Back in August of 2012, Comedian Matt Fisher wrote a blog post about the tragic death of his sister, Katie (24) in a motor vehicle accident. Katie, driving through an intersection with the light green in her favor, was struck by a vehicle that had run a red light. A witness at the scene confirmed this. Later, the at-fault driver's insurance company paid out the extent of the policy to Katie's estate for her death.
However, this was not the end of the story. Unfortunately for Katie's family, as sometimes happens with car accidents, the other driver did not have a high enough limit to cover their expenses. So, like many people are forced to do, they looked to Katie's Progressive Insurance policy to cover the rest. Katie had underinsured coverage, which means that her insurance company is liable to her for damages she sustains in a car accident above and beyond what the at-fault driver's policy can give.
Progressive Insurance was not willing to pay out on the policy. Instead, the Fishers were forced to sue the driver to establish his negligence and then use that as leverage to get Progressive to pay. Progressive's response? They hired an attorney to go to trial and defend the other driver.
As shocking as this may seem, it's not entirely uncommon for insurance companies to do whatever they can to avoid paying out on large settlements. If you or someone you love has been in an accident, call our office today for a free consultation.