The Giardino Law Firm Inc

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Why you need a personal injury lawyer...
In the words of former Allstate adjuster Jo Ann Katzman, “We were told to lie by our supervisors." A senior executive at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the group representing those who are supposed to oversee the industry, said, “The bottom line is that insurance companies make money when they don’t pay claims.”
The insurance company essentially uses a combination of low ball offers and hardball litigation. When policyholders file a claim, they are often offered an unjustifiably low payment for their injuries, generated by using secret claim-evaluation software called Colossus. Those that do not settle frequently get the “boxing gloves,” an aggressive litigation strategy that aims to deny the claim at any cost. Former Allstate employees call it the “three D's”: deny, delay, and defend.
Once example is Debra Potter, who for years sold Unum disability insurance policies until she herself became disabled and had to stop working. Potter developed multiple sclerosis and filed a disability claim with her insurer Unum. Unum denied the claim and told Potter her conditions were “self-reported.” Potter’s physician responded with a series of memos testifying to her problems, saying “there is no basis to support that her complaints are anything other than legitimate.” Unum continued to deny the claim for three years, even after appeals from Potter’s employer, BB&T, and after the Social Security Administration had concluded she was totally disabled. Only when Potter hired an attorney did Unum eventually agree to pay the claims. All along, Potter thought she was helping people protect their future, but when her own time of need came, her claim was denied by Unum, the very company whose policies she had sold. In cases like these, and countless others, the insurance companies will do anything to avoid paying claims.
McKinsey & Co. was a consulting giant in the mid-1990s that was hired to boost Allstate’s bottom line. One particular power point slide McKinsey prepared for Allstate featured an alligator and the caption “sit and wait” –emphasizing that delaying claims will increase the likelihood that the claimant gives up. According to former Allstate agent Shannon Kmatz, this would make claims “so expensive and so time-consuming that lawyers would start refusing to help clients.” Former Allstate adjusters say they were rewarded for keeping claims payments low, even if they had to deceive their customers.

The above information was obtained from the researchers at the American Association for Justice (AAJ). For more information about the worst insurance companies in America, contact the AAJ.
We'll fight for you
At The Giardino Law Firm, our San Antonio personal injury lawyers are committed to fighting the big insurance companies that try to deny, delay, and defend your valid claims. Our San Antonio personal injury attorneys will work hard to help you recover the cash compensation you deserve, including your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, disfigurement, and property damage. With our personal injury law firm on your side, you no longer have to feel powerless against the big insurance companies. If you or a loved one has been injured, call us...we'll level the playing field and fight for you and your family.

Not sure if you have a case? Call us for a free consultation with an experienced San Antonio personal injury lawyer. Be aware that there are statutes of limitation running on your case. This means that there is a very limited amount of time in which you can file a lawsuit against the responsible parties. If you miss an applicable statute of limitation for a certain cause of action, you will be forever barred from pursuing that cause of action against the responsible parties. Call us now before it's too late.

Our San Antonio personal injury attorneys are committed to providing you with the personal attention you deserve. Call us now so that we may start working on your case and begin gathering important evidence, locating witnesses, and defending against the underhanded and unscrupulous tactics often employed by the big insurance companies.