In the past several decades, more victims of motor vehicle collisions have been turning to legal professionals to help them get compensation. While the insurance companies and their representatives don't seem happy about the increase in accident victims with personal representation, it is good news for consumers if more people who get hurt are getting help from an accident attorney in Fort Worth.
Car accidents can be really expensive and insurance is supposed to cover the costs when an injury happens. Unfortunately, in realty, the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association has revealed that motor vehicle collision victims end up covering about 26 percent of the costs of collisions. Healthcare provides and charities have been covering about 14 percent and federal and state revenue goes to pay nine percent of costs respectively. Private insurers only pay about 50 percent of motor vehicle crash costs.
Insurers may not be doing their part to pay the costs of collisions because many insurance companies are denying legitimate claims or using other unfair tactics to try to deprive people of compensation they deserve. The fact that more people are hiring lawyers is a reflection of the need for advocates to stand up to insurers behaving badly and is a good sign that people are protecting their rights.
More Collision Victims are Getting Help
The American Association for Justice published a disturbing report that shows clearly why more people need legal help after collisions. The report focused on some tactics used by the 10 worst insurance companies in the country. These insurance companies are doing things like offering pizza parties and other incentives for employees to encourage insurance agents to deny as many claims as they possibly can. The insurance companies are also vigorously defending cases when victims dare to try to actually get paid for covered claims, and are delaying paying out claims for as long as they possibly can until people get desperate or can no longer take action to recover compensation.
Individuals who have been hurt in car accidents usually cannot stand up to these big insurers on their own. Fortunately, the Insurance Research Council (IRC) has revealed that the number of people hiring lawyers is increasing. In 2007, 31 percent of personal injury protection (PIP) claimants had a lawyer representing them. By 2012, 36 percent of people making a claim under personal injury protection were represented by an attorney. Likewise, 49 percent of people making a bodily injury claim had a lawyer in 2007 and this number had risen to 50 percent of bodily injury claimants in 2012.
While this is good news for consumers, the IRC has tried to put a very negative spin on it. The IRC claims that it can take longer for people to get payouts when they have a lawyer. Delaying is a major tactic not of lawyers but of insurers. Insurers may also try to get quick settlements so people accept less money and give up their legal rights even before they know the full extent of their injuries. Delay is not always a bad thing if victims wait a little longer but are able to get the legal help they need to make informed choices and negotiate effectively with an insurer.
If you or a loved one has been injured in Fort Worth, TX contact Coby L. Wooten, Attorney at Law, P.C. at 800-994-1966 or visit https://www.cobywootenlaw.com.