Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

An insurance defense lawyer backed by special interest lobbyists from the insurance industry have submitted a bill known as the loser pay law. The name in itself is misleading and fraudulent in that the loser does not pay attorneys fees -only Texas families will pay attorneys fees under the bill.

In truth, it is not a loser pay law- it is a only one party pays-Texas families. Specifically what the bill is designed to do is to make Texas families who are forced to file a lawsuit defended by an insurance company to pay the insurance company's lawyers if they don't cover enough money.

When an insurance company fraudulently denies a legitimate claim and a family wins the lawsuit-the insurance company who lost the case and have mounted a frivolous defense does not have to pay the legal fees of the Texas family.

It is NOT A LOSER PAY LAW! INSURANCE COMPANIES DONT HAVE TO PAY-ONLY FAMILIES ARE ASKED TO PAY THE INSURERS LAWYERS!!

However, when a Texas family brings a claim if they win the case but don't recover enough money under this bill they will be required to pay the legal fees of the insurance company. This unfair pro-insurance -anti-family law is a travesty and should cause outrage by Texas families.

Texas is faced with a frivolous lawsuit problem right now and that is that insurance companies are forcing litigation on Texas families by denying legitimate claims and then using in-house or employee lawyers to fight the case.

In other words insurance companies are making it so expensive for a family to process a claim because they have to go to court for any type of fairness. Given the family pay law that is proposed by the insurance lobby- insurance companies abusive claims practices in Texas will be multiplied by 10.

Texas does not regulate its insurance industry claim practices and that has led to numerous abuses by insurance carriers at the expense of Texas families.

This new bill will make that situation much worse and anytime you put an insurance company's interest above a Texas family-something stinks.

Call your representative and tell them to vote no on the Texas family pay law!
Similar posts: Texas family pay law
http://www.texastriallawyers.com/blog/texas-insurance-companies-press-"family-pay-law"

Everyone owns the obligatory vehicle insurance - and at the time of purchase we may peruse the specifics of the policy. But very few of us walk around with the details of the coverage nestled securely at the front of our consciousness. In fact, we most likely never give our insurance a second thought - until we need it.

Then we're scrambling to familiarize ourselves (even memorize) the exact coverage we purchased. Let us consider some of the more common questions a driver may ask after an accident.

What is a underinsured motorist coverage or uninsured motorist coverage? This type of coverage protects you if you are in an accident with a person who has no insurance or in a bad accident with a person who only has a minimum limit policy.

Is it mandatory to report any and all accidents to your insurance company? The response to this is 'YES' - it goes to the question of future liability.

However, in reality, many people involved in fender benders tend to take or offer money in lieu of a claim - which is an unfortunate and dangerous precedent that could present problems to the driver 'down the road' so to speak.

If your vehicle is totaled what monetary compensation can you expect? Even though a vehicle may be worth its weight in gold to you - the dollar value you will receive will be determined by an evaluation of its actual value. The vehicle's year of manufacture, number of miles and other factors will be taken into consideration - often through the use of a tool known as the 'blue book' value.

Because the topic of vehicle insurance is so important - we will certainly revisit it in future posts.

Continue reading "Insurance Claims from an Accident" »

Suffering from an injury after a car accident should not be taken lightly. It is usually a good idea to consult with knowledgeable Los Angeles car accident lawyer before you talk to an insurance adjuster.

Car accident victims are often affected by their accident in a dramatic way. This can leave you permanently disabled and unable to work. If you have suffered from a serious personal injury accident, you want to recover a maximum settlement. A catastrophic injury accident can cause physical damages, medical expenses, loss of work, property destruction, pain, stress, and mental anguish.

After a car accident in California how do injured victims get the money they deserve? The key to receiving a fair settlement after your accident is to keep a detailed record of both your economic and non-economic damages.

One of the cruel realities of dealing with an insurance company is that you will be tested when you are at your weakest. In order to receive fair compensation from the insurance company you will need to be preparing your injury claim. The best way to do this is by recording all of your damages in great detail.

There will be two types of damages you can collect in a personal injury claim. The first is economic damages. Economic damages are any monetary costs that you have had to pay. This will include medical bills, loss wages, receipts for any purchases (including those paid for by the insurance company), and services that you are unable to perform because of your injuries, and any loss of property, and future loss wages.

The second type of damage you can collect are non-economic damages. Non-economic damages are not easily summed up with a monetary value. These can be opportunities you have lost out on, the pain and suffering you have endured, stress, mental anguish, and humiliation and loss of companionship.

Continue reading "The Secrete Behind Maximizing Your Los Angeles Car Accident Claim" »

There is a wealth of statistics related to driving available with just the stroke of a computer key. Some of them are interesting - others alarming - and still others mildly entertaining. Consider the following bits of information.

A recent study found that there are over 2 hundred million licensed drivers in this country alone. That would mean that there are several billion drivers world-wide.
Currently each and every driver on the road has a near-miss driving experience up to three times a month and will be in an actual accident an average of once every eight years.

If population statistics remain on target then the seventy and older segment will be the largest subgroup of drivers in this country in fifteen years. As you might suspect, they will also make up the majority of accidents - particularly those that involve turning left or right in front of other vehicles.

In all, the annual cost of vehicle collisions will rise to over 450 billion dollars.
Recent data confirms that there are over 7 million vehicle accidents in this country each and every year! Half of these result in varying degrees of physical injuries to victims.

Finally, in a statistic that proves teenage drivers are lead foots behind the wheel of the car - the chances that a teen driver will receive a speeding ticket are 22% more likely than that of their senior citizen counterparts.

Now keep these statistics in mind when you set out on the open road.

Continue reading "Over 7 Million Car Accidents a Year in the US" »

If you have a young man or woman who is about to turn 16 years of age and get his or her driver's license - be prepared for a hefty added expense.

The cost to insure your child as a driver continues to spiral with some estimates placing the number as high as a 44% increase in your annual insurance bill if you have one car. For two vehicles the cost skyrockets as much as 58% and 3 cars - well be prepared to add up to 62% of the original payment every 30 days or so!!

However, there are several steps that can be taken that will help to reduce the amount of the monthly premium. Consider the following advice.

1. Press your child to make good grades in school. Most insurance companies now offer discounts to students that keep a grade point average above a certain level. If your current insurance company does not offer this type of cost advantage then I suggest it's time to start shopping around for another one.

2. A number of electronic devices are now available to parents that will allow you to monitor the behavior of your young adult when he or she is behind the wheel of the family vehicle. While some parents may think keeping track of your child in a car goes beyond the acceptable level of trust - others are thrilled to be able to have the opportunity for continued oversight.

3. Model safe driving habits for your children so that they may naturally become a part of your child's driving 'repertoire'. This includes such things as making sure everyone is safely belted in before turning the car on and driving defensively. Talk your driving decisions through out loud so your child understands the decisions you are making behind the wheel.

Continue reading "Insurance Costs for Teens" »

According to police and a bowler of a semi truck was killed when he was attempting to wreck his rig in order to collect insurance money.

The semi truck was being driven on the highway near the North Loop about 2 AM. Please indicate that 26-year-old man jumped out of the semi truck just before it crashed.

According to reports, a witness indicated that the driver jumped out of the cab and sustained a head injury, which proved fatal.

Authorities indicate that the purpose of the truck crash was to intentionally wreck a vehicle for insurance proceeds.

This tragedy should have never happened. One lesson to be learned from this truck accident is that even big rigs can be dangerous in accidents. Certainly accidents are nothing to take for granted and each life is precious.

The biggest mistake I see when folks try to settle their own injury case is that they trust the adjuster and expect the adjuster to be reasonable and fair. Adjusters work for the insurance company- they get paid to pay you as little as they possibly can. Fairness is not part of the equation.

Many people contact us long after the accident in which a loved one was hurt and just after they have their first discussion with the insurance adjuster about what the insurance company wants to pay for their injury claim. Frequently folks attempting to settle the case themselves actually hurt their case by one or more of the following:

• Giving a recorded statement;
• Not getting photographs of the vehicles or scene;
• Not getting proper medical care or waiting a long time to get care; and
• Letting key evidence get away;

Continue reading "THINKING OF HANDLING YOUR OWN INJURY CLAIM?" »