CaseBarnettLaw.com
949-565-4886
PAGE 3
The Grinch in Your Policy HOW INSURANCE COMPANIES MINIMIZE PAYOUTS Insurance companies often end up playing the role of the Grinch in real life. They’ve built the story that anyone who files a personal injury claim is greedy, manipulative, or “gaming the system.” The reality is entirely different. These companies are protecting their profits, not society, and they carefully construct a “plaintiffs-are-villains” narrative to make us feel bad for the “wronged” insurance company instead of the people who were actually hurt. Our legal system is designed to address harm in a civilized way. We don’t live in a world of “an eye for an eye.” Instead, we recognize that injuries, like losing a limb, suffering a brain injury, or losing the ability to work, have lasting impacts, and compensation is society’s way of acknowledging that. It’s not about enriching anyone but valuing what’s been taken. When large verdicts make headlines, people assume juries are overreacting. But if you put yourself in the injured person’s shoes, the numbers start to make sense. A person doesn’t just move on from losing a limb or suffering a life-changing injury. Compensation is the closest way we have to assign value to that loss. Meanwhile, insurance companies, flush with profits and plastered all over sports arenas, push back at every opportunity. They try to minimize payouts and frame claims as abuse of the system. That’s where the Grinch comparison really fits: They’re the ones trying to steal justice and make people feel guilty for seeking it. When it works as intended, the system reflects our values. It’s about more than money. The process recognizes the health and dignity of human life. Society doesn’t just shrug when something bad happens. We try to restore some balance and acknowledge the loss. So, yes, insurance companies may try to act like the Grinch, but we shouldn’t buy their story. When someone is hurt and pursuing a claim, they’re not gaming the system. They’re holding it to its purpose: valuing what really matters. And that’s something worth standing up for.
ROAST BEEF WITH CARAMELIZED ONION GRAVY
Ingredients
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns • 1 tbsp mustard powder • 1 tbsp dried thyme • 1 tsp celery seeds • 1 tbsp olive oil • 4 1/4 lbs topside joint of beef Gravy • 4 tbsp flour • 2 beef stock cubes • 3 tbsp caramelized onion chutney • 2–3 tsp yeast extract
Directions
1. With a pestle and mortar, crush peppercorns, mustard powder, thyme, and celery seeds together. 2. Stir in oil, then rub into beef. 3. Preheat oven to 375 F and set seasoned beef in a snug roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour. 4. Remove from the oven, lift onto a platter, and cover with foil to rest 30 minutes. 5. For gravy, pour juices from the pan into a large measuring cup. 6. Let the juices separate, then spoon 2 tbsp of fat back into the pan. Discard remaining fat. 7. Top juices in the cup with boiling water to make 3 cups total liquid. 8. Heat pan with fat over medium heat and stir in flour, stock cubes, onion chutney, and yeast extract. 9. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, and gradually add juices/water. Bubble to thicken and serve with the beef.
Inspired by BBCGoodFood.com
LAUGH LAWS
–Case Barnett
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator