Moore Law Discusses the Multiple Fights Involved in Insurance Claims

On the most recent episode of Moore Law, host and local TV journalist Deb Haas and attorney co-host Don Moore took questions from viewers about “Fighting the Insurance Company.” Deb noted that Don used to work for an insurance company. “I sure did,” Don said, noting that he put himself through law school working as an insurance claims adjuster before he, his father, his uncle and his grandfather all represented insurance companies for years. “We don’t do that anymore,” Don said. “We only representpeople who have been injured.”

Don explained that there can be many fights involved in insurance claims. “When you have just a simple car wreck where there’s a serious injury involved, the first fight is going to be with your medical carrier because the medical carrier is the one that pays those bills right in the very beginning,” Don said. He went on to explain the carrier would assert its rights ahead of yours against the at-fault party’s insurance. “They try and get to that coverage first because they want their money back,” Don said. “If they pay a lot for medical bills, they’re going to try to put themselves ahead of you, and unfortunately, the law is on their side.”

Don went on to explain that another fight would then be with the at-fault driver’s insurance, arguing about whether or not there’s liability and whether it was their driver’s fault or not. “If it is their driver’s fault, then the next issue is what’s the value of your claim,” Don said. “That’s always up to dispute.”

Don then said that you will have a fight with your own insurance company if it becomes involved, with medical bills coverage and uninsured or underinsured coverage being at issue. “Those are things that you’re going to have to fight with your insurance company because they have people who … their full-time job, their education has been on how to minimize the amount they pay for the insurance company,” Don said. He noted that you may also have to fight about what your car is worth and how it will be repaired.

Don and Deb took a number of calls concerning car insurance, but viewers also called in with questions relating to homeowner insurance and health insurance as well. Deb asked Don how people should know which insurance company to pick, saying she had simply gone with the company her parents had used. Don said that staying with the same insurer the family had applies to “almost everybody,” himself included. “The best way to find out who is being most fair in their claims handling is to can go online and look for complaints,” Don said. “The other thing is to talk locally to lawyers, judges and people who are involved in the court system because they known which insurance companies deal unfairly or are just too tough on claims.”

The next episode of Moore Law is Monday, April 16, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. on WXIX-TV, FOX19. Deb and Don will be joined by Cincinnati attorney Richard D. Nelson to take viewer questions about bankruptcy.