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The answer is simple, because it increases the bottom line.  For a perfect example, let's look at State Farm and its recent earning release.  In the year 2009, State Farm was able to increase its combined net worth an additional $4.8 billion to $58.1 billion.  Holy cow that's a lot of money!  The insurance giant noted the primary reason for the increase (improvement) were gains in its unaffiliated stock portfolio.  Really?  Isn't the stock market in a two-year slump?  Let's take a closer look at why insurance claims for personal injury are denied or minimized by adjusters.

Insurance companies generally survive off of their investments, typically in the form of annuities and stocks.  However, these investments are funded by insurance premiums collected from policyholders.  So what reduces the amount of funds available to populate insurance company's investments? Personal injury and property damage claims, plain and simple.  So you see, automobile insurance companies such as State Farm may attribute growth based on stock gains, but the bottom line is this:  denied claims and low-ball settlement offers are one, if not the primary, means of making an insurance carrier more "profitable."

As an injury lawyer in St. Louis, Mo, I face State Farm, and other large car insurance companies each day in my law practice.  The experience is never pleasant.  These insurance companies retain expensive defense lawyers and instruct them to drag out, delay, and potentially deny legitimate accident injury claims that result from car accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and fall, and other incidents that involve negligence and legally-recognized harm. 

Remember when you are involved in a crash or other incident that results in an injury, that ultimately you will be dealing with an insurance company that has but one goal, to be as profitable as possible.  These companies have gone so far as to use claims computer software that completely removes the human element of reviewing an injury.  It's unfortunate because many claims involve horrific injuries or fatalities that require the empathy and sympathy of someone with a brain.  You only have one opportunity to receive fair and just payment for your injuries from that at-fault party's insurance company.  Contact an experienced accident injury lawyer and obtain free advice on the best approach in your specific case.
 

What lengths do think a large insurance company will go to in an effort to influence a judge?  What about a judge that would later hear the appeal of a verdict against that insurance company?  What about a verdict against that insurance company for $1 Billion?  As someone who fights with insurance companies each and every day, I was not suprised to come across this story.  In 2004, State Farm Insurance Company secretly contributed $2.4 - $4M to Judge Lloyd Karmeier in what was later discovered to be a calculated effort to influence the judge to reverse a $1 billion verdict against the insurance carrier. 

When the Court reviewed a potential for bias, State Farm told the court that they had only contributed $350,000 to Judge Karmeier's campaign, a clear misrepresentation of the truth.  In fact, they were several million short of what State Farm actually paid to the judge.  Not having a full picture of the total exchange of cash, the court ultimately held that there would not be any bias.  Well, that will likely change now that there is evidence of not only a material misrepresentation of fact, but one that has significant consequences. 

In light of this evidence, several attorneys have filed a class action lawsuit against State Farm Insurance Company, alleging amongst other things, fraud.  So what can we learn from this?  First of all, all the people that are advocates for 'tort reform', need to understand that the insurance companies should not be afforded any more protections than they already have.  Why limit what an injury victim can receive from an insurance company, when we continue to read stories about how insurance companies lie and obstruct justice.  From the claims practices of Allstate to this recent story involving State Farm, the list goes on and on.

As a personal injury attorney in St. Louis, Missouri, I vow to protect the rights of injury victims each day, both in and out of the courtroom.  Its a task I take seriously.  As an accident lawyer, I stand up against these insurance companies each day, companies that have billions of dollars in assets and who will go to any length to win, no matter if that involves lying and unethical conduct.  Its these kinds of stories that fuel me to continue that fight.

 

Folks injured in automobile accidents, by defective products, or at work have a right to fair compensation if someone else is legally responsible for causing those injuries.  That is where the role of a Missouri injury lawyer comes into play.  A lawyer can help maximize your compensation from a claim by providing a variety of services, which include 1) help obtaining the best medical treatment possible, even if you do not have health insurance 2) investigating and discovering all forms of compensation and insurance applicable to your injury 3) maintaining your right of privacy from probing insurance questions, and 4) negotiating an injury settlement that is satisfactory to your case.

Medical treatment is one of the most important aspects of any injury claim.  And breaking that down further into two components, 1) quality and 2) timeframe.  If you don't obtain the right type of treatment it can be just as damaging to your case as not getting treatment at all.  So if you have a spine injury, go see an orthopedist or neurologist that specializes in spine trauma.  Just like the law, medicine is broken into many, many specialties.  Second, getting the right treatment in the right timeframe is critical.  If you wait too long to get medical care, or have long "gaps in treatment" the insurance adjuster will likely lowball your case or deny it all together.  A personal injury lawyer can offer more advice on this important aspect of your case.

Investigating and discovering all insurance policies that apply your case is vital to maximizing settlement value.  Claims adjusters do their best to conceal available coverage, or mislead as to the 'policy limits' available to compensate an injury victim.  An injury attorney ends these games and ascertains all available insurance coverage, and determines what applies and what doesn't.  Sometimes insurance can be "stacked" to provide even additional compensation.  This aspect of the law is evolving in Missouri and predominantly determined by caselaw and policy language. 

Insurance companies love to uncover all your prior medical history, even if it bears no relevance to the case at hand.  They do this through the use of unrestricted medical record release authorizations that they will demand that you sign in order to present a claim for injury.  An accident injury lawyer would never permit this type of invasion of privacy to take place.   Prior health history can devalue your claim and ultimately lead to poor compensation when it comes time to negotiation of a settlement.  Rely on your lawyer to present only the evidence necessary to prevail in your accident injury claim, nothing more.  For more information, contact Missouri injury lawyer Stephen Schultz.  Mr. Schultz is AV-Rated and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Missouri for the 4th consecutive year.  He can be reached at (866) 840-3636 or locally at (314) 448-0934


  

When you are involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer, the damage to your vehicle and injuries to your body can be overwhelming.  As an 18-wheeler truck accident lawyer, I can tell you that the road to recovery, both physically and economically, can take a long, long time.  Insurance companies that insure large commercial trucking companies now that time is on their side, not the injury victim or surviving family members.  The longer they make someone hold out for compensation, the more likely the victim is to accept a grossly unfair amount of money.  Its extremely unfair and people in this situation are definitely taken advantage of. 

A Missouri truck accident lawyer can even the playing field.  Lawyers are familiar with the complexity of the laws that govern the commercial trucking industry.  They know what to look for when investigating a case and prosecuting it to a successful outcome.  Insurance companies have high-paid legal defense teams on retainer that work behind the scenes from the start to undermine the credibility of any tractor-trailer accident claim.  Its only fair that the victim have an attorney on their side to balance the scales.

Stephen Schultz has been representing trucking accident victims for years.  He is a member of APITLA, a highly respected organization dedicated to protecting the rights of persons injured in truck accidents.  Mr. Schultz only represents plaintiffs, and does so with the same conviction he wish he had when he was seriously injured in an automobile collision prior to enrolling in law school.  He knows, from personal experience, what it feels like to be badly injured in a crash and not knowing who to turn to for compassionate legal representation and what to expect from a lawsuit or settlement.

For more information, truck accident lawyer Stephen Schultz can be reached by visiting his website, SchultzLegalGroup.com, or by calling toll-free (866) 840-3636.

Our St. Louis personal injury law firm gets hundreds of calls each month from innocent victims injured in car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and by defective products.  We also field phone calls from family members who have lost a loved one because of the reckless conduct of someone else.  People don't call us because they have good news.  They call us because they are under a significant amount of duress and don't know where to turn for quality legal advice.  Our accident attorneys take great care in answering all questions and concerns and offer hope for those who don't understand the insurance claims process.

Unfortunately, insurance adjusters do not have the best interests of injury victims at heart.  In fact, claims adjusters are compensated to minimize injury claims and make sure that the insurance company doesn't pay out any more than the smallest amount legally possible.  Many of these claims are even denied.  The motto "deny, delay, defend" is commonplace in the insurance industry.  An experienced injury lawyer evens the playing field though, and most of the time an attorney can obtain 10-20X more compensation that a victim will be able to get on his or her own.  The threat of a jury trial is often enough to get the insurance company to act in good faith.  However, circumstances exist where insurance companies will remain defiant and unreasonable even when an attorney gets involved.  In that case, your lawyer will need to work up your case and possibly take it all the way through to a jury verdict.  After all, that is what the civil justice system is for.

An attorney is able to obtain a settlement most of the time, without dragging the case on for months or years.  Your lawyer will negotiate with the claims adjuster with evidence he has gathered, as well as a better understanding of the laws that apply and the many forms of damages and recovery that are available to the injury victim.  Claims adjusters are not about to educate you on all of the forms of compensation that you may be entitled to.  That will be the job of your lawyer.

If you have been hurt due to the fault of someone else, it is likely that several insurance companies may have a part in the claim.  A personal injury attorney will interpret all insurance policies that may apply to the accident in order to maximize recovery from the client.  In, fact, there are often times additional policies of insurance that the victim didn't even realize applied to the incident.  If you have questions, contact a lawyer by calling (314) 732-1401, or by email.  

As a partner at one of the most successful St. Louis personal injury law firms, I get calls each day from innocent victims of accidents.  Good people with significant injuries.  After speaking with the victim for a few minutes, I always get the question of what a personal injury claim is worth.  What is the settlement value of my case?  To first understand how to properly value a claim, each of us must understand that it is nearly impossible to gauge the settlement value of a claim until a person has concluded medical treatment.  This medical treatment must be inclusive of opinion reports from treating doctors as to any future medical care that may be necessary for the patients good medical care.

There are no two injury claims that are handled the same or valued the same.  Factors such as insurance company, venue, employment, family dynamic, and the defendant rarely are taken into consideration by most lawyers.  However, if you are looking for an opinion from a lawyer, it is important to make sure that he/she takes ALL of these factors into consideration, and more!   If you break your arm in a car accident, it will probably heal with little future concerns.  But if you injure your spine and are diagnosed with a bulging disc or herniated disc, then future complications, such as early onset arthritis, become a real concern that must come into play when demanding a settlement from the at-fault party.

If you are looking for advice from a lawyer when it comes to settlements, also consider that the value of any claim is much different when you talk about "jury value."  Obtaining justice from a jury is the only real way to determine what is fair for an accident injury claim.  In submitting your case to a jury, you enlist the help of your community to determine how much is fair in resolving your case.  Understand that settlement value and verdict value are two completely different things.  While a settlement can be a wise choice when liability and damages are in dispute, obtaining a verdict from a jury is always advisable in cases where the insurance company is unreasonable and the community must be called upon to properly judge the case.

To discuss the value of your particular case, contact St. Louis personal injury lawyer Stephen Schultz by calling (314) 448-0934.

So you have been injured and you think the hard part is over.  You have received medical treatment and doctors and the hospital want to be paid.  Your health insurance covered part of the bills, but there are co-pays, deductibles and other expenses that need to be paid out of your pocket.  To make matters more complicated, the ambulance service that took you to the hospital has decided not to submit your bill to health insurance.  Instead, the ambulance service decided to put a lien on your settlement directly with the car insurance company for the negligent driver that caused the crash.  The insurance claims adjuster tells you that no settlement can be paid to your directly...and that the ambulance service will be written a check directly from the insurance claims adjuster. 

So now you think it is time to negotiate an injury settlement with the insurance claims adjuster.  After presenting your evidence and  reasonable settlement demand, the claims adjuster comes back with a lowball offer.  It isn't fair.  Maybe your initial decision not to hire a Missouri personal injury lawyer was a poor choice.  You know start calling around and finally locate a quality St. Louis semi-truck accident lawyer. 

Insurance claims adjusters are highly skilled in negotiation.  Unfortunately, they are not highly trained in Missouri law and jury verdict trends.  A lawyer on your side is able to negotiate a fair settlement for any injury claim.  Many, many factors determine the value of a personal injury claim.  From venue to the judge, there are many considerations that injury victims and claims adjusters just don't appreciate.  It takes a lawyer who has experience in litigating cases to fully understand the accurate settlement value of an case.

Contact Missouri personal injury lawyer Stephen Schultz and get advice from an expert in handling injury cases throughout the state.  Mr. Schultz can be reached at (866) 840-3636 or by email. 

A common question that callers ask when contacting our St. Louis personal injury lawyers is: what do you charge for handling an injury claim?  The answer is nothing, unless our lawyers win your case.  This is a relief for most injury victims.  After all, most accidents cause financial stress on an unimaginable level.  The last thing that anyone in this position needs is a lawyer that charges a large up-front attorney retainer.  The attorneys fees that Schultz & Myers charges are contingency on the outcome of each case.  Therefore, our lawyers and clients share a common interest of reaching a successful outcome in each case.

There are many ways to contact an accident injury lawyer for advice on presenting an injury claim.  Some people use the internet.  The internet is a good resource for researching personal injury lawyers.  For example, using a search engine like Google or Yahoo and plugging in search terms such as "St. Louis car accident lawyer" will provide results that are a good starting point for choosing the best lawyer for your case.  It is wise to never choose an accident injury lawyer based upon how flashy a website is.  In fact, the Missouri ethical rules have made it a point to require lawyers to tell potential clients that decisions for legal representation should not be based solely upon advertisements. 

Choosing a lawyer based upon a referral from a friend or family member can also offer choices.  CAUTION:  Do not think that a lawyer referred by someone else is the right lawyer to handle a serious injury claim.  Traffic lawyers do not make good injury lawyers, and vice versa.  Would you seek a foot doctor if you had migraine headaches? No.  The same holds true with lawyers.  Yes, all lawyers have a general understanding of civil personal injury litigation.  The lawyers at Schultz & Myers would conceivably be able to assist a client with a Will, however, we would never do as good as a job as a lawyer who only does Wills.  Accident injury claims for compensation involve complex civil state statutory laws and civil court procedures.  Never take your serious injury case to a law firm that dabbles in all areas of law.  Chances are high that you will not receive all forms of compensation that you deserve.  

When choosing a personal injury lawyer, also bear in mind that going with the biggest law firm in town does not necessarily mean you are getting the best legal representation available.  It is important for all injury victims to get one-on-one personal service from a lawyer, especially in situations like these where the client is under a high degree of emotional and physical stress.  When selecting your lawyer, make sure that he or she plans on staying in touch with you personally on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

Do your homework before retaining any lawyer.  Personal injury claims require handling by an accident lawyer who has both experience and an aggressive strategy.  Without this, your claim can be drawn out for months or years while the lawyer does his best to feel his way through the complexities of these case types. 

Ever wonder why personal injury claims are more complex than other types of claims, such as a contract lawsuit?  One the main reasons for this complexity is that personal injury laws are constantly changing and evolving, as the Missouri Supreme Court takes up cases on appeal and rules accordingly.  Even Missouri statutes are changed by the Missouri Supreme Court, as they issue opinions that determine how a statute is to be interpreted.  While the Missouri Supreme Court cannot change personal injury law statutes themselves, they nevertheless can shape the way these cases are handled in the courts.

A St. Louis personal injury lawyer can be hired, "retained", to represent someone injured in a vehicle accident, work-related accident, product-related accident, or wrongful death claim.  Products liability cases and 18-wheeler accident cases can be particularly complex, as they involve federal statutes and laws that are not familiar to most personal injury attorneys.  Your injury attorney will work on a contingency fee basis, meaning he or she will not be paid attorneys fees unless you win your case.  This presents a genuine interest in all parties involved to due their part in ensuring success of the claim for compensation.  Many articles are out there regarding St. Louis personal injury lawyer seeking compensation for accident cases.  Do your research and find the best lawyer for you.

If you have been injured in an accident, contact an experienced personal injury attorney at Schultz & Myers by calling (866) 840-3636, or locally at (314) 448-0934.

This is a question that our Missouri personal injury attorneys at law are faced with almost daily by calls through our accident injury helpline.  Persons injured in car accidents, semi-truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and other accidents almost always do their best to first work things out with the insurance company claims adjuster on their own.  They learn the hard way that settlements and insurance claims adjusters are hard to understand and negotiate without a keen knowledge of personal injury law in Missouri.  The Missouri Rules of the Road, Missouri Rules of Evidence, Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure, Missouri Supreme Court Rules, and other statutory and local municipal laws will all play a part in each injury claim for monetary compensation.

So what to unfair insurance claims adjusters know that you don't?  Well, were do we start...First, the law, although a claims adjusters' knowledge of the law is crude and far less than satisfactory.  Second, extensive training in the art of negotiation of personal injury settlement claims.  Third, historical data that proves that car accident injury claimants that do not retain an attorney will accept much less than they would with the assistance of a car accident injury lawyer.  Claims adjusters are offered compensation plans that incentivize them to get you, the injury victim, to accept pennies on the dollar for your injury claim.

It is human nature to hope that others will sympathize with innocent victims of someone else's negligent driving habits.  I suppose this is partially true.  Your family, your friends, and your coworkers may all sympathize with you and offer their support for what you are going through.  After all, you are injured, medical bills are mounting, and you are unsure as to if you will ever completely heal from your injuries.  Think about it though.  All of the aforementioned persons do NOT have a financial incentive to treat you unfairly; they have no stake in your plight for justice.  Well you must understand that the insurance claims adjuster working on your injury claim has a direct financial stake in the outcome of your claim for money.  After all, the adjuster gets a bonus for minimizing your claim payout, he/she makes the boss happy, and the shareholders of the insurance company remain pleased.

Don't gamble with your one and only shot at compensation for an injury claim for compensation.  Get the insight necessary to recover a settlement that is commensurate with your injuries and harms.  Call the Missouri personal injury lawyers who even the playing field with insurance company claims adjusters.