Oklahoma, like many states I’m sure, has statutes which require insurance companies to settle claims in "good faith." I’ve made previous comments regarding the issue of good faith actions by insurance companies, but in this post, I’d like to discuss unfair settlement practices.
Unfortunately, some insurance companies opt to treat their insured individuals with disrespect when [...]
A blog about legal issues facing Oklahomans
Category Archives: Common Legal Issues
Settling an Insurance Claim
Cutting out “The Middleman”
I‘ll be the first lawyer to admit that there are some legal tasks that you can handle without needing an attorney. For instance, you can probably form an LLC (remember the commercial?) without needing an attorney’s help, but why? Especially when there’s so much to lose, and so little to gain.
I believe some fear the [...]
Who’s Paying My Bills?
An automobile accident is never good. When you’re a passenger in the vehicle, it can be even worse, especially if you’re injured.
Often, the difficult task is determining who’s at fault (your driver or the other driver), and moving forward with treatment. One question I’m asked is "who pays for my medical bills?"
In Oklahoma, your rights [...]
Keep Your Mouth Shut
The Fox show, Cops, is one of my all-time favorite programs. It’s the original reality show, and each time I watch I’m usually speechless. Most of the time, I can’t believe how much information the charged individual is telling the arresting officer. I’m sure most of the people have been arrested before, so I’m sure [...]
Going Phishing, and Doing it Poorly
Here’s a cleverly written email we received to our posted contact email. It’s quite good, and very deceptive. This is a "phishing" email, and has the same characteristics as this previous phishing email in its sophistication. However, as you’ll see, there’s a number of flaws:
Customer Service.
Dear Customer!
We have been waiting for you to contact us [...]
Don’t Fall for “The Buyoff”
Nothing can be worse following an auto accident than to not collect someone’s insurance information. There’s a common accident/insurance scam where a scammer will offer you a certain low-ball monetary sum to avoid having to give you insurance information.
Usually the scam goes something like this:
You’re waiting in a parking lot or at a stop [...]
Auto Accident 101
Whether it’s Murphy’s Law, or some other bad karma, eventually, you’re going to be involved in an automobile accident. You’ll be terrified, stressed, and probably shocked. An accident is a traumatic experience.
It’s important to prepare before the crash, so you’ll function perfectly during the crash, and ensure that your rights are protected.
If you haven’t done [...]
Be Careful Where You’re Messaging
Unfortunately, what you say, and when you say it, about your employer can have a detrimental effect on your future working situation.
I’ve stressed the importance of watching what you say online, but it’s also important to watch where your conversations are coming from. The New Jersey case of Stengart v. Loving Care Agency, 973 A.2d [...]
Price Does Not Equal Quality
The other day a colleague came into my office venting about a common problem she was noticing in her field of legal practice (estate planning).
This particular attorney had returned from a seminar on advanced estate planning practices where one of the presenters discussed legal fees. The presenter commented that if the attorneys weren’t charging a [...]
The Attorney-Client Relationship
Sometimes, though not often, an attorney will have to withdraw from a case. The reasons for withdraw are many, often governed by the attorney’s Rules of Professional Conduct. When your attorney withdraws from representing you, it’s usually a pretty big deal, but rarely fatal to your legal claim.
The two most common reasons why your attorney [...]
