Written by: Desi Martinez
Over the past sixteen years, the Texas legislature has chosen to side with the insurance lobby and their outrageous changes in the law. Changes that are meant to limit a consumers’ ability to recover against the very same harm insurance companies are meant to insure against.
An insurance company will always choose their self-interest over you. A dollar that doesn’t go into your pocket, is a dollar they put in their own. One in four Texas drivers can expect to be in a car collision during their lifetime. You may already know that if you are involved in a car crash, auto insurance will very likely be involved. What you may not know is that even if their bad driver is responsible for causing a crash, an insurance company will not treat you fairly. In the eyes of insurance companies throughout Texas, it is always the victim’s fault.
Insurance companies will continue to “Delay, Deny, and Defend” claims knowing that everyday Texans don’t have the time and legal resources to fight against them. The real question here? Should you always consult with an attorney when an insurance company is involved? Absolutely. When should you hire an attorney to represent you against an insurance company? As soon as possible.
If you are one of the countless number of citizens who feel guilty about calling auto insurance to start a claim after a car crash, you are not alone. Chances are that the insurance industry’s million-dollar tactics have worked, and you have thrown common sense aside. The public has been convinced that if you claim to be injured after a car crash, you are somehow in the wrong. If you feel this way, you are in the majority of folks who do not have experience fighting with the insurance industry. The auto insurance industry has spent millions of dollars and countless hours attempting to convince the public that Texas roads are rife with fraudulent claims. However, experience tells us otherwise. Even after a low impact car collision, doctors discover that the forces applied on the human body are powerful enough to cause significant injury.
It is no wonder that the insurance industry is motivated to deny valid claims against Texas citizens, and the Texas Legislature is all to ready to help them do it. Let’s look at the facts. The recent “Blue Tarp Bill”, makes it more difficult for a homeowner to make a claim against its own insurance carrier for windstorm related damages. This corporate sided legislation occurred after State Farm was hit with one of the largest penalties in United States history for wrongfully denying their homeowners’ valid claims. In the auto insurance industry, the Texas legislature sides with carriers in passing laws to continually help them. We can look to Texas’ last legislative session as proof. The insurance industry attempted to pass bills to limit the public’s rights in seeking recovery in auto crashes. Further, Texas is one of the only states in the union to have passed laws against victims, limiting their recovery against doctors who have seriously injured their own patients, in order to lessen the burden on insurance companies. All the while, insurance companies continue to collect premiums from doctors for policies that rarely, if ever, pay out.
With the odds already stacked against you, you must have the right weapon to fight against them. Time is of the essence. Take action immediately. Find a trustworthy and competent advocate to be at your side. Your silence means another win, more money, and another inch taken in favor of the insurance companies.
(See next blog on how to determine which Law Firm should represent you and your family.)