Pennsylvania Insurance Lawyers Win Bad Faith Case Against Uninsured Motorist Carrier
Motorcyclist Denied UIM Benefits by Allstate - Allegheny County Court holds that household exclusion in car insurance policy bars coverage when operating motorcycle not insured on policy.
Injured in a car accident at work? Erie Insurance denies UM coverage to injured workers and Allegheny Court agrees.
Teaching Materials - April 1, 1998 - First Party Benefit Update
Superior Court Issues Sackett III - Pennsylvania Insurance Companies must follow rules before denying their insureds the benefit of stacked uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.

Insurance Claims

Experienced Pennsylvania Insurance Lawyers Will Help Achieve a Fair Recovery

People enter car insurance contracts to protect themselves from accident injuries and expenses. However, collecting accident insurance money is not as simple as picking up the phone, telling your insurance company about the accident, and waiting for a check. Insurance companies want to make money and they maximize their profits by paying out as little as possible. Often, it takes aggressive negotiating and skilled arguments to convince an insurance company to pay you what is rightfully yours.

Contact Purchase & George, P.C. at (888) 870-3499 to discuss your Pennsylvania Insurance Claims

Attorneys Tim George and Eric Purchase are committed to helping you recover from your injuries. We will aggressively advocate for the payment of your insurance claim. Call us for a free consultation and please download our book, the Pennsylvania Car Accident Handbook, for more information about your right to recovery.

Uninsured / Underinsured Accident Claims with Your Own Insurance Company
If you carry uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage and you've been in an accident with a Pennsylvania driver who is either uninsured or underinsured then your own insurance company may be responsible for paying your damages. If you are a victim of a hit and run accident or of an accident caused by someone with no automobile insurance then uninsured motorist coverage should pay the costs of your injuries. Likewise, if you are involved in an accident with someone who does not have enough insurance to cover the costs of your damages then your underinsured motorist coverage should pay for your injuries that are not covered by the underinsured's insurance company.

Many insurance companies try not to pay these damages and instead encourage accident victims to pursue their recovery against a driver who cannot pay.

Working Toward a Settlement with a Defendant's Insurance Company
Even if you are in an accident with a driver who has adequate insurance, the insurance company is likely to be reluctant to pay you, despite its contractual obligation to do so. Often, it takes a skilled negotiator who knows how insurance companies work to help you recover equitable damages.

Purchase & George P.C. Will Help You with Your Pennsylvania Insurance Claim
Eric Purchase and Tim George are well prepared to help you with your Pennsylvania auto insurance claim. Eric has worked for 15 years as a defense lawyer and has represented the Erie Insurance and State Farm Insurance Companies in many cases. He understands how insurance companies work and uses that knowledge to negotiate on behalf of his injured clients. Both Tim and Eric teach seminars to other lawyers and to insurance adjustors on insurance topics. Our community looks to us as leaders on personal injury and insurance issues.

Let the Erie car insurance claim lawyers of Purchase & George, P.C. put their 37 years of combined legal experience to work for you and let us help you recover the insurance settlement to which you are entitled. Contact us today at (888) 870-3499 or via our contact form for a free consultation.

Purchase & George, P.C. represents clients throughout Northwest, PA including in Erie County, Erie, North East, Fairview, Edinboro, McKean, Girard, Springfield, Albion, Union City, Corry, Crawford County, Meadville, Linesville, Conneaut Lake, Cambridge Springs, Warren County, Warren, Venango County, Franklin, Oil City, Mercer County, Jefferson County, Brookville, Clarion County, Clarion, Northwest Harborcreek, Bradford, Kane, DuBois, Sugarcreek, Waterford, and Punxsutawney.

Purchase & George, P.C. are injury lawyers representing clients throughout Northwest PA including in Erie County, Erie, North East, Fairview, Edinboro, McKean, Girard, Springfield, Albion, Union City, Corry, Crawford County, Meadville, Linesville, Conneaut Lake, Cambridge Springs, Warren County, Warren, Venango County, Franklin, Oil City, Mercer County, Jefferson County, Brookville, Clarion County, Clarion, Northwest Harborcreek, McKean County, Bradford, Kane, DuBois, Sugarcreek, Waterford, and Punxsutawney.

Blog for Insurance Claims

Library for Insurance Claims:

Pennsylvania Insurance Lawyers Win Bad Faith Case Against Uninsured Motorist Carrier [PDF]
A Purchase & George client recently won a substantial battle in a bad faith insurance case against ACIC for its handling of her Uninsured Motorist Claim. The court found ACIC in bad faith for misrepresenting UM policy limits; refusing to arbitrate (despite policy language requiring arbitration); misleading their insured about their intent to file an appeal of the arbitration award; lowballing; delay; and seeking release of bad faith claims as condition of payment of UIM benefits.
Motorcyclist Denied UIM Benefits by Allstate - Allegheny County Court holds that household exclusion in car insurance policy bars coverage when operating motorcycle not insured on policy. [PDF]
In Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. v. Hymes, the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County held that a motorcyclist injured when struck from the rear was not entitled to UIM benefits from his own auto insurance policy due to the household exclusion in his own auto policy.
Injured in a car accident at work? Erie Insurance denies UM coverage to injured workers and Allegheny Court agrees. [PDF]
In Erie Insurance v. Conley, the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas denied uninsured motorist coverage to a man injured in a car accident caused by the negligence of a co-worker. The Court reasoned that because the injured man was in the scope of his employment at the time of injury, Pennsylvania's Worker's Compensation Act made his co-worker immune from suit and therefore the immune co-worker did not qualify as a person from whom the injured plaintiffs was "legally entitled to recover damages."
Teaching Materials - April 1, 1998 - First Party Benefit Update [PDF]
These materials were provided to participants at a seminar given by Eric Purchase on April 1, 1998. The seminar was directed at insurance professionals, including claims adjustors and defense lawyers. The materials were intended to update attendees on the state of the law relating to first party auto insurance benefits.
Superior Court Issues Sackett III - Pennsylvania Insurance Companies must follow rules before denying their insureds the benefit of stacked uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. [PDF]
The Superior Court of Pennsylvania has issued an opinion in Sackett v. Nationwide Insurance (Sackett III) that summarizes this case's lengthy appellate history and confirms the rules that now apply in order for an insurance company to deny its insured the benefit of "stacked" benefits under the underinsured motorist and uninsured motorist portions of the policy.
Erie Car Insurance Lawyer : Erie UM/UIM Lawyer : Pennsylvania [PDF]
In Erie Insurance v. Baker, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court upheld the validity of the so-called "household exclusion" in the Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage portion of a Pennsylvania auto insurance policy. The household exclusion applies to deny UM/UIM coverage to people who are injured while occupying another vehicle owned by the insured (or a resident relative) that is not insured on the same policy. The decision in Erie v. Baker definitively resolves the question of whether or not the household exclusion is enforceable under circumstances where the vehicles involved are insured by different carriers. Still unresolved (but working its way through the appellate system) is the question of whether the household exclusion is enforceable when the UM/UIM coverage at issue is provided by the same insurer albeit via different policies.
The Supreme Court has decided to review a case in which an insurance company is attempting to deny coverage to its insured. GEICO insured both vehicles involved in the Ayers case but is nevertheless trying to deny coverage to its insured claiming that the household vehicle exclusion in their policy gets them off the hook for paying out on both policies. The Pennsylvania insurance claim lawyers at Purchase & George will monitor the matter closely and report on it as more develops. [PDF]
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has decided to accept a case that may narrow the reach of the household exclusion in Underinsured Motorist and Uninsured Motorist car insurance policies. In GEICO v. Ayers, the Court will determine whether the household vehicle exclusion is enforceable in circumstances in which the same insurance company insures both vehicles. The case has the potential to limit the application of the Court's previous ruling in Erie Insurance v. Baker to those circumstances in which different insurers write the policies at issue.
Superior Court Recognizes Limits of "Regularly Used Auto" Exclusion in Underinsured Motorist Coverage [PDF]
In Dixon v. Geico the Pennsylvania Superior Court recognized an important limit on the scope of the regularly used auto exclusion found in typical Pennsylvania insurance policies that provide uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage. In circumstances in which an employed mechanic was driving his employer's vehicle for purposes of delivering it (either incidental to or following repair) the Court found that it would be possible for a jury to conclude that such vehicle was not a vehicle "furnished for the regular use" of the employee.
Prudential Tries to Deny Underinsured Motorist Benefits, Loses on Appeal [PDF]
Prudential loses effort to deny underinsured motorist benefits to their own insured in case where their insured was operating a rental truck and Prudential argued that their insureds lose coverage when they get in a truck that weighs more than one ton.
Three Simple Steps to Protect Yourself if You Caused an Accident and Hurt Someone
We offer a lot of information for people who've been injured and might have to sue to get compensation for their harm. Here, we offer information for people who caused the accident and are being sued. And we've got good news. Your insurance company will take care of almost everything. They'll pay to compensate the injured person. They'll pick and pay for a lawyer to defend you. Really, insurance makes being a defendant a much easier process than you might think. You just have to follow these simple rules.
Real Life Question and Answer Series - Is a fractured nose a "Serious Injury" under Pennsylvania Law?
In our "Real Life Question and Answer" Series we present actual questions that have been posed by real people and the answers we've provided. In this case, a woman with limited tort suffered a broken nose when she was rear ended at a STOP sign She had questions about whether her injury was a serious injury as defined in Pennsylvania law. We offered answers.
REAL LIFE QUESTION & ANSWER SERIES: DRIVER LEARNS HIS CAR IS COVERED BUT HE'S NOT?
In our "Real Life Question and Answer" Series we present actual questions that have been posed by real people and the answers we've provided. In this case, a man is in an accident that's not his fault. His car is insured. But he says he personally is excluded on the policy. He had questions. We offered answers.
REAL LIFE QUESTION AND ANSWER SERIES: My insurance company settled a claim against me even though I wanted to fight! Can I sue them?
In our "Real Life Question and Answer" Series we present actual questions that have been posed by real people and the answers we've provided. In this case, a woman is upset that her insurance carrier settled a claim against her. She wanted them to fight! She had questions. We offered answers.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Upholds Prejudice Requirement Associated with Failure to Provide 30 Day Notice of Phantom Vehicle to Uninsured Motorist Carrier [PDF]
Pennsylvania Supreme Court holds that 30 Day Phantom Vehicle Reporting Requirement of the MVFRL does not relieve insurance company of obligation to provide uninsured motorist coverage absent proof of prejudice to the insurance carrier.
Supreme Court Holds that Insurers Not Entitled to Deny Uninsured Motorist Benefits for Insured's Failure to Comply with Contractual 30 day Phantom Vehicle Notice Requirement Absent Proof of Prejudice [PDF]
Pennsylvania Supreme Court opinion in Brakeman v. Potomac holds that failure of insured to comply with contractual requirement to give notice of accident involving phantom vehicle does not relieve insurance company of obligation to provide uninsured motorist benefits unless insurer can demonstrate prejudice as a result of the delay.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court holds that insurance companies may deny uninsured motorist benefits in phantom vehicle accidents when insured fails to give law enforcement notice of accident within 30 days. [PDF]
Pennsylvania Supreme Court holds that insurers may deny uninsured motorist benefits when insured fails to notify law enforcement of accident involving phantom vehicle within 30 days of accident in State Farm v. Foster even without showing of prejudice.
Insurance Companies Who Wrongly Refuse to Pay Medical Benefits Owed Under Policy Must Reimburse Attorney Fees of Successful Challenge [PDF]
Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas issues opinion which correctly determines that insurance companies who wrongly decide not to pay medical bills for their insureds must reimburse the attorney fees incurred by an insured or provider who successfully challenges their refusal to pay medical benefits owed under the policy.
2 Reasons Why You Need a Pennsylvania Insurance Claims Lawyer to Represent You
Erie County insurance claim lawyers can help you increase the amount of your accident insurance claim and reduce the stress caused by your insurance company. Call an experienced Pennsylvania insurance claims lawyer at Purchase & George, P.C. at (888) 870-3499 for more information about how to get an equitable settlement for your accident claim.

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Frequent Questions for Insurance Claims:

Case Results for Insurance Claims:

Uninsured Motorist Claim Settles for Limits (but first the insurer tried to get away with less)

Awarded: $100,00 (Policy Limits)

$200,000 UIM Evaluation - Policy Limits

Awarded: Policy Limits

Rear End Accident Results in $260,000 UIM Evaluation

Awarded: $260,000

The Case about the Insurance Company that Didn't Know its Own Policy

Awarded: $100,000

Videos about Insurance Claims:

The Importance of Good Insurance (FLV)

The Importance of Good Insurance

Web Resources for Insurance Claims:

Pennsylvania Insurance Department
Description: Pennsylvania regulates the business of insurance within the Commonwealth. This site provides information on the industry and allows consumers to post iinsurance nquiries and insurance complaints.

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