Consumers more greedy than insurers

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, June 20, 2007

I’ve been reading with interest the letters protesting the laws requiring motorcycle helmets, seat belts, booster seats, etc. But the Wednesday letter, “Insurance firms motivated by greed,” prompted me to write.

Insurance companies are not necessarily motivated by greed. Like any business, an insurance company is driven by profit. These companies owe a duty to their shareholders, investors and their employees to keep it in the black.

Unfortunately, too many (I dare say the majority) of people “injured” in accidents simply see an opportunity to cash in. Watch any daytime TV and you’ll see ads for attorneys whose sole goal is to shake down the big, bad insurance company.

I worked as a claims adjuster for a few years. I know that we attempted to offer fair settlements to people with legitimate injuries. However, I would talk to individuals and attorneys every day who asked for thousands of dollars for “injuries” incurred in accidents in which there was little or no physical damage to the vehicle. And the sad fact is that many insurance companies will pay these exorbitant claims only to avoid the even higher cost of a trial.

Perhaps if people were a little less litigious and stopped looking at insurance claims as a lottery jackpot, our insurance rates would go down and the state would have a little less interest in how we conduct our daily lives.

Sven Mogelgaard

Bothell