Insurance Company Ignores Arbitrator

Jun 25,2018

In a class example of “deny, delay and defend,” an auto insurance company refused to settle the claim of a mother and her two daughters who were T-boned back in October 2004.

Four years later, when an arbitrator awarded a total of $93,000 for the family’s injuries, the insurance company chose to continue to stonewall the claim until the case finally got to trial with a verdict in January 2010. Though on the eve of trial, the defense admitted negligence and offered to pay the arbitrator’s award, the jury returned a verdict of $283,000.

Though the defendant had hit the family’s van so hard that it threw it into the median, where it eventually knocked over a palm tree, the defense contended that the victims really shouldn’t have been injured in the crash. They also argued that they should have gotten well within a few months.

To support their frivolous defense, the insurance company hired an Oakland doctor to testify for them in Riverside, and paid him $9,000. In a published case against the Paul Revere Life Insurance Co., which had used the defendants’ doctor, the doctor was found to was found to be a biased examiner. The Paul Revere Life Insurance Co. was then ordered to pay more than $7 million for their bad faith in using the doctor to deny disability claims.

Our firm has been handling personal injury cases throughout the California Low Desert and High Desert communities for over 30 years. With a 95% success rate, the California personal injury attorneys at Walter Clark Legal Group will fight to hold those responsible for your loss accountable and win compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you have been injured in an auto accident and want to discuss your legal options, contact us today at (760) 777-7777 for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer. We have offices in Indio, Rancho Mirage, Victorville, El Centro, and Yucca Valley, and represent clients through the entire California Low Desert and High Desert communities.

DISCLAIMER: The Walter Clark Legal Group blog is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal or medical advice. References to laws are based on general legal practices and vary by location. Information reported comes from secondary news sources. We do handle these types of cases, but whether or not the individuals and/or loved ones involved in these accidents choose to be represented by a law firm is a personal choice we respect. Should you find any of the information incorrect, we welcome you to contact us with corrections.