Major insurance companies have adopted a take-it-or-leave-it approach with people filing minor-impact claims.
This latest CNN article about the hardball insurance practices was sent to me by my listserv: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/09/insurance.hardball/index.html
As this article candidly explains, these auto insurance carriers are paying less and less on injury claims, but still continue to increase the premiums for their customers. Meanwhile the insurance companies continue to inundate the media with advertising that casts them in the role of helper and hero. The result is this: more and more jurors are coming to jury duty with the preconceived notion that the plaintiff must be greedy, committing fraud, or looking for a big payday.
The CNN article even quotes a former juror who said she assumed that the plaintiff in the case that she heard had already received payment for injuries and other damages from the insurance company and that she brought the lawsuit out of greed. In reality, the accident victim's insurance claim was never paid, and she lost in court.
The revelations in this article won't surprise attorneys who represent injured people. Large auto insurance carriers have been using this hardball tactics for years when addressing claims. They have a huge incentive -- profits -- to continue to act this way in the future.
Continue Reading Posted By Joel Davis In Ethics , Insurance Practices , News | Permalink | 5 Comments |
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"Wal-Mart Bills" Focus on Getting Workers Off Government Aid
"Wal-Mart - The high cost of low price", a film by Robert Greenwald has sparked outrage in many communities against Wal-Mart. In our law firm, we have seen first hand how Wal-Mart poorly treats their employees when they are injured. The bottom line is companies need to act responsibly. Lawmakers have presented a bill that addresses the issue of companies taking advantage of government assistance instead of providing adequate benefits for their employees. WILG (Worker's Injury Law and Advocacy Group) newsletter recently issued the following article. Sorry there was no electronic version.
Continue Reading Posted By Grace Kanoy In Ethics | Permalink | 0 Comments | | Share Link
Wal-Mart -- The High Cost of Low Price
Tom Domer of WILG Workers First Watch has some interesting thoughts about how Wal-Mart is degrading workers' rights and hurting communities around the world. Here's what he had to say in a recent essay about the documentary "Wal-Mart -- The High Cost of Low Price," which deals with the company's practices:
Continue Reading Posted By Grace Kanoy In Ethics | Permalink | 0 Comments | | Share Link