PERSONAL INJURY
A sinful man died and was taken by the devil to his place of eternal tor-ment. As he passed sulfurous pits and shrieking sinners, he saw a man he recognized as one of his town’s local lawyers snuggling up to a beautiful woman. “That’s unfair!” the man he cried. “I have to roast for all eternity,and that lawyer gets to spend it with a beautiful woman.” “Shut up!” barked the devil, jabbing him with his pitchfork. “Who are you to question that woman’s punishment?”
We all hear jokes about lawyers circulate, and quite frankly, I love all jokes. But the problem with lawyer jokes is that some lawyers don’t think they’re funny, and some people think they’re not jokes. I’d like to take this opportunity to address some of the propagandapushed about many lawyers and the profession. It is certainly true that there is a percentage of attorneys that act improperly and against their clients’ interests; but that percentage is very small. But consider that in all occupations there are those individuals. Whether a man is a welder, stockbroker, farmer, or public servant, there is always an avenue for some of the worst human quali-ties to come out and overshadow the good and noble things in that profession. The practice of law is no different.
The above joke and the public vilification of lawyers has its purpose. The purpose is for Corporate America, mostly insurance companies, to use people’s pride and other tactics against themselves. Some fine people have come into my office and said, “I am not the suing type.” I informed them that a human being’s health is more important than any amount of money. But without forcing the company to pay, how can I get you close to the person you were before without money for proper medical treatment? The second thing I tell them is to understand that it is an insurance company’s contractual duty to place an injured person in the place they were before the accident occurred (or as close as they are going to get).
If you hear of a person who received a huge settlement, do not be envious, they have and probably will continue to suffer for a long time. The citizens of the State of Louisiana have recently experienced, first-hand, the tactics of insurance adjusters after the devastation of Katrina and Rita. Some who are reading this article received a visit from an adjuster who refused to provide them with fair market value for the repairs of their home. Or, the insurance company waited so long to help them, it almost seemed that it wasn’t even necessary any more.
AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS
18 WHEELER ACCIDENT
OFFSHORE ACCIDENTS
WRONGFUL DEATH
BURN INJURIES
WORKERS COMPENSATION CLAIMS
PRODUCTS LIABILITY
TOXIC TORTS
BRAIN INJURIES
*OTHER CIVIL WRONGS
Learn More about Insurance company tactics.