Did you know our lawyers will review your automobile insurance declarations page for free and give you advice about your current coverage? No charge, no cost, and no obligation. You don’t even have to come in to see us.
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A group of Plaintiffs’ lawyers across Alabama on behalf of their respective clients are banding together to sue Allstate on February 17, 2017. Although Allstate says you are in good hands, its aggressive failure to pay claims for damages shows you are not. Although the lawyers at Hodges Trial Lawyers try and settle cases to avoid litigation when possible, Allstate forces the vast majority of our client to file a suit. It is not uncommon for Allstate to try to settle clear liability cases (meaning there is no dispute who is at fault) for less than the actual medical bills incurred by the person hurt. That is not fair and it is contrary to justice. This effort by competing personal injury lawyers from Huntsville to Mobile is an effort to get Allstate to be reasonable and fair. None of our clients are looking for a windfall in their personal injury case, they are simply looking for fair and just compensation. The personal injury lawyers at Hodges Trial Lawyers will continue to fight for injured people. If you have a case against Allstate and want to join us, contact our office today.
When deciding what coverage to include in your insurance policy, Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (“UM/UIM”) insurance should always be included. This policy can provide a large amount ($200,000.00-$500,000.00) of coverage for a relatively small amount of money. This insurance is essential; it activates when the at-fault driver does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance to cover your losses. If you don’t know if you have UM insurance, chances are that it is included in your policy. The law requires the insurance company to obtain your signature rejecting the coverage in order to exclude it from your policy. Almost 20% of Alabama drivers are uninsured, despite the law requiring all drivers to carry liability insurance. Additionally, a minimum policy only provides $25,000.00 in insurance coverage. Medical bills, lost wages, and other damages can add up fast in a car wreck. It is important to ensure that you have enough coverage to protect you in the event that you get in a wreck. Uninsured motorist coverage protects you from situations where you would otherwise be left with a giant bill and no way of paying it. If you find yourself in a situation like this and feel that you need a lawyer, then give us a call. The lawyers at Hodges Trial Lawyers would be happy to discuss your personal injury case with you.
Our firm reached a settlement recently on a case caused by a drunk driver. Our client suffers significant and debilitating injuries, including a broken hip, lacerations, contusions, loss of consciousness, and severe mental trauma. Our client was grateful that we were able to settle the case for all of the available insurance proceeds involved without having to file a lawsuit. Although her injuries were very severe, she has worked hard in her therapy to make a good recovery. We were pleased to be able to help this client.
Most people don’t realize that Social Security disability is actually a federal insurance program. This means that you have to have paid enough money into Social Security disability before you are eligible to receive benefits. If you have not paid enough money, in the form of “work credits” to Social Security, then it does not matter how disabling your condition is, you are ineligible for disability benefits. So how many credits is enough?
A “work credit” is one quarter of the year that you worked and paid money into Social Security. If you work full time for one year and your employer pays money to Social Security like they should, you will receive four work credits. The Social Security rules breakdown the work credits requirements based on your age. As you get older, you must have acquired more work credits in order to be eligible. Below is the list of required work credits based on age.
Before Age 24 = 6 credits in the 3 years before your disability starts. Age 24-31 = ½ of the total work time you had available from when you turned 21 until you became disabled. For example, if you become disabled at 25, you had 4 years to accumulate work credits which equals a total of 16 possible work credits. So you would need to have at least 8 credits to be eligible.
Age 31-42 = 20 credits (for all ages over 30, in addition to the number of credits below, you must have at least 20 credits in the past 10 years to be eligible)
44 = 22 credits, 46 = 24 credits, 48 = 26 credits, 50 = 28 credits, 52 = 30 credits, 54 = 32 credits, 56 = 34 credits, 58 = 36 credits, 60 = 38 credits, 62 = 40 credits
These are the eligibility requirements for Social Security disability insurance benefits. If you have more than minimum requirements, that is great because it helps protect your eligibility into the future in case you lose your job later. So keep working hard and know that you have additional protection in the form of Social Security disability benefits if something bad happens to you.