UPDATE March 2008 

It has been a real eye-opener dealing with my No-Fault auto insurance company. You would think because you pay them every month to 
have GOOD coverage in case something happens (like it did to me) that you'll get those benefits. HA! Your insurance company is going to 
make you jump through hoops. They are going to send you to THEIR doctors, who they pay to find nothing wrong with you so they can 
deny medical services you NEED. They will try every trick to stop sending you Loss of Wages checks, even though your policy says you are 
eligible for this benefit for up to THREE years. You are a liability to them and they want to CLOSE your claim ASAP and they'll try to make 
you crazy but don't let them!! 

Here are my TIPS. I hope what I learned will help others. Too many people who deserve to get what they are paying for just give up 
because it can be so damn frustrating dealing with insurance companies. 

1) Hire an attorney RIGHT AWAY. My attorney came to my house the day after the accident and took photos of all my injuries and started 
working for me. I did not have to pay any legal fee unless he got a settlement for me and he sure did! Most attorneys who specialize in 
accidents work this way. No settlement, no fee. Most will get 1/3 of your settlement. Do not think you can get satisfaction without an 
attorney! Your insurance company will deny, deny, deny and screw you any way they can to keep from giving you benefits you have been 
paying for!! 

2) BEFORE another driver injures you, make sure you carry UNDER-INSURED MOTORIST coverage!! In my state, New York, the minimum 
Liability policy a driver can get is just $25,000.00 which is NOTHING when you've been injured like I was!! And of course, the asshole who 
smashed into me had just the minimum. It took six months to get that check. We carry $250,000.00 ($500,000.00 for the two of us) 
under-insured motorist coverage and this past February, an Arbitration judge awarded the FULL $250,000.00 to me. My attorney received 
the check shortly after the hearing and the judge's decision. 

3) Make sure you sign releases for your attorney to get ALL medical records from your doctors and copies of the "IME"s ("Independent" 
yeah, right...) Medical Exams your insurance company makes you go for. Your insurance company's attorneys will have copies of 
EVERYTHING. You have to sign releases for them. 

4) Be your own best advocate. If your insurance company doesn't want to pay for you to see any doctors of YOUR choosing, see if you can
use your own health insurance (I was able to) or pay for it yourself. Your auto insurance company pays IME doctors $5000.00 and MORE to 
find as little wrong as possible. 

5) XRAYS, MRIs, catscans, etc., DO NOT LIE. Make sure you have these and the reports that go with them submitted to your attorney. He 
needs medical evidence to fight the bullshit the insurance company's doctors will come up with. Some doctors and hospitals are slow to 
provide the info you need. Arrange to pick up the films and reports yourself and hand deliver to your attorney. 

6) Talk with others you meet in doctor's waiting rooms, at physical therapy, etc. Amazing the CRAP insurance companies put people 
through. Listen and learn and share!! 

7) Let your insurance company know that you are PISSED OFF at the way you've been treated. The claim representative assigned to you will 
be very polite and helpful the first few months and then he/she has to do the job they are being paid to do...DENY, DENY, DENY. Put in 
writing why you feel you should be getting the benefits and medical services in your contract. Trust me, you'll hear back from a higher up 
in the company. Of course it will be "double speak" but just give copies of their letters to your attorney. You might want to discuss with 
your attorney what you want to tell your insurance company before you send a letter!! 

GOOD LUCK and HANG TOUGH!! Get what you DESERVE, nothing more, nothing less, like I did!!