Not being a lawyer, you may not be aware that the Texas rules of evidence prohibits a lawyer from mentioning insurance in a case where the insurance company is not the defendant. In other words, if you find yourself on a jury hearing a claim for medical malpractice or a car accident, you won’t hear…
A recent article in the Austin American Statesman reveals that teen drivers in rural areas are at a greater risk of being involved in an accident that their urban counterparts. The article was based on a study by the Texas Transportation Institute released Tuesday which shows, among other things that rural teens are more likely…
Here is an excellent video of how insurance companies use ERISA to swoop in and take injury victim’s recovery money. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 is a federal law that protects employee benefit plan participants and their beneficiaries. Although it was initially aimed at safeguarding retirement plan benefits, it has seen…
Yesterday a new client called me. After being hit from behind on the freeway on the weekend, he was in severe pain and went to see his family doctor. The doctor he had always gone to when something was wrong. The doctor who knew him. The doctor who took his health insurance. The doctor who,…
Last Friday, the Texas Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Texas’ “first free bite” rule (allowing a dog owner to escape most legal liability if a previously gentle dog attacks) does not free owners of the responsibility of stopping an attack once it occurs. The so-called first-free-bite rule penalizes an owner who knows their pet is…
Yikes! I’m not the only one. Texas families saw their health insurance premiums soar 40 percent in five years – 10 times faster then their incomes increased, according to a report released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, N.J., a national foundation that promotes health care improvement. The foundations report, “Squeezed: How…
A large number of drivers on Texas highways and roads do not have auto insurance. A 60-day pilot project testing the Texas-Sure program (which allows law enforcement personnel to verify coverage status when they stop a motorist) focused on Travis County. During the test, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers found 25.5 percent of 5,012…
Here is a reprint of a Dear Abby column: Recently, a man ran a stop sign, rammed my car and left me with a broken back. From that I learned what a dim view insurance companies have of homemakers. When asked if I was losing time at work, I answered with an honest “yes.” Then…
A criminal flees the police at speeds topping 100 mph, crosses into oncoming traffic and smashes into a car. Sounds like a nightmare? It gets worse. His insurance company doesn’t want to pay up on his $300,000 auto insurance policy. The Texas Supreme Court will soon decide who deserves the law’s protection – the family…
