Insurance Provider’s Attempt to Play Hardball Against Injured Cyclist Backfires

1. INSURANCE PROVIDER’S ATTEMPT TO PLAY HARDBALL AGAINST INJURED CYCLIST BACKFIRES Insurance mega-power Geico has been ordered by a judge to pay an injured cyclist $2.7 million. The stunning part for Geico is that they could have settled the case for as little as $30,000 but chose instead to act in bad faith and take their chances in court. In this issue, Ramtin Sadighim, experienced bike accident attorney in Ventura, will discuss why it makes sense to never negotiate solo with an insurance provider, and common causes of bicycle accidents. THE CASE AT A GLANCE According to reports, the victim was struck by a SUV, whose driver admitted fault for the incident. The victim was thrown from his bike into a utility pole and suffered back and neck injuries. The victim had no medical insurance and could not afford additional medical care to treat his injuries. In an effort to obtain the necessary funds for medical treatment, he sent a letter to Geico, the insurance provider of the at-fault driver, offering to settle the case for $30,000 – the limits of her policy. Geico, however, refused the terms and instead offered to settle the case for $12,409. ACTING IN BAD FAITH The victim’s personal injury lawyers argued that by refusing to settle the case for the limits of the policy, the at-fault driver – and Geico’s customer – was exposed to serious financial risk, perhaps even bankruptcy. A personal injury lawsuit filed on behalf of the victim against the at-fault driver was not answered by either the defendant or her insurance provider, Geico, and the judge issued a default judgement of $2.7 million. NEVER ATTEMPT TO NEGOTIATE WITH INSURANCE PROVIDERS ON YOUR OWN

2. In a previous issue, we advised our readers never to negotiate with insurance providers without legal representation. The reason is brutal, yet simple: the insurance representatives who call on you are professional negotiators whose only interest in settling your case as quickly and for as little as possible. The case described above could have been settled for as little as $30,000; yet they chose to offer even less than that – even though their insured driver had admitted fault. MOST COMMON CAUSES OF BIKE INJURIES Bike accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. In fact, the most common causes are: •Distracted drivers •Right and left turns at crosswalk intersections •A cyclist hitting a car door when the driver is exiting the vehicle IF YOU’RE INJURED IN A BICYCLE ACCIDENT IN LOS ANGELES, CALL RAMTIN SADIGHIM As one of the leading Los Angeles personal injury attorneys, Ramtin Sadighim handles just about any cases involving injury and negligence. If you’ve been involved in a bike accident, your primary concern should be about recovering from your injuries. We’ll aggressively fight for your rights to appropriate compensation and will not back down from insurance companies. For further information or to schedule an appointment, please contact the Law Offices of Ramtin Sadighim at 888-999-8744 or visit www.CaliAccidentAttorney.com.