Please support Brian Kemps effort to address tort law legislation.

[PotimusWillie]

Georgia is rated as the #1 hellhole state in the country regarding liability claims.

If we don’t do something, rates will contend to skyrocket and insurance companies will leave the state. We already have the 5th highest homeowner rates in the country.

Insurance should never be a ticket to win the lottery, but Georgia has allowed it. 35-40 GA reps are lawyers and protect themselves.

Don’t complain about your rates if you aren’t willing to contact your State Rep.

 

[zingerdawg]

I am not going to respond to this post directly. Because nothing I will say will look unbiased.

But to piggy back off my man potimus, when I started in the industry 20 or so years ago, we were considered the 8th best insurance rated state in the country. No we are in the bottom ten in just about any metric used to measure this out there. I used to laugh when comparing rates to Florida and California. I am not laughing anymore.

 

[TivoliDawg]

I am not going to respond to this post directly. Because nothing I will say will look unbiased.

But to piggy back off my man potimus, when I started in the industry 20 or so years ago, we were considered the 8th best insurance rated state in the country. No we are in the bottom ten in just about any metric used to measure this out there. I used to laugh when comparing rates to Florida and California. I am not laughing anymore.

What would make us bad?

What would make us better?

How can we be anywhere near Florida and CA? We don’t have natural disasters here.

 

[MillDawg]

Ddn't Kemp help the steal? Doubt Kemp will do the right thing.

 

[WyoDawg307]

I am not going to respond to this post directly. Because nothing I will say will look unbiased.

But to piggy back off my man potimus, when I started in the industry 20 or so years ago, we were considered the 8th best insurance rated state in the country. No we are in the bottom ten in just about any metric used to measure this out there. I used to laugh when comparing rates to Florida and California. I am not laughing anymore.

I have 35 years in the industry, so I have seen it fall even further. Hard to believe we have sunk to the levels of South Florida, South Texas, ect.

The 6 nursing students killed in the wreck outside of Savannah really kicked it off. Now we have Gwinnett County in the same league as Dade, LA County, Harris County (TX) and Cook county in Illinois.

 

[Georgia Jim]

I am not going to respond to this post directly. Because nothing I will say will look unbiased.

But to piggy back off my man potimus, when I started in the industry 20 or so years ago, we were considered the 8th best insurance rated state in the country. No we are in the bottom ten in just about any metric used to measure this out there. I used to laugh when comparing rates to Florida and California. I am not laughing anymore.

What should we attribute it to.....Demographic change....immigration...migration from northern liberal states ? I know it's rhetorical but I value your opinion and experience...

 

[zingerdawg]

What would make us bad?

What would make us better?

How can we be anywhere near Florida and CA? We don’t have natural disasters here.

Let me preface this by saying, I know insurance companies do shady shit as well. I have worked for several. I have had some claims denied for customers that boiled my blood. But all in all, I honestly don’t get that many complaints about claims handled poorly. Truth be told. It generally is never a complaint about payout. It is mostly about getting in touch with claims or the time it takes to handle something. I am not absolving insurance companies for their part in this.

There is a combination of things. Insurance companies are losing money. Used to be they raised rates due to not hitting a number projected to their stockholders or board(mutual or stockholder). Now they are taking it on the chin. So, when insurance companies do this, they start to bully body shops or tighten their belts everywhere they can. I have had three pay cuts in two years. For example.

I will give you a recent personal story. My daughter had an accident in Gwinnett a month ago. The lady stopped in front of her three times when she had no reason not to turn right. My daughter hit her from behind. No damage to my daughter’s car. A three inch scratch on the other car. Not on the back of the bumper but on top of it. I had her take pictures.

It told my daughter to go ask if the woman was ok. Don’t say anything else. Woman rolls down her window and says she has back and neck pain. Then rolls up her window. She never got out of her car. I have healthy limits. Two weeks later I get a notice of a pending 100000 dollar lawsuit. One person in the car. We won’t pay close to that. But we will have to pay something because my daughter was at fault. The adjuster told me this happens on 70 percent of the claims he sees now in the Atlanta area. It takes away from people who really do need the proceeds from insurance. Who have actually been hurt. People keep lower limits because that is what they get sued for. So when something bad happens there isn’t enough money to help with injuries. I see it with my own customers and people they may have hit.

It is a bad system both ways. We are plenty at fault for causing people to feel like they have to sue as well I am sure. We have to start somewhere. The rates are completely out of control.

 

[zingerdawg]

What should we attribute it to.....Demographic change....immigration...migration from northern liberal states ? I know it's rhetorical but I value your opinion and experience...

So many different things. Population growth in the atl and around it. Demographic change. Inflation. Price of parts have sky rocketed. Labor has shot up. Tort. The value of cars now today is insane

Quick example. Most cars have back up cameras now. Good clean bumper hit Twenty years ago gave you a new five hundred dollar bumper. Now it is a 2500 backup camera replacement and a more expensive bumper. Wrecks can cause technology inside the car to go sideways. Much more expensive to fix.

With homes it is the cost to rebuild. There is no way to deny the increase of bad weather. It is a mess. I eat lunch once every couple of months with the local agents here. Just to share things. Everyone is just getting their clock cleaned. Tough time to be in the industry for sure. I get so many rate complaints per day it is unbelievable

 

[WyoDawg307]

What should we attribute it to.....Demographic change....immigration...migration from northern liberal states ? I know it's rhetorical but I value your opinion and experience...

Plaintiffs bar was not in control of the legislature 25 years ago, so from a legal/insurance point of view that is a huge distinction. However, litigation financing, medical cost inflation and societal change all play roles in this. The mentality isn't too compensate for pain and suffering, the attitude is to punish and to obtain generational wealth in fatality cases.

In the 90's a single person fatality auto accident would have been worth $1m to maybe $5m if egregious. Now, a single person fatality is $10m (if they have that much coverage) and can range up to over $50m in some cases.

 

[TivoliDawg]

Let me preface this by saying, I know insurance companies do shady shit as well. I have worked for several. I have had some claims denied for customers that boiled my blood. But all in all, I honestly don’t get that many complaints about claims handled poorly. Truth be told. It generally is never a complaint about payout. It is mostly about getting in touch with claims or the time it takes to handle something. I am not absolving insurance companies for their part in this.

There is a combination of things. Insurance companies are losing money. Used to be they raised rates due to not hitting a number projected to their stockholders or board. Now they are taking it on the chin. So, when insurance companies do this, they start to bully body shops or tighten their belts everywhere they can. I have had three pay cuts in two years. For example.

I will give you a recent personal story. My daughter had an accident in Gwinnett a month ago. The lady stopped in front of her three times when she had no reason not to turn right. Might daughter hit her from behind. No damage to my daughter’s car. A three inch scratch on the other car. Not on the back of the bumper but on top of it. I had her take pictures.

It told my daughter to go ask if the woman was ok. Don’t say anything else. Woman rolls down her window and says she has back and neck pain. Then rolls up her window. She never got out of her car. I have healthy limits. Two weeks later I get a notice of a pending 100000 dollar lawsuit. One person in the car. We won’t pay close to that. But we will have to pay something because my daughter was at fault. The adjust told me this happens on 70 percent of the claims he sees now in the Atlanta area. It takes away from people who really do need the proceeds form insurance. Who have actually been hurt. People keep lower limits because that is what they get sued for. So when something bad happens there isn’t enough money to help with injuries. I see it with my own customers and people they may have hit.

It is a bad system both ways. We are plenty at fault for causing people to feel like they have to sue as well I am sure. We have to start somewhere. The rates are completely out of control.

So, people suing the insurance companies is causing them to pay out a lot and they have to raise rates to account for the payouts in the settlements?

I know nothing about insurance.

I thought we were talking about homeowner’s policies?

 

[zingerdawg]

So, people suing the insurance companies is causing them to pay out a lot and they have to raise rates to account for the payouts in the settlements?

I know nothing about insurance.

I thought we were talking about homeowner’s policies?

Yes. That is how it works. Works the same for home policies. Not really about lawsuits there. Labor costs. Used to be 125-150 dollars a square foot to rebuild. Now it is 200 in most cases. Wood, cement and brick prices are up. Even something like Freon has had a massive price increase. All of these things affect rates

 

[litedawg1968]

Let me preface this by saying, I know insurance companies do shady shit as well. I have worked for several. I have had some claims denied for customers that boiled my blood. But all in all, I honestly don’t get that many complaints about claims handled poorly. Truth be told. It generally is never a complaint about payout. It is mostly about getting in touch with claims or the time it takes to handle something. I am not absolving insurance companies for their part in this.

There is a combination of things. Insurance companies are losing money. Used to be they raised rates due to not hitting a number projected to their stockholders or board(mutual or stockholder). Now they are taking it on the chin. So, when insurance companies do this, they start to bully body shops or tighten their belts everywhere they can. I have had three pay cuts in two years. For example.

I will give you a recent personal story. My daughter had an accident in Gwinnett a month ago. The lady stopped in front of her three times when she had no reason not to turn right. My daughter hit her from behind. No damage to my daughter’s car. A three inch scratch on the other car. Not on the back of the bumper but on top of it. I had her take pictures.

It told my daughter to go ask if the woman was ok. Don’t say anything else. Woman rolls down her window and says she has back and neck pain. Then rolls up her window. She never got out of her car. I have healthy limits. Two weeks later I get a notice of a pending 100000 dollar lawsuit. One person in the car. We won’t pay close to that. But we will have to pay something because my daughter was at fault. The adjuster told me this happens on 70 percent of the claims he sees now in the Atlanta area. It takes away from people who really do need the proceeds from insurance. Who have actually been hurt. People keep lower limits because that is what they get sued for. So when something bad happens there isn’t enough money to help with injuries. I see it with my own customers and people they may have hit.

It is a bad system both ways. We are plenty at fault for causing people to feel like they have to sue as well I am sure. We have to start somewhere. The rates are completely out of control.

sounds like an insurance scam to me.

 

[Georgia Jim]

So many different things. Population growth in the atl and around it. Demographic change. Inflation. Price of parts have sky rocketed. Labor has shot up. Tort. The value of cars now today is insane

Quick example. Most cars have back up cameras now. Good clean bumper hit Twenty years ago gave you a new five hundred dollar bumper. Now it is a 2500 backup camera replacement and a more expensive bumper. Wrecks can cause technology inside the car to go sideways. Much more expensive to fix.

With homes it is the cost to rebuild. There is no way to deny the increase of bad weather. It is a mess. I eat lunch once every couple of months with the local agents here. Just to share things. Everyone is just getting their clock cleaned. Tough time to be in the industry for sure. I get so many rate complaints per day it is unbelievable

Thanks to you and WYO for taking time to elaborate. I had a P&C license for 30 years but dealt in the corporate market as I worked with Credit Unions. I was raised in S Dekalb county and have seen the metro area change over the years...definitely for the worse. Society is so litigious and the army of ambulance chasers and sharks in suits everywhere. I'm afraid there is no good answer....

 

[zingerdawg]

sounds like an insurance scam to me.

It is, but it works. Companies will pay before they go to court. No one wants to side with the insurance company. I get it. So they mitigate before it gets to court. Not to mention the costs incurred by taking something to court.

I am in the business. Know what to look for. Had my daughter do everything right. I know it is a cash grab. Yet we are still going to pay them something.

By stock in the dash cam industry. That will be the only way to stop some of this stuff.

 

[TivoliDawg]

Thanks to you and WYO for taking time to elaborate. I had a P&C license for 30 years but dealt in the corporate market as I worked with Credit Unions. I was raised in S Dekalb county and have seen the metro area change over the years...definitely for the worse. Society is so litigious and the army of ambulance chasers and sharks in suits everywhere. I'm afraid there is no good answer....

Yeah. The ambulance chasers are ridiculous. However, I find it hard to support legislation that would take away my rights to sue an insurance co.

The health, auto, life, and homeowner’s fields don’t exactly have sterling reputations for doing right by their customers.

It’s not like if this passes rates will drop. Lol. Any excess money made by not paying out lawsuits, the owners and executives will just pay to themselves.

I could maybe a support some liability limit reductions, but would need to read the legislation (which no one here will do) before I support it.

 

[WyoDawg307]

It is, but it works. Companies will pay before they go to court. No one wants to side with the insurance company. I get it. So they mitigate before it gets to court. Not to mention the costs incurred by taking something to court.

I am in the business. Know what to look for. Had my daughter do everything right. I know it is a cash grab. Yet we are still going to pay them something.

By stock in the dash cam industry. That will be the only way to stop some of this stuff.

The dash cams have been great for transportation companies and pay for themselves pretty quickly. Unfortunately in a rear end accident liability is already established so it turns on an argument over damages.

Obviously I am on the liability side, but I thought there had been some reform on the homeowners side in Georgia after all of the "hail claims for new roofs" a few years back. Personal lines rates have really take off since 2020 nationally.

 

[zingerdawg]

The dash cams have been great for transportation companies and pay for themselves pretty quickly. Unfortunately in a rear end accident liability is already established so it turns on an argument over damages.

Obviously I am on the liability side, but I thought there had been some reform on the homeowners side in Georgia after all of the "hail claims for new roofs" a few years back. Personal lines rates have really take off since 2020 nationally.

They have. We changed our policy a while back to deal with hail claims. People are getting dropped all over the place out there. Been pretty happy so far that I have only had one. And it was legitimate.

Companies have changed the way they pay out. Used to be if you had 60 shingles blow off they would go ahead and replace the whole roof so it matches. Now they just pay for the 60 shingles that were missing. In some areas in Georgia, the home rates are so much worse than other places. Same with property taxes.

 

[dawgfood0612]

Great post Potimus, this crap has gotten out of hand.

We need a loser pays system like most other developed countries, you bring a frivolous suit and lose, you pay the other guys legal costs.

Hopefully Kemp can bring some reforms.

 

[litedawg1968]

It is, but it works. Companies will pay before they go to court. No one wants to side with the insurance company. I get it. So they mitigate before it gets to court. Not to mention the costs incurred by taking something to court.

I am in the business. Know what to look for. Had my daughter do everything right. I know it is a cash grab. Yet we are still going to pay them something.

By stock in the dash cam industry. That will be the only way to stop some of this stuff.

I was thinking of buying a dash cam, can you recommend one?

 

[zingerdawg]

I was thinking of buying a dash cam, can you recommend one?

I have heard dash one pro and garmin have good ones. Garmin can be a little pricey.

 

[Web-Dawg]

I was thinking of buying a dash cam, can you recommend one?

I got a Rexing through Best Buy and had them install it as well. Pretty good so far with an easy to use app. Gives me near 360 degree views...

 

[PotimusWillie]

What would make us bad?

What would make us better?

How can we be anywhere near Florida and CA? We don’t have natural disasters here.

The laws provided by GA law. Has nothing to do with disaster, natural or otherwise.

Some examples.

A lawyer can take a frivolous suit to court on a win or no pay basis, lose and walk away. While the insurance companies spend money for legal defense.

In GA, if a person dies in a car wreck by being thrown from the vehicle because no seatbelt was worn, the seatbelt issue cannot be brought up in court.

Georgia is nearly #1 in nuclear claims, meaning the insured limits are exhausted.

In GA, lawyers advertise as if an auto claim is like winning the lottery.

Insurance was designed and priced based on principle of indemnity. Bringing the injured or damaged back to where they were prior to the claim. It wasn’t designed to pay out lottery winnings

Insurance companies are leaving the state.

Lawyers target trucking companies. So they target the industry that moves food and goods. Trucks are pricing out $30,000 a year per truck for insurance.

The lawyer lobby is the most powerful in the state.

On I-20, at one time there were 13 personal injury lawyer billboards in a two mile stretch between Sigman and Salem.

It’s not about people’s rights. The problem is the personal injury cottage industry.

There is a problem on the homeowners insurance also. But more on that later.

 

[PotimusWillie]

Yeah. The ambulance chasers are ridiculous. However, I find it hard to support legislation that would take away my rights to sue an insurance co.

The health, auto, life, and homeowner’s fields don’t exactly have sterling reputations for doing right by their customers.

It’s not like if this passes rates will drop. Lol. Any excess money made by not paying out lawsuits, the owners and executives will just pay to themselves.

I could maybe a support some liability limit reductions, but would need to read the legislation (which no one here will do) before I support it.

Nothing is on the table to take away your rights. It’s to curtail the billions paid out to lawyers when they bilk the insurance company.

 

[MarcusBarcus]

Georgia is rated as the #1 hellhole state in the country regarding liability claims.

If we don’t do something, rates will contend to skyrocket and insurance companies will leave the state. We already have the 5th highest homeowner rates in the country.

Insurance should never be a ticket to win the lottery, but Georgia has allowed it. 35-40 GA reps are lawyers and protect themselves.

Don’t complain about your rates if you aren’t willing to contact your State Rep.

I live in the area of Macon where I was ‘mandered into the district of Sanford Bishop, who doesn’t even give one shit what I think, much less too.
My representatives in Washington are Warnock and Ass-off.
knowing that Democrats do not care what I think, what am I to do, sir I’m asking seriously. I run a business. I’ve been screaming to repeal the 17th forever. That’s how we got Warnock and ass off.
It has not taken hold hopefully it will.

 

[3 Pete]

In GA, lawyers advertise as if an auto claim is like winning the lottery.

Morgan and Morgan helped me tremendously in a Worker’s Comp case. They were unreal good. I’m grateful but those billboards and radio ads are annoying

 

[55dawg]

What should we attribute it to.....Demographic change....immigration...migration from northern liberal states ? I know it's rhetorical but I value your opinion and experience...

Demographics. Juries. My guess

 

[PotimusWillie]

Morgan and Morgan helped me tremendously in a Worker’s Comp case. They were unreal good. I’m grateful but those billboards and radio ads are annoying

Did you call them first or face a defiant insurance company?

The workers comp system is designed to pay logical compensation without need of attorney.

 

[3 Pete]

Did you call them first or face a defiant insurance company?

The workers comp system is designed to pay logical compensation without need of attorney.

More like a defiant employer. I got injured and needed surgery. The company fired me. I called M&M and they got me in WC the next day.

 

[TivoliDawg]

The laws provided by GA law. Has nothing to do with disaster, natural or otherwise.

Some examples.

A lawyer can take a frivolous suit to court on a win or no pay basis, lose and walk away. While the insurance companies spend money for legal defense.

In GA, if a person dies in a car wreck by being thrown from the vehicle because no seatbelt was worn, the seatbelt issue cannot be brought up in court.

Georgia is nearly #1 in nuclear claims, meaning the insured limits are exhausted.

In GA, lawyers advertise as if an auto claim is like winning the lottery.

Insurance was designed and priced based on principle of indemnity. Bringing the injured or damaged back to where they were prior to the claim. It wasn’t designed to pay out lottery winnings

Insurance companies are leaving the state.

Lawyers target trucking companies. So they target the industry that moves food and goods. Trucks are pricing out $30,000 a year per truck for insurance.

The lawyer lobby is the most powerful in the state.

On I-20, at one time there were 13 personal injury lawyer billboards in a two mile stretch between Sigman and Salem.

It’s not about people’s rights. The problem is the personal injury cottage industry.

There is a problem on the homeowners insurance also. But more on that later.

Fair.

But to be fair, if a driver kills your family member, or paralyzes them, they’ll never be “whole”. Nor will the family. If there is death or dismemberment, maiming, etc., I would def be in the millions and maybe tens of millions depending on the facts.

The idea that a driver can kill your daughter and you get $200k, for example, seems like not enough to me.

Also, I know little about the issue.

 

[TivoliDawg]

The laws provided by GA law. Has nothing to do with disaster, natural or otherwise.

Some examples.

A lawyer can take a frivolous suit to court on a win or no pay basis, lose and walk away. While the insurance companies spend money for legal defense.

In GA, if a person dies in a car wreck by being thrown from the vehicle because no seatbelt was worn, the seatbelt issue cannot be brought up in court.

Georgia is nearly #1 in nuclear claims, meaning the insured limits are exhausted.

In GA, lawyers advertise as if an auto claim is like winning the lottery.

Insurance was designed and priced based on principle of indemnity. Bringing the injured or damaged back to where they were prior to the claim. It wasn’t designed to pay out lottery winnings

Insurance companies are leaving the state.

Lawyers target trucking companies. So they target the industry that moves food and goods. Trucks are pricing out $30,000 a year per truck for insurance.

The lawyer lobby is the most powerful in the state.

On I-20, at one time there were 13 personal injury lawyer billboards in a two mile stretch between Sigman and Salem.

It’s not about people’s rights. The problem is the personal injury cottage industry.

There is a problem on the homeowners insurance also. But more on that later.

The seatbelt thing is insane. It is the single biggest thing you can do to save your life and it’s highly relevant.

 

[lakechatugedawg]

Georgia is rated as the #1 hellhole state in the country regarding liability claims.

If we don’t do something, rates will contend to skyrocket and insurance companies will leave the state. We already have the 5th highest homeowner rates in the country.

Insurance should never be a ticket to win the lottery, but Georgia has allowed it. 35-40 GA reps are lawyers and protect themselves.

Don’t complain about your rates if you aren’t willing to contact your State Rep.

Hear, hear!!!

FL and AL fixed this problem a couple of years ago.

Insurance claims and fraud are killing small businesses.

The lawyers control the state house.

Umbrella coverage has more than doubled. In a number of cases, companies will not write more than 2 million in coverage. Underwriters have to then go out and find another 1 million dollar policy to meet the minimum 3 million requirement most larger corporate clients require to do any work with them.

Auto is an absolute laughing stock. Anyone who has a fleet can attest. You can go an entire 12 months without any claims and still see your rates increase by 15%.

Kemp is late to the game IMO. This has been going on or out of control for about 30-36 months.

I hope he has success.

PS: predatory marketing is out of control for ambulance chaser firms!

The ambulance chasers collude with the doctors to get bogus claims through for a scatch on workers. Getting stitches is now worth a minimum of $10k. The insurance companies don’t bat an eye because the judges hand out outlandish awards.

 

[wwforest]

I have 35 years in the industry, so I have seen it fall even further. Hard to believe we have sunk to the levels of South Florida, South Texas, ect.

The 6 nursing students killed in the wreck outside of Savannah really kicked it off. Now we have Gwinnett County in the same league as Dade, LA County, Harris County (TX) and Cook county in Illinois.

One of those nursing students was my cousin, Morgan Bass.

 

[Jett Rink]

What amounts of auto liability coverage do you insurance guys recommend for those of us with some wealth to have to protect ourselves from these huge lawsuits? Should an Umbrella policy be mandatory? At what point does a ridiculously high award in a lawsuit pass your liability limits and they come for your personal assets?

 

[bubbab]

Georgia is rated as the #1 hellhole state in the country regarding liability claims.

If we don’t do something, rates will contend to skyrocket and insurance companies will leave the state. We already have the 5th highest homeowner rates in the country.

Insurance should never be a ticket to win the lottery, but Georgia has allowed it. 35-40 GA reps are lawyers and protect themselves.

Don’t complain about your rates if you aren’t willing to contact your State Rep.

It is not liability claims that cost Georgians millions, it is the negligence, gross negligence and malpractice that maims, injures and kills Georgians that is what cost Georgians millions.

 

[bubbab]

Nothing is on the table to take away your rights. It’s to curtail the billions paid out to lawyers when they bilk the insurance company.

It is not liability claims that cost Georgians millions, it is the negligence, gross negligence and malpractice that maims, injures and kills Georgians that is what cost Georgians millions.

 

[TivoliDawg]

It is not liability claims that cost Georgians millions, it is the negligence, gross negligence and malpractice that maims, injures and kills Georgians that is what cost Georgians millions.

Ambulance chasers are scum, but an insurance co. would absolutely f@ck you over for a single penny.

It feels they keep each other in check.

I only pay like $180/ mo. to insure my Range Rover with good coverage from a large co. How much cheaper could it possibly get? I am not convinced that if this were passed the rates will go down at all and, even if they did, how much money would that save me per month? $20? And now I lose my right to a maximum judgment? Definitely does not sound like a fair trade.

 

[zingerdawg]

Morgan and Morgan helped me tremendously in a Worker’s Comp case. They were unreal good. I’m grateful but those billboards and radio ads are annoying

Yes. Totally agree. My advice to people who ask me about workers comp claims is always to call an attorney. You legitimately needed some help. I am not anti attorney by any means. I just think advertising any car wreck like a lottery ticket is not a good thing. If you are actually hurt in an accident, you should call an attorney.

 

[zingerdawg]

Ambulance chasers are scum, but an insurance co. would absolutely f@ck you over for a single penny.

It feels they keep each other in check.

I only pay like $180/ mo. to insure my Range Rover with good coverage from a large co. How much cheaper could it possibly get? I am not convinced that if this were passed the rates will go down at all and, even if they did, how much money would that save me per month? $20? And now I lose my right to a maximum judgment? Definitely does not sound like a fair trade.

Rates have more than doubled over the last five years. Here is the issue with that. I already have people who can’t afford Insurance making choices. So you would be suing your own policy for uninsured motorist. If you can’t afford your current policy, most will either lower their limits and raise their deductible. Making it less likely the coverage needed for someone actually hurt in an accident to be there. Suing a person for money over the limits of the insurance company is much more difficult than suing the insurance company. Juries are much more sympathetic in that situation. If only certain people can afford these massive umbrella policies who do you think is getting sued. Also, when they find out you have high limits the lawsuit goes way up regardless of the actual injury. Lawyers are in the business of making money. So I get it. Not sure how to make the whole system fair, because insurance companies can be shitheads about paying out too

 

[MRDAWG]

Georgia is rated as the #1 hellhole state in the country regarding liability claims.

If we don’t do something, rates will contend to skyrocket and insurance companies will leave the state. We already have the 5th highest homeowner rates in the country.

Insurance should never be a ticket to win the lottery, but Georgia has allowed it. 35-40 GA reps are lawyers and protect themselves.

Don’t complain about your rates if you aren’t willing to contact your State Rep.

Simple idea but how do you limit the dollars awarded? No-fault car insurance didn't work.

 

[celticdawg]

@zingerdawg - Appreciate the comments as you know your business. A lot of problems in home and auto and be glad you are not in Florida. You mentioned costs and we now have to insure our house for 50% more than estimated price (Redfin and Zillow) for replacement cost. This is using the insurance companies formula and also the one our independent agent uses. There has been fraud for sure and hurricanes, hail and sinkholes cause a lot of claims. A number of lawsuits occur because people don't realize what they are no longer covered for. We moved into our house in 1980 and had no hurricanes until 2004 and then we had three basically pass over our house. Fortunately, we are inland and the highest winds were probably around 90 MPH. We haven't had any hurricane claims fortunately. But we have had our roof replaced three times (they don't last long in Florida) and the insurance company paid twice due to hailstorms. I've had one car totaled by hail but that was a long time ago.

My wife hit someone from behind on the interstate when traffic stopped. It wasn't at a high speed, but the attorneys made a big claim out of it (I think it would infuriate most of us) and the insurance company paid. I understand it's not worth going to court. That's part of why our insurance costs are so high. But many insurance companies are far from being angels. I'm not trying to take sides.

I know a lot about WC and that's a separate ballgame to me.