Heroic Dads Who Didn’t Back Down
WHAT INSURANCE COMPANIES DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW
We all are aware that insurance companies work hard to avoid paying anyone who deserves compensation following an accident. When you get in a car wreck and hop on the phone with an insurance adjuster, they are eager to get you to accept the lowest dollar amount they can get away with. These professionals are trained in all kinds of tactics to do just that. Last month, we featured three such common strategies, but it doesn’t end there! Here are three more tactics adjusters often employ. They will mislead you about your need for a lawyer. Insurance companies love it when claimants settle without contacting a lawyer. It makes their job a lot easier. However, if you mention that you are thinking about hiring an attorney, they often will tell you that most of your settlement will go to pay that lawyer, and you will be left with much less or nothing at all. This couldn’t be further from the truth. One study by the Insurance Research Council found that, on average, those who hired an attorney received 3 1/2 times more money than those who settled alone. They will suggest you need less for medical treatment. Even if you have full documentation of your medical needs and the costs following an injury, an adjuster may claim your medical charges are too high or unreasonable. They may say they will compensate you for your medical bills, but they’ll offer less than you really need. Adjusters even say they looked at what health care providers charge for certain treatments in your area and are compensating you accordingly, but it can be difficult for you to verify the accuracy of their claims. They won’t tell you everything about coverage or benefits. It’s always important to know exactly how you are covered. Too many people with insurance do not know the full scope of their coverage. Adjusters are not going to walk you through your coverage and benefits line by line. It’s up to you to know. You may assume you have specific coverage — such as under or uninsured motorist coverage — only to discover after a car wreck that you don’t. This kind of finding can leave you with very little, if anything at all. 3More Tactics Insurers Use toAvoidYour Payout
Being a Parent Isn’t Always a Walk in the Park Kids often look up to their father as one of their greatest heroes. There are the long drives to sports tournaments, the late-night movies, and the sweets when Mom isn’t looking. We probably all have some reason to look up to our dad as one of our biggest influences. It’s Father’s Day this month, a special time of year when we take a moment to think about the sacrifices the father figures in our lives have made for us. Most dads are pretty great, but some go above and beyond the fatherly call of duty. Let’s take a look at some heroic dads who risked everything to keep their families safe. Life can change in a split second, and how you choose to react in a moment of peril can define your legacy forever. Few people know this as well as Brad Lewis. When Brad and his young son, Oscar, were deeply entrenched in an intense Nerf battle, he surely didn’t think the situation would turn as dangerous as it did. When a few darts missed his father and landed on the balcony, Oscar ran after them but soon found himself teetering on the balcony’s ledge, 12 feet above the ground. Thinking fast, Brad grabbed his son just before he fell over, both taking the plunge while protecting his son with his own body. Just as he’d intended, Brad absorbed most of the blow. While Oscar sustained serious wounds, his father’s injuries were more severe. Brad was left fighting for his life in the ICU, with severe fractures to his skull and vertebrae. Thankfully, Brad is expected to make a full recovery and has made serious strides since the accident. He and his son will live to play another day. While camping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in June 2015, Greg Alexander awoke to the sound of a nightmare. The screams of his son intermingled with the roars of an unknown assailant, beckoning Greg to his son's tent. There, he found his son Gabriel being attacked by a bear. The bear had his son by the head and was dragging him away. Greg jumped on the bear’s back, desperately trying to take attention away from Gabriel. Amazingly, it worked, and in the end, the bear ran away. Gabriel was left with serious cuts to his head, but thanks to his dad’s heroism, the two were able to walk away from that campsite and back to their lives together. The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to take a leap of faith or fight a bear to be a hero in your family’s eyes. Just be yourself, show some support, and do the best you can. Happy Father’s Day, everybody. Brad Lewis: Over the Ledge Greg Alexander: Couldn’t Bear to See His Son Hurt
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