Myth: Your Auto Insurance Company is on Your Side

Over the years, I have found that people believe their auto insurance company is “on their side.” This myth is perpetuated by the auto insurance industry with slogans such as State Farm’s “Like a good neighbor…” or Allstate’s “You’re in good hands,” or AAA’s “We’re always with you.” These slogans are meant to make you feel warm and fuzzy, to make you feel that if you purchase coverage from the insurance company, you will be taken care of… but this is rarely the case.

By way of one very recent example, my client was completely steamrolled by his own insurance company, AAA. My client was t-boned by a driver insured with Allstate. My client underwent chiropractic for a few months, which did not help. His pain continued to worsen, and imaging revealed that he had disc deformities in his cervical spine. My client ultimately underwent multiple diagnostic nerve block injections, and ultimately, a radiofrequency ablation (the burning of nerve ends at certain effected levels of spinal nerves). He incurred over $50,000.00 in medical bills.

We secured the $50,000.00 policy from Allstate, and moved to secure the remaining $50,000.00 that could be recovered via my client’s underinsured motorist coverage with his own insurance, AAA (coverage that he has paid for monthly for the last decade).

Drum roll… AAA offered ZERO to my client, their own insured.

This is just one example (of countless) where an insurance company has minimized injuries and undervalued the value of human suffering. This example is particularly atrocious, though, because it is my client’s own insurance carrier. Please do not be fooled by clever slogans, which are devised simply to take your money upon the often false security that you will be “taken care of” should the need to utilize your own insurance arise.