Insurance Fraud and Other Problems
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. Doctors who knowingly over-treat plaintiffs in order to build personal injury cases are also 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. They 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. While no one can blame the defense for having a certain skepticism, everyone loses when the meritorious case is treated like a potential fraud. Everyone also 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 average, honest citizens, and the reputable lawyers and doctors who work to assist them in achieving medical and financial relief from their injuries. Jurors 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. 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 him- or herself in an honorable way can the situation begin to be rectified.
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. Justice delayed may be justice denied.
