Insurance | Virginia Personal Injury Blog - Part 2
On the trail of “the McKinsey documents”
What big insurance companies’ strategies mean to you and your family
“You’re in good hands with Allstate.”
“Nationwide is on your side.”
“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.”
The “not-as-friendly” face of insurance companies
♪ Like a good neighbor, State Farm is out to make a lot of money! ♪
Doesn’t have much of a ring to it, does it? But unfortunately, it’s true about State Farm and many other insurance companies. While they may have benevolent slogans such as, “You’re in good hands with Allstate,” the reality is that these huge corporations are about maximizing their profits.
What do insurance agents know about uninsured motorists?
Back by popular demand is local insurance agent Jay McGlohn, Vice President of Gloucester Southside Agency, a Towne Insurance Agency.We asked Jay for his take on uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage:
Which kind of car insurance do you probably need more of? (Hint: it costs very little to add more.)
Answer: “uninsured or underinsured motorist” coverage
At GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys, we regularly meet with potential clients who have been seriously injured in a car wreck. Often their stories about their accident and resulting injuries are heartbreaking — particularly when the driver who hit them has little or no insurance.
What do lawyers and insurance agents wish you knew?
Personal injury attorneys and insurance agents have some common bonds. We both believe it’s important for people to have the right amount of auto insurance coverage for them – not too much, but not too little.
We at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys sat down with Gloucester insurance agent Jay McGlohn, Vice President of Gloucester Southside Agency, a Towne Insurance Agency, to get his take on “MedPay” and related auto insurance questions:
Which insurance benefit could save the day if you’re in a wreck?
A type of coverage that can be on your auto policy is “Medical Payments Coverage,” or “Medpay.” If you are in a wreck, this benefit pays for your medical bills, regardless of who caused the wreck, or whether you have other health insurance.
The best part is: it may already be on your policy, or available at little or no extra cost.
Will insurance pay for my car if it’s “totaled?”
If you ever experience the misfortune of being involved in a car accident, your auto insurance company may determine that your car has been “totaled”— that the cost of repairs exceeds a threshold of what your car’s fair market value (FMV) was prior to the accident.
This point of no return differs from company to company, but a typical benchmark is 80 percent. If your car’s FMV is $10,000, and your repairs are under $8,000, the insurance company will pay for repairs. If your repairs amount to $8,000 or more, your car will be deemed totaled, and you will be issued a check for the FMV of your car.
Is an insurance adjuster my new buddy?
No. One of the tactics insurance companies use to minimize, under-value, or deny your accident claim is to have their adjusters become friendly and chatty with you. They’ll try to talk with you about your family, where you grew up, your favorite sports teams, family pets, etc., all in an effort to throw you off guard while they gather information to damage your claim.
Insurance adjusters are trained to find any information about your life and previous injuries that could be used to lower the amount of compensation you’ll receive from the insurance company. It could be something as simple as you talking about an old sports injury. A casual, off-handed comment might compromise the money you receive on your claim for your knee injury in a recent auto accident because the insurance company argues your previous sports injury needs to be considered when assessing the amount of compensation you receive.
Free car insurance checkup by attorneys
Listen to Xtra 99.1 FM Neal Steele’s morning show at 7:20 a.m. Tuesday, August 13, to hear Gloucester attorneys Ken Gibson and John Singleton. They’ll talk about their SPECIAL FREE OFFER to help their neighbors be prepared if they’re ever in a wreck.
Anyone can come by GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, August 15, for a FREE checkup of your car insurance.
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Prevention, empathy, and diligence are hallmarks of everything we do at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys. Our community can see these ideals lived out in our work to prevent personal injuries from happening.
- Safety Education
GibsonSingleton launches a “Texts=Wrecks” campaign to reduce the number of people injured or killed by distracted drivers. - Annual Coat Drive
During the fall, our team works to distribute coats to people in need in our community. - Hands-on Service
John and Ken join the Gloucester Point Rotary Club in cleaning up the community. - Supporting Local Schools
The Gibson family participates in Gloucester’s Botetourt Elementary Shuffle fundraiser.