Insurance Company Shenanigans

The economy is tanking and insurance companies are going down with the ship. After years of milking consumers for all they're worth and making record profits, insurers—like A.I.G.—are now losing money. And they're taking it out on—no surprise here again—consumers like you and me.

I've seen an uptick in the brashness of some insurance companies as they delay, deny, and defend claims that just a few months ago would be paid fairly and promptly. 

The thing is: I don't mind. I still win. 

But I feel bad for the insurance companies' poor insureds, who now must face the prospect of being dragged through prolonged and protracted litigation as their insurer makes up excuses. 

Think of this: If someone causes a car accident and injures one of my clients. I will make every reasonable effort to settle with that person before dragging them into court. It's a last resort and one that that is terribly inefficient.     

But the way insurance companies are acting now, they are all but forcing me to sue their insureds in order to obtain a reasonable settlement. It's not fair to my clients. And, more importantly for the insurance industry, it's not fair to their customers.

If you are getting into legal trouble because your insurance company won't settle a case against you, maybe it's time you get your insurance company into some legal trouble of their own. Call the Texas Department of Insurance at 888-327-8818 and then call me.

SNOW

Alright, I admit it. My name is Jon and I am a snow-a-holic. I live for all things cold and this time of year begins my annual obsession with checking the snow reports and web cams of my hometown ski hills on an hourly (and sometimes semi-hourly) basis. It's a ton of fun for addicts like me. Try it yourself:

and

Obama

Change. It's an uncomfortable word. Most of us don't like it. It's nice to sit back and stay in our routines. But it's inevitable and, most of all, required for us to grow. 

No matter who you voted for yesterday, it is time for a change. Because nothing feels better than bucking the status quo.

Vote

I just got back from my afternoon run along the Colorado River in downtown Austin and thought of all the unintended side benefits of the election today--no matter who you vote for. 

1. No more "Crawford Ranch" news stories.

2.  No more presidential ranch at all.

3.  No more worrying just how much control the oil companies have in  the Oval Office.

The list goes on. Please add your own below.