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Old 01-22-2019, 09:09 PM
 
Location: D.C.
2,867 posts, read 3,530,452 times
Reputation: 4770

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1998, me, working for Universal Studios in Wilmington NC (movie called Virus - horrible but got to see JamienLee Curtis lose her mind, which was impressive, anyway)... driving studio van. 3 lane road (1 each direction, center turn lane). Guy in turn lane as I continue on in my lane, decide to plow into me just as I pass along in my lane. Cop blames me, says I tried to pass on the right (like hop the curb to the sidewalk). Total BS. But guess who has a Polaroid camera in his studio car, and immediately take pictures of everything before the tow truck shows up (even though I’m bleeding via glass in my head).

Universal Studios hires attorney for their car, leaves me out in the wind to defend myself. I hire my own attorney. We get to court. My attorney simply shows the pictures I took. Charges completely dropped against me almost instantly, cop put under investigation for being so blantanly wrong. I’m out of the picture.

4 weeks later, Universal Studios call me. Guy who hit their car, is suing them under civil lawsuit. They request my photos and demand my cooperation to help defend them. I told them to kiss my a$$. Never took another gig with them again (actually left the business in general shortly thereafter).

Best $400 I spent that year. Hard to go wrong with an attorney who’s last name is Slaughter.
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Old 01-23-2019, 06:50 AM
 
8,081 posts, read 6,929,854 times
Reputation: 7978
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe View Post
No, they (the insurance company) get an attorney to defend their own interests. Not the insured's.

They're not going to get you "more money" when you get sued. They are only going to defend themselves.

It's unfortunately, really naive for consumers to think their insurance companies are also their advocates beyond their legal responsibilities. And that even then, they may have to sue their insurance companies just to get what's owed to them.

But, it's understandable, because this is what all of the advertising "sells" us.

So, be smart as a consumer. Know that you are paying for only the minimum that's required under your policy. That your insurance company will do everything in it's power to pay you the minimum possible, and may even try to rip you off out of what they should pay you, in order to maximize their profits.

And that they are definitely not an advocate for you, as far as getting you everything owed to you by another party, beyond what the insurance company is minimally required to cover.

Anything else is just naive. If you ever have a claim on a policy, you will probably have to fight with your insurance company even to just get what's owed to you.

The only exceptions I have ever encountered, has been with Geico and auto claims. Geico has been great as far as taking care of someone I hit while trying to parallel park (I know, totally embarrassing ha ha), and I recently had a claim regarding a break-in to my truck and I had comprehensive, and Geico treated me very quickly and fairly regarding damage to my truck.

But, AARP/The Hartford, on the same truck break-in claim for items stolen that were covered under my renter's insurance policy - they tried to deny everything and kept delaying and delaying until I finally filed a small claims lawsuit and then they finally gave me what they should have given me.

But, by and large, people really need to not think of their insurance companies as personal advocates or attorneys with only your best interests at heart. That's just not the case. It's all about the profit margin for the most part.

No doubt Geico has figured out it's more profitable to just be fair than get bad reviews. But, you can bet they aren't being "fair" because it's the right thing to do - if doing that would negatively affect profit margins.
You’re just not getting it. You keep mixing up filing claims against your own insurer and having your insurer indemnify you.
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Old 01-23-2019, 08:43 AM
 
Location: Raleigh
13,661 posts, read 12,341,234 times
Reputation: 20109
Quote:
Originally Posted by Calvert Hall '62 View Post
What you say makes perfect sense and that's why I cannot understand why some people beat the drum for pvt. attys. -- unless they have close relatives who are attys.
Quote:
Originally Posted by markg91359 View Post
First, a disclaimer. I am a personal injury attorney.

Why would your insurance company want to collect any money for you at all? What is in it for them? The simple answer is nothing.

Your insurance company has no legal duty to anything for you when you are injured in an accident other than to perhaps pay some medical bills under a med pay or pip coverage.
Bingo. You need your own attorney if you're injured. You need your own representation (maybe) if you think your insurance company is jerking you around. You shouldn't need your own attorney to get your bumper and trunk lid fixed. And, you shouldn't need your own attorney if the party you hit is suing you for injuries.
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Old 01-23-2019, 09:04 AM
 
Location: Raleigh
13,661 posts, read 12,341,234 times
Reputation: 20109
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe View Post
No, they (the insurance company) get an attorney to defend their own interests. Not the insured's.
They're one in the same. They have agreed to pay for the judgement the plaintiff wins, up to the policy limit. If you lose, they pay. Now, if we were talking an $8 Million damage with a $500K policy limit, you might have a point.
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Old 01-23-2019, 05:18 PM
 
15,297 posts, read 7,334,822 times
Reputation: 19222
Quote:
Originally Posted by NC211 View Post
No, but the insurance company can "sell out" the insured, while the insured is left with little to nothing legally in his/her warchest to use against his/her insurance company.


I would at least have a personal lawyer looking over your shoulder for good measure and to keep your insurance company within their own boundaries.
The insurance company may settle the case for more than you think it's worth, but the insurance company is making the payment, not you. They still pay for an attorney to defend you, and that attorney can't do anything against your interest without becoming liable for malpractice. Again, we are talking about a situation where you get sued, not where you are trying to recover from your insurance.
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Old 07-29-2019, 06:52 AM
 
Location: California
1 posts, read 312 times
Reputation: 10
It's true in some cases. Yes you should get help from a third party in a case when your insurance company refuse to help you. by hiring a personal lawyer can get you the money you deserve by wasting any time and hassle free actions.
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