your total medical bills are $20,000.00. You lose another $15,000.00 in income. It takes 9 months before you feel good again. You returned to work, not because you were well, but you could not afford to take more time off of work, so you work in pain and with limitations. You claim $35,000.00 in actual economic damages, plus another $50,000.00 in general damages for you pain and suffering. So your total losses are $85,000.00. Unfortunately, the at fault driver only had minimum coverage and his insurance company is willing to pay the policy limits of $15,000.00. Its not enough to cover your losses. Not even enough to cover all of your medical bills. What do you do?
If you had uninsured motorist coverage in the amount of $100,000.00, you would be covered. Your uninsured motorist coverage would pay up to an additional $85,000.00 over and above the $15,000.00 you recovered from the at fault party's insurance company. Uninsured motorist coverage is inexpensive. It is important because it covers you and your family. When you have this important insurance, you are taking steps to protect yourself and your family and taking control of what can happen out of the hands of strangers who may not carry enough insurance to protect you.
I am constantly shocked that insurance agents do not explain the importance uninsured motorist insurance to their customers. Many agents do not understand this coverage. I think you should provide at least as much protection for yourself and your family as you provide for others in your insurance coverage. That means carry more than minimum liability coverage on your policy and an equal amount of uninsured motorist coverage. If you can afford it, carry at least $100,000.00 of liability coverage and $100,000.00 of uninsured motorist coverage. Hopefully you will never need it, but, the chances of being hit and injured by an uninsured motorist, or someone with minimum insurance coverage is too high to risk.
Allstate Insurance Used Its Computerized Claims Program Improperly
30/01/11 17:58
Allstate Insurance was recently fined $10 million for the improper use of the computer program known as Colossus in evaluating injury claims.
Colossus is a program used by Allstate and a some other insurance companies to evaluate bodily injury claims. In this program, claims representatives enter data from a claim, such as the nature of claimed injuries, and other essential data, and Colossus produces a recommendation for settlement.
However, if claims representatives enter data incorrectly, or inconsistently, the company will be guided to make incorrect or unfair offers.
The settlement, which is the result of an 18 month long multistate investigation of insurance regulators from 41 states, includes a fine of $10 million plus Allstate will be required to notify claimants that it may use the software program to “adjust” claims and take more and better measures to oversee the program and ensure that company personnel follow established criteria and rules to enter data about claims made to the company.
Colossus is a program used by Allstate and a some other insurance companies to evaluate bodily injury claims. In this program, claims representatives enter data from a claim, such as the nature of claimed injuries, and other essential data, and Colossus produces a recommendation for settlement.
However, if claims representatives enter data incorrectly, or inconsistently, the company will be guided to make incorrect or unfair offers.
The settlement, which is the result of an 18 month long multistate investigation of insurance regulators from 41 states, includes a fine of $10 million plus Allstate will be required to notify claimants that it may use the software program to “adjust” claims and take more and better measures to oversee the program and ensure that company personnel follow established criteria and rules to enter data about claims made to the company.
Abuse By An Insurance Company Is Recognized By The Courts
30/01/11 17:57
I read a recent Appellate Court decision involving Mercury Insurance and its handling of a first party claim of one of their own insureds. What was surprising is that in this case, the Justices of the Appellate Court in California said what I and all of my colleagues have known for years about insurance company abuse of its claimants and policy holders for years. in the case of Amerigraphics, Inc. v. Mercury Casualty Company, LASC Case number B208654, the Court stated in its opinion, "We have little trouble in this case concluding that there was more than substantial evidence to support an award of punitive damages. The evidence showed that Mercury was intentionally dishonest and showed a conscious disregard of Amerigraphic's rights....Mercury's handling of the printer and scanner was similarly despicable."
Insurance companies have tremendous power. If they are willing to use that power against the interests of their own insureds, to the point where a Court would characterize their conduct as despicable, how do you expect them to treat everybody else?
Insurance companies have tremendous power. If they are willing to use that power against the interests of their own insureds, to the point where a Court would characterize their conduct as despicable, how do you expect them to treat everybody else?
The Value and Importance of Lawyers
30/01/11 17:54
Occasionally, I meet with a prospective client in my office, and he or she is obviously torn about pursing a claim for their injuries and damages. On one hand, they are obviously injured and suffering from injuries received in an incident that was caused by another person. On the other hand, they don’t want to be seen as one of “those” people who make claims.
Some people feel guilty about the position they are in, partly because lawyers have done such a poor job of explaining that pursuing a righteous claim for injuries and damages has value and importance beyond the immediate client and claim.
By holding people (and their insurance companies) accountable for their negligent conduct, it serves to curb negligent and bad acts by others. Imagine a world where people were not held responsible for the damage they negligently cause.
We are safer, as a society, our streets and highways are safer, our operating rooms are safer, and the products we use are safer thanks, in part, to the tireless efforts of Trial Lawyers who represent the interests of the victims of accidents, malpractice, dangerous and defective products, and the innumerable other acts of carelessness that cause significant harm and suffering.
http://www.facebook.com/ConsumerAttorneys?v=app_4949752878
Some people feel guilty about the position they are in, partly because lawyers have done such a poor job of explaining that pursuing a righteous claim for injuries and damages has value and importance beyond the immediate client and claim.
By holding people (and their insurance companies) accountable for their negligent conduct, it serves to curb negligent and bad acts by others. Imagine a world where people were not held responsible for the damage they negligently cause.
We are safer, as a society, our streets and highways are safer, our operating rooms are safer, and the products we use are safer thanks, in part, to the tireless efforts of Trial Lawyers who represent the interests of the victims of accidents, malpractice, dangerous and defective products, and the innumerable other acts of carelessness that cause significant harm and suffering.
http://www.facebook.com/ConsumerAttorneys?v=app_4949752878