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So. You've got car insurance. You're even paying monthly premiums to one of the "name brand" insurance companies. You're covered, right? We.....Read More»

When Your Car Insurance Doesn’t Insure You

When Your Car Insurance Doesn’t Insure You

So. You've got car insurance. You're even paying monthly premiums to one of the "name brand" insurance companies. You're covered, right?

Well, maybe not. A recent case out of Dallas, Texas demonstrates that having good insurance with reasonable limits doesn't necessarily protect you if you get into a car accident.

A Dallas woman and her two children were injured when another Dallas woman hit the truck they were riding in. The injuries weren't too bad, nothing life-threatening, but the woman in the truck had almost $15,000 in medical bills and another $3,300 in property damage.

The driver of the car was found to be liable for the accident. Again, no big deal because she had good car insurance, a $20,000 limit, was a long-time customer of the company and had paid her bill on time every month.

But, when the victim offered to settle for less than the policy limits, the insurance company balked and the victim was forced to sue the driver of the car. In other words, the insurance company refused to settle, even though the amount of the settlement was well within the limits of the insurance and the insured was clearly liable.

Unfortunately, this isn't unusual. Texas car insurance companies regularly refuse to settle legitimate claims, even when their customers are at fault and even when the claims are within the policy limits. This practice leaves their own insured drivers at considerable financial risk. In this case, the jury award was $43,000 in medical, damages, court costs and attorney fees.

If you are involved in a traffic accident, even if you have "good" insurance and are not at fault, be very, very careful. If you are in any doubt, you should get in touch with an experienced car wreck attorney for professional insight.