You hear a lot today about “tort reform.” What is it? Basically, it is an attempt by big business and insurance companies to limit your right to sue in court. Why does it matter? First, it matters because you have…
Posts Categorized In: Law
State Farm Hit for $8 MILLION in Punitive Damages
State Farm has been hit for $8,000,000 in punitive damages in Kansas. Unfortunately, Kansas law has a cap on non-economic damages (non-economic damages are damages for things other than wage loss, medical bills, repair or replacement cost of the vehicle)….
Are You At Fault When You Have No Insurance?
This issues gets brought up all the time. I have had people call me and say “Your client is at fault for this accident.” I ask, “Why?” They say, “He was uninsured. You cannot drive without insurance. So, he should…
Three Questions to Ask Before You Sue Someone
Clients come in to me once in a while with a very simple plan: I want to sue X. They then lay out all of the reasons that they should sue this person. I listen, and sometimes I agree, and…
Man Charged with Selling Fake Insurance Policies
The California Department of Insurance has arrested a Texas man for selling fake insurance policies. Apparently, this individual had his insurance license expire, but continued to sell policies for almost 4 years. He had offices in Texas, California and New…
Do Not Burn Your Own Car
Apparently, due to high gas prices, some people are burning their own cars. This would be a bad thing to do. Burning your own car is insurance fraud. It is a felony in California. If you cannot afford your car,…
Insurance Fraud – Again!!!!!!
This is a story that really annoys me. An attorney has been accused of insurance fraud. He was, allegedly, the mastermind behind an insurance fraud operation that would recruit people to get into accidents. Apparently, some of these people were…
California Fair Claims Practices Act
A lot of people are unsure of their rights when they have an insurance claim. The insurance companies are supposed to send you a letter explaining your rights, but somehow it does not make it to everyone. However, I found…
Another Bad Faith Verdict
Here is another example of an insurer’s bad conduct towards one of its own policyholders. In this case, American Family Mutual Insurance failed to pay $125,000 in lost wages to a Univ of Colorado professor. A jury awarded him almost…
Caps on Damages
There are a lot of politicians out there now running around talking about caps on pain and suffering. They usually attack medical malpractice awards and try to limit damages to $250,000 as is done in California. But, before you listen…