Collecting No-Fault Benefits

For the past couple of decades, my partner Steve and I have been representing victims of motor vehicle accidents resulting from the carelessness of other drivers. One thorn in my side has always been the No Fault arbitration and litigation process. The carriers seem to be even more aggressive in denying claims that rightfully should be paid, while the penalties for doing so are being diminished.

I have always believed that the primary purpose of the law is to prevent injustice- to protect the powerless from the powerful. It is no secret that the powerful in the context of No Fault is the insurance industry, while the powerless is the injured auto accident victim. In one breath the carriers collect premiums, and in the very next they refuse to pay benefits to which their insureds are entitled.

The no fault arbitration and litigation process is rife with idiosyncracies, which can quickly turn into fatal pitfalls for practitioners unfamiliar with them. Our office has several attorneys and support staff who exclusively litigate no fault cases. We maintain an unsurpassed bank of legal researched materials that help us win our cases efficiently and cost-effectively. Our firm's success has afforded us a reputation in the legal community second to no other. We have collected millions of otherwise unrecoverable funds wrongfully denied by insurance carriers.We know how to handle the insurance carrier's wrongful denials, and get claims paid.

If you are an attorney, I urge you to take an active role in getting your client's medical bills and lost wages paid pursuant to the no fault laws of New York when the insurance industry wrongfully denies them. Our firm will gladly consult with you about your client's no fault issues. Do not be so willing to accept the notion that forcing the carrier to abide by the no fault laws of this state will negatively affect your client's personal injury litigation. In fact, litigation of the vast majority of no fault cases has absolutely no collateral estoppel on your client's motor vehicle accident case. As a result of our firm's success with cases previously referred to us from attorneys handling personal injury matters, lien's on recoveries have been eliminated, and doctors have been more willing to treat injured clients even after their claims have been denied.

-Richard Jaffe, Esq.