Insurance companies that deny or delay legitimate claims could face civil penalties up to 1 MILLION dollars.

According to an article in The Detroit Free Press, Insurance companies that drag out or deny legitimate claims are the targets of hearings this week led by House Democrats, who said Monday that those companies should be fined up to $1 million and their executives charged with crimes.

The Democrats' 12-bill package would allow the state insurance commissioner to levy a fine of up to $1 million. It would create civil penalties up to triple the cost of the original claim and 5-year felonies for insurance company executives who encourage wrongful denial of claims.

Insurance industry spokespeople criticized the proposal as "politically motivated, unnecessary and likely to drive up insurance costs with frivolous lawsuits."

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE -

www.freep.com/article/20090714/NEWS15/907140330/1008/NEWS06

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RECOVERING FROM A PERSONAL INJURY? Concerned about medical bills and lost wages? Is the insurance company delaying, denying or defending?

You have a right to recover compensation for your injuries. An auto accident or other serious injury can involve complex legal issues, insurance companies, significant costs and can lead to extended litigation. Whether you are concerned about recovering medical expenses and lost wages, or you are worried about preserving your claims, you need immediate and experienced legal assistance to maximize your recovery and ensure that your rights are protected.

Unfortunately, many accident victims are sometimes reluctant to file an insurance claim. Historically, BIG INSURANCE COMPANIES sometimes try and make accident victims feel guilty about filing claims. In Florida auto accident cases, consumers have been brainwashed into thinking, “if I make a claim, my insurance rates will go up.” Because of this thought process, many accident victims do not make a Florida PIP claim for medical expenses or lost wages and also do not make a uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) motorist claim because they do not want their rates to go up.

QUESTION? – "Why have you been faithfully paying your insurance premiums?" Insurance coverage. RIGHT ANSWER! You are entitled under the terms of your insurance contract to make a claim. However, some insurance claim representatives and adjusters try and make accident victims feel greedy or unreasonable if they want to seek legal help or call an attorney.

THE TRUTH IS, you are entitled to collect for your damages due to the negligence of another. An injured victim should be able to collect for both their economic and non-economic damages.

REMEMBER, there is nothing greedy about seeking compensation for a personal injury. The insurance company claim representatives and adjusters do not go around handing money. An insurance company claim representative or adjuster may try to “settle” or “take care of your out of pocket expenses, and let me give you a few extra dollars for any future out of pocket expenses” soon after the accident, or even before you know the type and full extent of your injuries. BEWARE! If you accept a check from an insurance claim representative or adjuster you may be waving your rights to any future compensation. DO NOT sign any paper “acknowledging that you received a check.” DO NOT sign a Medical Authorization so that the adjuster can “request your medical bills and records” without first consulting with an attorney. Your medical records are protected under HIPAA laws.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Insurance_Portability_and_Accountability_Act

Over the years we have seen that many accident victims have some misconceptions about filing legal claims after sustaining a personal injury. Many times accident victims assume that they are “suing” the person or company if they seek the assistance of an attorney. When an accident victim hires an attorney to represent them for a personal injury, their case maybe settled without the need of formal litigation. In many cases we have seen that a pre-suit mediation conference was the right venue to bring a victim’s personal injury case to settlement. However, there have been times when we have seen that an accident victim’s case cannot be settled without the need of formal litigation and sometimes even a jury trial.

One mistake many accident victims make is not getting the proper legal counsel before making important decisions that could affect them for the rest of their life. If you or a loved one has been injured, you should always speak to a qualified attorney before you sign anything. There is no obligation if you speak to an attorney and get legal advice. Many experienced personal injury attorneys in Florida offer an initial FREE CONSULTATION, so that you may ask questions and can learn about your legal options.

The qualified injury law team at the TRIPP LAW FIRM – Personal Injury Law and Injury Attorney G. Alan Tripp, Jr., will help you as you are recovering from a personal injury. Call the TRIPP LAW FIRM at (888) 392-LAWS (5297) for an immediate FREE TELEPHONE CONSULTATION. We are available 24 hours a day. NO FEE OR COSTS UNLESS YOU WIN.

www.trippfirm.com

Insurers "put on notice" over raising premiums, denying claims unfairly.

Bloomberg News (4/9, Frye) reported, "U.S. property and casualty insurers posted the biggest sales decline in half a century last year as corporations and individuals scaled back purchases, an industry group said today."

Now, "investment losses and slim profits have prompted carriers around the world to demand higher rates on some lines of business coverage, Brian Duperreault, chief executive officer of Marsh & McLennan Cos., the second-biggest insurance broker, said in a February interview."

As a result, "insurance buyers should prepare to confront rising premiums and tighter claims-paying policies as carriers seek to rebuild their finances, the American Association for Justice, a lawyers group, said today in a statement."

Ray De Lorenzi, a spokesman for the AAJ, said, "The insurance industry is being put on notice... Any attempt to use this economic crisis to unfairly raise premiums or systematically deny just claims will not go unnoticed."

If your insurance company has unreasonably delayed payment of your Florida PIP benefits or denied payment of your uninsured motorist insurance claim - call the TRIPP LAW FIRM at (888) 392-LAWS (5297) for an immediate case evaluation.

http://www.trippfirm.com/