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A
NEW INSURANCE COMPANY TRICK
Insurance
companies have invented a new way to shortchange you. We don't want
you to get stung by it, so please read what follows very carefully.
What
They Say
It
all begins when you are injured in an automobile accident. Very
soon you receive a call from a "friendly" employee of
the insurance company of the driver who injured you. The insurance
company employee, being just as nice and pleasant as he or she can
be, lets you know that the other driver, the one they insure, was
at fault in your accident. Next, the insurance company employee
says something like, "Now we don't want you worrying about
money at a time like this. I am prepared to come right over to your
home (or hospital room) and give you a check."
"But
don't I need to speak with an attorney?" you
might ask. To which the insurance company employee might respond,
"Oh
no, you don't need an attorney because
we are willing to pay you right
away. Besides, if an attorney gets
involved, you will end up with less
money." Both of these statements
are false.
What
They Don't Say
What
the insurance company employee
does not tell you is that by
accepting that check you may be giving up your
rights to any further payment for your injuries,
medical expenses or lost wages, even if your
condition gets worse in the future. They also may
not tell you that someone has cleverly written
on the back of the check, in fine print, "final
settlement of any and all claims arising from
bodily injury caused by accident."
It's
All Over The Country
In
New York, the "good hands people" at Allstate
gave an accident victim a check for $15,000.00
with "final settlement" written on the back. When his
hospital and medical expenses passed $160,000.00, the accident
victim turned to an attorney. But then Allstate argued that by accepting
its check, the accident
victim had given up his right to sue. In California, a young mother
facing years of rehabilitation from the injuries she suffered and
tens of thousands of
dollars in medical expenses got shortchanged in this way and is
currently on her own
financially. In the State of Washington, there have been lawsuits
against insurance companies charging them with practicing law without
a license because they
have been advising accident victims to accept these low-ball checks.
Be
Careful
IF
YOU ARE INJURED IN ANY TYPE OF ACCIDENT, DO NOT SIGN YOUR NAME TO
ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED LEGAL ADVICE FROM A QUALIFIED ATTORNEY.
We do not want you to end up injured and wiped out financially because
you fell for this insurance company trick. If a friend or loved
one gets injured, pass this warning along to them as soon as you
can.
We're
Here To Help
We
have years of experience dealing with insurance companies. We will
advise you of your legal
rights at no charge. So if you or someone you know get injured,
please call us. We're here to help.
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