Patrick O’Hara recently settled a lawsuit on behalf of a client who was injured by another driver insured with PURE Insurance. A man was rear-ended on a highway 249 feeder road when a driver took her eyes off the road approaching an intersection. The man received conservative medical treatment and eventually underwent a laminectomy when conservative treatment failed to reduce his neck pain. Despite undergoing neck surgery, the PURE Insurance adjustor refused to offer more than $85,000 during pre-lawsuit negotiations. As a result, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit.
Depositions taken in the lawsuit demonstrated that the accident had a severe impact on the plaintiff’s life. Medical records showed that prior to the car accident, the plaintiff never complained of neck pain. The treating physician testified that the car accident caused the plaintiff’s pain and that surgery was necessary as a result of the car accident. Moreover, the defendant admitted that the accident was her fault. PURE Insurance hired a defense expert to claim that the plaintiff was not severely injured and that neck surgery was unnecessary. The defense expert routinely works for insurance companies and almost always claims the injured parties are faking or that medical treatment was unnecessary. PURE Insurance paid the expert thousands of dollars for his biased “expert” opinions.
PURE Insurance routinely claims that the people injured by its insured drivers are exaggerating injuries, had pre-existing injuries, received unnecessary medical treatment, and/or the medical bills are excessive. PURE Insurance uses almost every insurance trick available to pay less for claims. PURE Insurance has added incentive to dispute claims vigorously because there is more risk if the insurance company loses at trial. PURE only ensures high-net-worth individuals, so the policies are large. PURE auto insurance policies routinely insure drivers for $500,000 and more. These are not minimum insurance policies with policy limits of $30,000.
Throughout the majority of the litigation, PURE Insurance claimed it would not pay more than $200,000 to settle the injured man’s claim. However, three days prior to the trial date, PURE Insurance agreed to pay almost $500,000 to settle the plaintiff’s claims. The O’Hara Law Firm, unlike many other firms that advertise on television and billboards, is willing to take cases all the way through trial if an insurance company offers unreasonable amounts to settle claims. The O’Hara Law Firm places insurance companies at risk by its willingness to take cases to trial.
If you are injured by a driver who is insured by PURE, do not accept a quick settlement before you complete medical treatment. The adjuster may attempt to settle quickly, so the insurance company will not be responsible for any future medical care or lost wages that you receive as a result of the car accident. If you do not have health insurance, contact an attorney. Many personal injury attorneys can help you find medical providers who are willing to treat patients who do not have health insurance.
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle collision, contact The O’Hara Law Firm for a free consultation. Patrick O’Hara is a car accident attorney that handles motor vehicle collision cases in Houston, Baytown, Humble, Spring, Cypress, Jersey Village, Bellaire, and other surrounding areas. The O’Hara Law Firm represents clients on a contingency fee basis. Call us at 832-956-1138.