Guide to Finding Insurance Lawyer

What does an insurance lawyer do?

An Insurance Lawyer is an attorney who works for an insurance company and litigates in favor of an insured client, either an individual or business. Insurance Lawyers work in three specific areas of insurance: regulation of the insurance business, regulating the content of insurance policies and regulating insurance claims.

In the category regulation of the business the insurance lawyer takes the form of an employee of the federal or state government. In these cases the Insurance Lawyer takes the role of enforcing government regulations on the practices of insurance companies involving the claims and policies. Insurance Lawyers working for the government have the responsibility of monitoring insurance companies to make sure that they are operating on an even playing field with their policy holders. Many times insurance companies will attempt to dishonor claims due to claims of non-coverage or pre-existing conditions. When this happens a government employed Insurance Lawyer will be involved in the prosecuting of those companies for unfair trade practices. Insurance Lawyers working for the government in the field of insurance regulation will also be involved in the drafting of statutes involving the regulation of the insurance industry. When the health care bill of 2009 was drafted there were many insurance lawyers representing, both the insurance companies and the government, whose opinions were considered in creating the provisions of the bill.

Insurance Lawyers are also heavily involved in the drafting of insurance policies for insurance companies. An insurance policy is considered a legally binding contract and an Insurance Lawyer will be heavily involved in ensuring that the policies meet government regulations and, at the same time, meet the needs of the insurance company. The Insurance Lawyer has the job of drafting the insurance policy in a way that is airtight and allows for no loopholes in the contract. An insurance contract, drafted by an Insurance Lawyer, can be either boilerplate (a standard contract where one party makes all the provisions and the other has little to no say in the formalities of the contract) or bi-lateral. An insurance lawyer in a bi-lateral insurance policy will have the job of negotiating the policy in the best interest of the insurance company. This often is the case with large insurance policies involving insuring of companies and other large accounts.

Insurance Lawyers are most commonly known for representing individuals and businesses in litigation involving an insurance policy. Depending on the situation the Insurance Lawyer will represent the plaintiff or the defendant.

As the attorney for the plaintiff, insurance company, the insurance lawyer is most commonly associated with auto insurance claims and health insurance claims. In that position the insurance lawyer is responsible for arguing fraud. Fraud occurs very often in the insurance industry. It is the job of the insurance lawyer to investigate claims of fraudulent activity and protect the insurance company from paying out on a claim.

Auto insurance fraud occurs when an individual who has been involved in an automobile accident fraudulently claims that he or she was severely injured in the accident and wishes to collect damages from the plaintiff's insurance company.

Fraudulent activity is also prevalent in health insurance. This occurs when physicians and other medical staff charge for medications and surgical procedures that were, in actuality, never administered. In this case the insurance lawyer will work for the insurance company in investigating claims of health insurance fraud. When Medicare, Medicaide or some other form of government funding is abused in health insurance fraud an independent insurance lawyer may work hand in hand with a prosecutor from the state or federal government.

As counsel for a defendant an insurance lawyer will represent the policyholder in an action seeking damages in which the policyholder is being sued for an injury that occurred to the plaintiff through the negligence of the policyholder. It is the insurance lawyer's job, in that situation to either have a case dismissed or mitigates the damages.

When an insurance lawyer is defending a policyholder it essential to know that the insurance lawyer does not represent the policyholder. The insurance lawyer represents the insurance company. His job in that capacity is to protect the insurance company from paying out of an award to the plaintiff. This is important to note because if it is improbable that the damages will be below the policy limit then the insurance lawyer will not be advocating for the policyholder to lower amounts over the policy limit. If this sounds complicated here is an example: if a defendant is being sued for $100,000 and his insurance policy covers $50,000 the insurance lawyers obligation is to get that number down to $0 or as close to it as possible. If there is no way that the award will be less than $75,000 then the insurance lawyer has no incentive to mitigate the damages. Whether the final award is $75,000 or $100,000 the insurance company will only have to pay $50,000 of that so there is little reason for the insurance lawyer to attempt to lower the award. When faced with situations like this it is a good idea to consider outside counsel, especially when the damage award can far exceed the insurance policy limits.

Insurance Lawyers also represent employer’s insurance companies in workers compensation matters. Workers compensation liability is something that is set by state law. However, it is the job of the insurance lawyer working for the insurance company to mitigate the damages and if possible, prove that the injury to the employee did not happen at the workplace, was exacerbated by actions unrelated to employment or was due to activities at the workplace that were exceedingly outside the scope of the employment. Workers compensation can cost an insurance company a lot of money considering medical bills, lost wage and possible disability. An insurance lawyer plays a crucial role in ensuring that the system is not taken advantage of.

Estimates show that $68 billion dollars is lost to health insurance on a yearly basis and 21% - 36% of auto insurance claims are suspected of being fraudulent as well. It is the job of the insurance lawyer to aid in the policing of fraudulent activity and stops it. The mitigation of the effects of insurance fraud by insurance lawyers benefits both the policy holders by lowering their deductibles and also protects the taxpayers by lowering the amount of insurance fraud in the Medicare, Medicaide and social security disability programs.

Malpractice Insurance for Lawyers

Lawyer Malpractice Insurance, like other forms of professional malpractice insurance, protects a lawyer from his or her negligence involved in the representation of a client. Lawyer Malpractice Insurance is not required by most states but is recommended. Lawyer Malpractice Insurance is especially beneficial for attorney's who are solo practitioners or are starting up their own firms. Reports show that 60% of lawyers possess some form of Lawyer Malpractice Insurance.

There are different kinds of Lawyer Malpractice Insurance and the policies range in expense. When searching for Lawyers Malpractice Insurance it important to review the coverage of the insurance. A lawyer will want to make sure that Lawyers Malpractice Insurance covers all possible claims that could be mounted against an attorney. Good Lawyers Malpractice Insurance will also involve tail end Lawyers e Malpractice Insurance. This coverage entails insuring the lawyer for a number of years after the dissolution of a firm.

When looking for Lawyers Malpractice Insurance the lawyer will also want to find out the extent of the defense associated with Malpractice Insurance for Lawyers. Proper coverage will provide legal counsel to the accused lawyer, defense counsel and a large amount of coverage for money damages awarded against the lawyer.

The rates associated with Malpractice Insurance For Lawyers can range depending on a number of factors. These include the extent of the coverage requested; the area of the law that the lawyer practices in, securities, banking and real estate tend to be the most expensive; the state that the insured practices in; the amount of the deductible; firm size; and the reputation of the insured lawyer. Every state Malpractice Insurance for Lawyers coverage rates and extent of coverage are different. When a lawyer moves from one state to another it is often required to update, or change, the Malpractice Insurance for Lawyers.

Lawyer liability insurance

Lawyer Professional Liability Insurance is insurance retained by a lawyer or his/her firm for the purpose of protecting a firm from litigation resulting from that firm’s negligent representation of a client. Lawyer Professional Responsibility Insurance is necessary when starting one's own firm or when an attorney specializes in particular areas of law that are considered high risk.
For the most part states do not require that attorneys possess Lawyer Professional Liability Insurance but it is recommended. The possession of Lawyer Professional Liability Insurance can minimize the chance that a claim by a disgruntled client will result in an unfavorable verdict which can not only cause financial damage to the attorney and firm but also damage the reputation of the attorney and firm. Having reliable Lawyers Professional Liability Insurance will also provide the client attorney with the proper staff and legal representation to fight a claim of malpractice. Lawyers Professional Liability Insurance will usually entail having representation by an attorney who specializes in the field of legal malpractice. Although an attorney may feel that he or she is equipped to handle the matter an expert provided by the Lawyers Professional Liability Insurance will be most adept at handling the matter.

Another reason to have Lawyer Liability Insurance is the time that is involved in the malpractice proceeding itself. An attorney has his or her own cases to handle and a court will usually not consider the lawyers own malpractice claims when considering a continuance. Therefore it is important to have Lawyer Liability Insurance that will provide a specialized attorney that will allow for the accused attorney to continue to practice and handle pending cases while the attorney appointed by the Lawyer Liability Insurance handles the malpractice/professional responsibility matter.

Yet another reason to have Lawyer Liability Insurance is to gather advice on malpractice issues. Many large firms have attorneys on hand who are specialists in ethics and professional responsibility. However, startup lawyers and small firms often do not have this luxury. Lawyer Liability Insurance can provide an insured attorney or firm with the legal advice on a need to know basis. It is in the Lawyer Liability Insurance policy holders’ best interest to stay out of any malpractice or misconduct situation. It is also in the best interest of the Lawyer Liability Insurance Company to aid their policy holders now instead of having to represent the Lawyers professional liability insurance policy holder after a malpractice or professional misconduct action is filed.

Lawyer Insurance & Insurance for Lawyers

Lawyers insurance is a necessary part of any legal practice. Lawyers Insurance protects an attorney and his client from malpractice lawsuits filed on the part of a disgruntled client or sanctions by the state bar association.

Lawyers insurance is important because at least once in an attorney’s career he or she will be sued for malpractice. Being sued does not necessarily mean that there is ample justification for the lawsuit but it is still important to have Lawyer Insurance so someone who specializes in legal malpractice can handle the case. Many legal malpractice plaintiffs come from disgruntled clients who do not feel that they got the proper advice in a lawsuit. The grounds may be unfounded. Many times plaintiffs in civil suits have delusions of grandeur and big money verdicts but are upset when the settlement of jury award comes back much less than they had originally thought. Plaintiffs also come in the form of disinherited beneficiaries and others in a will or trust who don't believe that the testator meant to treat them a certain way in a testamentary document.

Lawyer Insurance also protects a lawyer when he is facing sanctions in front of the state bar association. When a lawyer is accused of violating the codes of professional responsibility the penalties can range from a mere warning to disbarment. Insurance For Lawyers can give a lawyer with Insurance For Lawyers the necessary legal aid and representation necessary to successfully defend oneself in a professional misconduct action. A proceeding for disbarment is the most important case an attorney will ever be involved in. The result of a traditional trial can result in the lawyer winning or losing his or her case. The stakes involved in professional misconduct could mean the extermination of the attorneys’ livelihood. Insurance for Lawyers will provide the attorney with legal representation that is experienced and knowledgeable in professional misconduct actions. A final reason to have Insurance for Lawyers is that an individual should never represent him or herself in any proceeding, whether he or she is a lawyer or not. A lawyer provided by Lawyers Insurance will not be dealing with the stress of the matter or be involved in other pending cases, as the case will be if an attorney represents him or herself.

Insurance Claim Lawyer

An Insurance Claim Lawyer in an attorney, barred by the state, who works for the insurance company. The Insurance Claim Lawyer has the goal of representing policy holders of the insurance company in suits against the policy holder for actions involving the policy holders insurance. Insurance Claim Lawyers are most often found in instances where the policy holder is being sued for damages resulting from an auto accident.

In auto accidents the job of the Insurance Claim Lawyer is to reduce the payout that the insurance company will have to pay the plaintiff in the case if a guilty verdict is administered. For every policy holder of insurance there is a certain amount of coverage that the policy holder is entitled to. Insurance Claims Lawyers are retained by the insurance company to attempt to deny any award of damages and convince a jury that the plaintiffs’ injuries were not the result of the defendant's actions.

Insurance Claim Lawyers will, if fault is found with the defendant, will attempt to prove that the defendant's actions were outside the scope of the insurance policy. The Insurance Claims Lawyer does not represent the policy holder; he or she represents the insurance company. This is a common misconception and can often lead to policy holder's believing that the Insurance Claims Lawyer is looking out for the insured. Although there is attorney /client privilege with the Insurance Claims Lawyer and a corresponding fiduciary obligation the Insurance Claim Lawyer is working to ensure the best outcome for his/her client; the insurance company.

An insurance coverage lawyer will also represent insurance companies in workers compensation actions and in health insurance actions. Fraud costs the insurance industry billions of dollars a year and part of the job of the insurance coverage lawyer is to mitigate the damage by investigating claims and ensuring that fraudulent medical expenses are not paid out by the insurance company. Workers compensation actions can cost insurance companies excessive amounts of money, especially when the worker is disabled for an extended period of time. It is the job of the insurance coverage lawyer to litigate the matter to make sure that the insurance company pays the minimum amount necessary in the workers compensation action.

Insurance Dispute Lawyer & Denied Insurance Claim Lawyer

An Insurance Dispute Lawyer is an attorney, barred by the state, who represents clients who are denied coverage under their automobile, health, home insurance or any other kind of insurance. The job of the Insurance Dispute Lawyer is to defend individuals who have spent years paying into their insurance policies only to be denied the benefits when they actually need the coverage. This Insurance Dispute Lawyer will often represent clients when a health insurance company will not pay benefits to an individual who need medical treatment. This may take the form of a pre-existing condition or that the policy doesn’t cover that exact procedure. The Insurance Dispute Lawyer will argue for the plaintiff in such a case to ensure that benefits are dispersed properly.

The Insurance Claim Lawyer is important when a claim is denied. The insurance company has teams of their own Insurance Claim Lawyers working for them who deal solely with defending the insurance company against allegations such as this. This is no time to be a pro se litigant. An Insurance Claim Lawyer has the experience and knowledge to be able to read the insurance policy in a way that can uncover unfairness and possible illegality. Where a lay person will be confused by insurance law an Insurance Claim lawyer will be able to interpret the policy of a denied policy holder to determine whether the coverage was illegally denied.

Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation

Title Insurance Corporation Lawyers represent title insurance companies who insure real estate. Title insurance is acquired by a purchaser of real estate in the United States to insure against defects in the title such as liens, judgments, covenants upon the land. Title Insurance Corporation Lawyers represent the title insurance company when there are disputes involving purchased land that has problems associated, unbeknownst to the owner. The Title Insurance Corporation Lawyers represent the title insurance company, not the home owner. It is the job of the Title Insurance Corporation Lawyer to mitigate damages to the title insurance company to the point where the title insurance company does not lose profits. It is not the job of the Title Insurance Lawyers to represent the homeowner so that he or she has a judgment free title.

Title Insurance Company Lawyers are often involved when a house is sold at closing and later on it is found that the property was not owned by the seller or that there was a restrictive covenant on the land.

A restrictive covenant is a provision in the land sale that prevents certain actions from occurring. For example, a restrictive covenant may prohibit the building of a second story or garage on a property. Usually this occurs when the original owner of numerous plots of land sells them in blocks and provides certain requirements. In these situations the Title Insurance Corporation Lawyers will attempt to show that the covenant is against public policy, void, or no longer applicable to the scheme of the community.

A Title Insurance Corporations Lawyer will be experienced and more than capable of searching through the appropriate records to discover if there are liens, judgments or covenants on certain property. There are specific ways that each jurisdiction maintains property records and a Title Insurance Company Lawyer is adept at searching for these documents, which can be complicated due to the informal nature of filing in this nation's history.

Health Insurance Lawyer

A Health Insurance Lawyer is an attorney that works on behalf of individuals who dispute coverage pay outs by health insurance companies. A Health Insurance Lawyer will represent clients when the insurance company refuses to pay benefits when a policy holder suffers injury or illness. A Health Insurance Lawyer will also dispute unfair practices by insurance companies regarding pricing and advertising practices by insurance companies. Health Insurance Lawyers will often be involved in matters dealing with the FDA, Medicare, Medicaid and anti-trust violations by health insurance companies.

Life Insurance Lawyer

A Life Insurance Lawyer will litigate on behalf of a life insurance beneficiary who has been denied benefits from the life insurance policy of the life insurance donor. Under ERISA an individual who litigates against a life insurance company is denied a jury trial and the possibility of punitive damages. A Life Insurance Lawyer is important. Life Insurance companies denied $372 million in life insurance benefits in 2010. Even though this is only 3% of cases an individual will want a life insurance lawyer if this happens. When benefits are denied a life insurance company will refund the life insurance payments and request that the beneficiary sign a document stating they will not litigate. A life Insurance Lawyer should be retained in these situations and no one should sign anything that would deny the opportunity to litigate in court.

A Life Insurance Claims Lawyer should be retained whenever life insurance benefits are denied. Excuses that the insurance company will use to deny benefits include suicide, unpaid premiums, and 67% of the time that benefits are denied it is because the insurance company accuses the insured of making a "material representation" about health or physical condition.

A Life Insurance Claims Lawyer has the experience and knowledge to deal with insurance companies. Because ERISA denies a jury trial in these matters a denied beneficiary cannot use sympathy as a weapon in a suit. This is more reason to have a specialized Life Insurance Claims Lawyer to represent an individual who is denied benefits. Benefits for life insurance can total hundreds of thousands of dollars and when considering a Life Insurance Claims Lawyer money should not be an issue. A Life Insurance Claims Lawyer can be the difference between receiving total benefits from a life insurance policy and destitution due to the denial of benefits that an individual was relying on.

Fraud Insurance Lawyer

A Fraud Insurance Lawyer can work on behalf of an insurance company or the government. Insurance fraud results in $100 billion per year in payouts by Medicare, Medicade, and insurance companies. A Fraud Insurance Lawyer investigates matter brought to their attention and aids the government in prosecution of those claims. Insurance Fraud is classified as a felony with penalties of up to 10 years in prison and $150,000 fine. By law, insurance companies are required to report incidents of suspected insurance fraud to the federal government. If one is suspected of insurance fraud a Fraud Insurance Lawyer is an essential part of any defense for insurance fraud.

Malpractice Insurance Lawyers & Lawyers Professional Insurance

Malpractice Insurance Lawyers represent attorneys who are accused of malpractice or violations of the code of professional conduct for lawyers. Lawyers Professional Insurance is not required by law but most attorneys have some form of coverage that supplies Malpractice Insurance Lawyers if an allegation of malpractice is argued against an attorney.

Lawyers Professional Insurance will also supply Malpractice Insurance Lawyers in instances when the attorney must go before the state bar association to defend him or herself against allegations of professional misconduct. Professional misconduct is a serious charge and can lead to disbarment for egregious or repetitive violations. Malpractice Insurance Lawyers supplied by Lawyers Professional Insurance are best equipped to handle these matters. A lawyer accused of malpractice of professional misconduct, like any other defendant, should never represent him or herself. Malpractice Insurance Lawyers specialize in this field and do not have a personal stake in the matter.

Disability Insurance Lawyers

Disability Insurance Lawyers will represent clients who have been injured in such a way that they can no longer work. Disability Insurance Lawyers also represent individuals who are denied benefits from the social security administration under a disability claim. Disability Insurance Lawyers are an important tool in litigation concerning social security disability and workers compensation.

The social security administration denies most applications for social security disability benefits. This is often due to minor details in applications. Disability Insurance Lawyers can fill out these forms, or at least advise a client, on how to proceed. Disabilities often leave an individual ill equipped even to handle the most menial tasks. Disability Insurance Lawyers are aware of this and have staff or information to aid a client while the process of collecting social security or workers compensation insurance is being formalized.

Car Insurance Lawyer

A Car Insurance Lawyer is an attorney, appointed by an insurance company, to represent a policy holder in defending an action for damages caused by an insured's driving. A Car Insurance Lawyer is important when one has been accused of negligent driving that has resulted in injury to person or property of another. When a person has automobile insurance he or she is paying for representation by a Car Insurance Lawyer in these situations. A Car Insurance Lawyer will review medical records, prepare expert witnesses, seek information on the automobile and if it has defects and perform all other forms of legal analysis to properly defend the policy holder and insurance company. A Car Insurance Lawyer works for the insurance provider and his job is to minimize or eliminate the liability of the insurance company.

Internet Lawyer

An Internet Lawyer is an attorney who advertises his or her legal services over the internet. Almost every law firm has a website and advertising on the internet.