Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Case Study: Once Again Allstate Tries To Avoid Paying A Legitimate Claim
In November 2003, 36 year-old Christina Hoover* was driving in the west bound lanes of Interstate 90 about 2 miles west of Cle Elum. Her husband was riding in the front passenger seat. The defendant, Sally Hinkle, was driving her vehicle in the adjacent lane but 3 to 4 car lengths ahead. The defendant then suddenly changed lanes in front of Ms. Hoover, causing her to lose control, spin 180 degrees and come to a stop sideways in the middle lane. Following behind was a 33 foot motor home towing a Jeep truck. The motor home could not stop in time and T-boned Ms. Hoover's vehicle sending it spinning back into the cement jersey barrier.
The defendant was insured by Allstate Insurance Company. Allstate's lawyer denied that the defendant was responsible for causing the collision and claimed that a trucker moved into her lane, causing the defendant to make an emergency lane change into Ms. Hoover's lane.
Mr. Davis tracked down the motor home driver and his wife. These witnesses did not support the defendant's version of the accident. They stated that the defendant made an abrupt lane change without being forced over by the truck. Mr. Davis also took the deposition of the Washington State Patrol Trooper who investigated the collision. The Trooper also stated that truck driver had nothing to do with causing the collision and that the defendant was solely to blame. Despite these witness accounts, Allstate refused to concede liability thereby forcing Ms. Hoover to go to trial.
Ms. Hoover received severe "whiplash" injuries to her cervical spine. An MRI revealed "cervical kyphosis" or the abnormal curvature of the spine. The MRI also showed a "disc protrusion" or herniation at C5-6. Ms. Hoover could not return to work as a self-employed cleaning lady. She incurred medical expenses of approximately $23,000 over a 3 year period.
Before a lawsuit was filed Ms. Hoover was willing to accept $25,000 to settle her claim, but Allstate refused. Several months after filing suit, Ms. Hoover again offered to accept $25,000 to settle her claim. Allstate refused again.
The jury found that Ms. Hinkle was 100% responsible for causing the accident and rejected her claim that the truck driver was at fault. The jury's verdict was for $379,664. The judge then awarded attorney fees and expenses of $107,887, bringing the total verdict to $487
The plaintiff was represented by her attorney Christopher Michael Davis of Bellevue. Allstate hired John C. Moore of Seattle to defendant Ms. Hinkle. *Names have been changed to protect our client's privacy.
Personalized Service at its Best: Nationwide And Allstate Insurance
When you are seeking to get car insurance, you have several choices, even when it comes to getting personalized service. Two companies that are competitive with one another include Allstate Insurance and Nationwide Insurance. Of the two, Allstate has been around for a longer period of time and is considered to be the premium car insurance company in the United States.
There are two types of insurance that you can get for your car - premium insurance and secondary insurance. You have probably seen the ads for discount insurance for other companies that give you a lower rate. What many people do not realize is that the discount insurance also means that you do not get personalized service that you can get when you have Allstate or Nationwide Insurance.
Locating your Insurance Agent
You can get Allstate Insurance with an Allstate agent. To find an Allstate insurance agent in your area, you need only look in the phone book or go online. You can get a quote from him or her and then sign a policy if you like the quote. You can also get insurance for your home and even life insurance from these companies. Both Nationwide and Allstate have insurance agents that sell their products exclusively, but Allstate is a more popular company. You may have more luck in finding an Allstate agent than you do when looking for an agent that sells Nationwide Insurance.
The Premium Difference
When it comes to cost of premiums, you will pay more for Allstate Insurance than you will for Nationwide Insurance. Allstate also has accident forgiveness policies that will not raise your insurance if you get into one accident. This is something that is a bit different than other insurance carriers, most of which will raise your insurance premiums if you get into an accident or have tickets. Nationwide Insurance has attractive premium rates and will give you a good policy for your money, but does not have the number of offices and agents as Allstate.
Weighing the Pros & Cons between Nationwide and Allstate Insurance
When it comes to accidents and claims, you can expect to be very well represented by Allstate Insurance. Allstate has an in house counsel to defend lawsuits as well as pursue claims against other drivers. Nationwide uses an outside counsel for most of their litigation, as is the case with most insurance companies. You will talk to claims adjusters for both companies if you happen to get into an accident.
Allstate insurance company is an ideal insurance company if you have a good driving record and are looking for personalized service along with good insurance rates. Nationwide Insurance company is also a good insurance company, but does not have the same level of personalized service as Allstate, although they do have more attractive premium rates.
The choice that you make when it comes to choosing car insurance between Allstate Insurance and Nationwide Insurance is between price and service. If you are willing to spend more money to insure better personal service, you may want to go with Allstate. If you are seeking a way to save money on your car insurance but still get a first rate insurance company