Rana Law Group Newsletter
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In this issue:
- Social Media and Your Injury Case (Revisited)
- USAA Customer Alert
- Just for Fun: St. Louis Zoo (Raja/Kali)
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Social Media and your Injury Case (Revisited)
Tarun’s father-in-law (and a few others) recently sent in a story from Ireland that perfectly illustrates why we discuss shutting down social media for clients with pending injury cases. The plaintiff (injured person) was in an automobile collision in 2017 that left her with what she claimed was debilitating daily pain which made it difficult to work or sometimes even get out of bed. Unfortunately, the defense found a photo after the collision which showed her winning a Christmas tree tossing contest, which completely undercut her claims of debilitating pain.
Additionally, the defense found a video of her physically wrestling with a dog which appeared to show she was physically able to do more than what she claimed. While the woman countered these were snapshots into an otherwise painful existence where she had moments of joy reminiscing of her old, pain-free life, the optics were not good. The judge ended up tossing out her case and she received nothing.While this is an extreme example, it is not the norm. We hand it to the insurance company representative in the article for acknowledging “the significant majority of claims that we handle are genuine.” This is true – stories like this create far more clicks and press than the average, run of the mill case where someone says she was rear-ended in an automobile collision and now has lifelong back pain. Moreover, lawyers who do injury work do not want to represent people who are faking their injuries – not only because it is unethical to do so but, if the person is not credible, the case could be lost, costing the attorney time and money.We covered this topic back in our April 2021 newsletter after taking a case to trial where the defense pinned their entire case on Facebook and Instagram photos of our client that were taken out of context. Luckily, the jury in that case believed our client was injured and that the photos were just a snapshot into that moment. These types of smiling vacation photos become potent weapons against many injured people in the courtroom. Insurance companies and their lawyers comb social media, hoping to find something that insinuates the person is not injured. Even more creepy, they sometimes hire private investigators to film the injured person doing routine tasks, in the hope the person does something the person alleges she cannot do. What the photos or surveillance videos do not always show is the before and after, as well as the price paid for engaging in the activity so that the person can feel like he or she did before the injury.Going back to the story above, all we can say is hopefully the certificate the plaintiff received for winning the tree tossing competition was worth losing compensation for her injuries! |
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USAA Customer Alert
USAA (United Services Automobile Association) is an insurance company available to active and retired military members and their families. By all appearances, members seem to be happy to be able to purchase insurance coverage geared towards rewarding military involvement. Unfortunately, the company may be exploiting the goodwill of their customers. While several other large insurance companies previously faced class-action lawsuits for various issues, it appears USAA is facing substantially more than their competitors. There are lawsuits alleging unequal pricing between enlisted service members and those with officer status, undervaluation of vehicles deemed a total loss, and underpaying sales taxes and title fees under a car replacement assistance program. There are even problems on the banking side (USAA Savings Bank), with lawsuits alleging the bank charged clients exorbitant fees and interest rates, including adding bank fees to inflate principal balances that were getting charged interest.
In general, it is always important to shop around for insurance and carefully evaluate price as well as coverage amounts. Additionally, if you or someone you know has USAA insurance, not only should you consider switching but you may also want to search online to see if you qualify for any of the class actions currently pending.
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Just for Fun: St. Louis Zoo (Raja/Kali)
Maybe it was the warm weather but it seems most of Rana Law Group happened to visit the St. Louis Zoo recently including Sarah, Brittany and Christine.
Anyone that grew up in the St. Louis region has fond memories of visiting the Zoo. Tarun’s favorite was how the whole city celebrated the birth of Raja the elephant, with a naming contest and constant media coverage. It was 1992 and everyone just had to get out and see him! Raja took to the limelight instantly, hamming it up on his birthdays and spraying visitors with water when the new enclosure River’s Edge opened up. After 31 years with us, Raja will be moving to the Columbus Zoo to diversify their breeding program. Get there soon to see him before he leaves!
Did you know that the St. Louis Zoo celebrates international polar bear day with Kali every year on February 27th? Sarah recently took a half day to attend the visit with her girls. They have been going as a family since Kali arrived.
In case you weren’t tempted to visit just to see Raja or Kali, there is a newborn orangutan that can be spotted in the Fragile Forest. Also, the Animals Aglow lantern festival is happening Wednesday-Sunday evenings this spring! We encourage everyone to visit our amazing (and FREE) Zoo – you will not be disappointed!
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Case Referrals
From time to time, clients call and ask which type of cases we handle. Our practice is built on referrals from satisfied clients. We know that if we work hard and do a good job for our clients, they will tell their friends about us. The best compliment from a former client is that client entrusting us with the potential case of their friend or family. Our office specializes in the following cases:
- Personal Injury (auto collisions, trucking, motorcycle, slip and fall)
- Work Injuries
- Traffic tickets and DUI/DWI
If you know someone that meets these criteria, please have them call our office. If someone does not quite fit the above criteria, please still have the prospective referral give us a call as we can usually help the person find the right attorney via a referral.
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| Share the Love – Reviews
Thank you very much to everyone who already left a review, we appreciate it! If you have not left one and have some kind words, we would appreciate the time.
- For Google: simply click on the link.
- For Facebook: please “Like” and “Follow” the page and then click on “Reviews” on the left-hand side
- For Avvo: click on “reviews” and then “Review Tarun Rana”
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