I was a passenger in a car that met with an accident more than 5 years back. As luck would have it, both the drivers that caused the accident carried All State Insurance policies. I suffered severe injuries and herniated discs which was documented by an MRI report which we all know is the gold standard in imaging and certified by a Radiologist.
I spent months going to doctors for treatment and around $12,500 towards medical expenses. Till today I have not recovered. An award was given in my favor by the arbitrator around 4 years after the accident but All State Lawyers refused to honor it and preferred to further challenge it in court even though the arbitrator was a judge in the court and tried to resolve the issue.
At the court hearing which took place more than 5 years after the accident, All State Attorneys presented a Doctor whose clients in his (Doctor's) own words are 85 to 95% defense (like All State) and has been an expert witness before all the 20 or so judges in the Middlesex, NJ County court and almost each and every judge and court in the 21 counties in NJ. He charged All State Lawyers (which obviously was covered by All State) $6000 for an attending the hearing as an expert witness besides $1,450 towards certifying that my disc in his opinion was degenerated. He had no qualifications or certifications in MRI and was at pains to try and explain where he learned to read an MRI. I was not allowed in court to use the word insurance or all state to prevent All State from getting a bad name with the jury and had to win 5-1 or else loose. The jury got the impression that I was suing the drivers and sympathized with them, not knowing it was All State.
I lost the case even though I suffered permanent injuries. All State Lawyes and the Doctor took home bacon. But All State preferred that rather than compensate a passenger their drivers injuried. All State Lawyers went on to add that even if I owned the car and it was or my shirt was torn I would not be compensated under the law. Since the matter was delayed by more than 5 years, the other passengers, including one who had 17 staples on her head and multiple fractures decided not to attend the hearing.
0 comments