People often wonder about the extraordinarily high cost of auto insurance, particularly in big cities. You will not be surprised to hear that there is blame to go all around. The people who bring fraudulent claims and their lawyers contribute mightily to the problem. And the doctors who knowingly over treat plaintiffs in order to build personal injury cases are obviously at fault.

   The insurance industry and its lawyers deserve a large share of the blame too. They frequently refuse to offer fair compensation until the parties reach the courthouse steps. Insurance companies and their lawyers force extended delays before offering fair compensation while they exhaustively investigate every possible suspicion of fraud. This greatly, and often unnecessarily, increases everyone’s litigation costs. Who can blame the defense for having a certain amount of skepticism? But everyone loses when the meritorious case is treated like a potential fraud. Everyone loses when reasonable settlement efforts are not made until all of the time and money has been spent preparing for trial.

   The widespread public perception of fraud in personal injury cases badly hurts the average honest citizen and the reputable lawyers and doctors who work to assist them in achieving medical and financial relief from their injuries. Juries who read in the newspaper about the allegations of fraud can be expected to return lower money verdicts when they decide personal injury cases.

   There is no easy answer to the problem of insurance fraud. Stepped up investigations by the Justice Department and state prosecutors is an important start. It is useless to hope that those responsible for the problem will voluntarily change their methods. Yet only through each individual taking care to conduct himself in an honorable way can we begin to rectify this situation.

   It is absolutely inexcusable for citizens, lawyers, and doctors to present anything but totally legitimate personal injury claims. If you have been injured due to the negligence of another, you need to be sure you select a lawyer and a doctor who are respected for their integrity. Otherwise prepare for a very long wait before you receive compensation for your injuries. Never forget that justice delayed may very well be justice denied.