Here is a little secret insurance companies have pulled off, I had no idea was going on, their lobbyists are doing a great job for them.
Recently, a friend of mine went to a jury trial for an accident that happened about five years ago. The injuries that the plaintiff incurred were life changing and possibly forever. The defendant, an elderly man, had a team of lawyers but, to me, the plaintiff had a much better case, and damages that were extremely expensive and ongoing.
Sounds like the plaintiff should win, doesn’t it. Yes, it certainly did to me.
I remember quite well when my own son, back in 2013 had been hit by a car while he was on foot. He was in and out of the hospital and the young man who hit him had insurance and it paid.
Well, that was 2013 and now, get this, the lawyers are NOT allowed to mention that the defendant HAS insurance. INSURANCE is not mentioned in the trial. Nope. So the jury is sitting there thinking that the old man has to pay for the damages and they are burdened by feeling sorry for the defendant. In this case, the defendant had more than adequate insurance, he had the full boat.
The jury considered all the facts but felt badly for the plaintiff and had no idea that there was insurance involved so they handed down what they thought was a good solution, a dollar amount that sounded good in their minds, 150K, BUT, in reality was not adequate at all.
IF you get a jury summons, please know that if it is a civil case involving an automobile accident, you won’t know, as a juror, that there is any insurance at all.
Crazy?
I thought so.
Please know that as a juror YOU have all the cards, you can give more than the attorneys are asking for if you feel inclined, and it is the law now that they cannot, repeat, CANNOT mention the very word, INSURANCE.
I thought this was important to put here on Harry because I surely had no idea that this was the law of the land now and everyone should know.
So, if you become one of the twelve on a jury, they will be keeping this very big fact from you but if you are in the courthouse on this, you can assume, quite rightly, that there is insurance.
I think this is wrong, oh, so wrong but here it is.
H
