The "Weasel" Clause In Disability Policies
Truman Talks Law - Great Day Live - 12/21/11
Video Transcript for the Hearing Impaired:
Speaker: Truman Talks Law on Great Day Live with Karl Truman, local attorney.
Next Speaker: I’ve heard all the talk this December about Santa Claus, our next guest wants to focus on another clause, the legal clause, “Weasel”.
Next Speaker: It’s a legal clause in some disability insurance policies and one of the topics in a book co authored by local attorney, Karl Truman, our guest today for Truman Talks Live. Welcome.
Next Speaker: Thank you very much.
Next Speaker: Now let’s talk about this legal clause and how often that occurs in disability policies.
Next Speaker: Well, this is a, talks about a book that I co-authored with some other attorneys and it’s called Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing, what your insurance company doesn’t want you to know until it’s too late. Talks about a lot of different, uh, aspects of the insurance, whether it’s disability, automobile insurance, dealing with insurance company doctors, about, uh, trying to settle cases. Uh, we’re now talking about the, what the disability, uh, clause is. For example, if your disability clause may, by definition, allow the insurance company to decide as a exclusive deci, decision, are you disabled. But, what is the definition of being disabled? You know, can you do any type of work? So, there’s a lot of, of little nuances in their policies that, uh, are a little one sided in their favor, you know?
Next Speaker: If a disability comes into play in someone’s life, should they call a lawyer first?
Next Speaker: Well, there –
Next Speaker: What’s the order of events?
Next Speaker: Well obviously, the first thing you have to do is file your application and there’s several steps that you have to, you have to go through to file your application for disability. And, there’s a difference too, is it a private policy that you purchased yourself or is it sponsored through an employer? There’s a lot of different variations there. And, some of them under, uh, federal law, uh, the way that it, how they’re written, you may not even have a right to a jury trial. If, uh, you have a disagreement, if the insurance company says no, you’re not disabled, uh, you may not, and there’s…so that if you’re denied, then you should consult with an attorney who does disability claims.
Next Speaker: Now you also co authored another book, The Truth About Lawyer Advertising In Indiana and Kentucky. I mean how many of those ads have we seen? What do those ads really say?
Next Speaker: Sure. In, of course, I’m a, I do advertise and all lawyers advertise. To say, you know, some lawyers advertise, some lawyers don’t, I think is, is misleading itself. So, you know, certainly I do a lot of advertising, but the, the truth is is you’ve got to be an educated consumer. See I believe in educating because if, I think that an educated consumer makes the better client. And for example, one of the first things you have to know is is the lawyer you’re calling on TV been licensed to practice law here, because, believe it or not, there are lawyers on television here in Louisville who are not even licensed to practice law in Kentucky or Indiana. And, they may not even be a lawyer. You know, there’s, there’s chiropractors that look like lawyer ads and so, you’ve but to be educated. And that’s what the book is really about.
Next Speaker: Another thing kind of came up in the Sheep’s Clothing book is about uninsured motorists. You’re driving along having happy holiday thoughts. All of sudden the person that pops you has no insurance.
Next Speaker: And that is very common. That’s very common and many insurance companies might be surprised to hear me say that most people don’t have enough insurance. Because if you try to save a few dollars by not having any uninsured motorist coverage, well that car that hits you, uh, may not have any coverage themselves, so if you have a very bad injury, may not have enough coverage. So, it’s very important to look at your policy and know what you have because one of the big things, you know, clients will always come tell me, I’ll ask them what coverage they have and the, the response is always, well, I have full coverage. And I’m like okay, what coverage do you have? Oh, I have full coverage. So that doesn’t really mean anything to say I have full coverage. You’ve gotta look at, uh, your insurance policy to know what coverage you really do have.
Next Speaker: Well, Karl Truman, thanks for the rocking holiday tie.
Next Speaker: I like that.
Next Speaker: Taking pressure off me…And Karl Truman’s books are listed on amazon.com for $19.95 and $16.95. He’s offering a free copy to Great Day Live viewers to call his office and ask…as long as you are not with another firm or insurance company.
Next Speaker: ****.
Next Speaker: You can request his free copy by calling Karl Truman at 502-222-2222
Next Speaker: I’ve heard all the talk this December about Santa Claus, our next guest wants to focus on another clause, the legal clause, “Weasel”.
Next Speaker: It’s a legal clause in some disability insurance policies and one of the topics in a book co authored by local attorney, Karl Truman, our guest today for Truman Talks Live. Welcome.
Next Speaker: Thank you very much.
Next Speaker: Now let’s talk about this legal clause and how often that occurs in disability policies.
Next Speaker: Well, this is a, talks about a book that I co-authored with some other attorneys and it’s called Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing, what your insurance company doesn’t want you to know until it’s too late. Talks about a lot of different, uh, aspects of the insurance, whether it’s disability, automobile insurance, dealing with insurance company doctors, about, uh, trying to settle cases. Uh, we’re now talking about the, what the disability, uh, clause is. For example, if your disability clause may, by definition, allow the insurance company to decide as a exclusive deci, decision, are you disabled. But, what is the definition of being disabled? You know, can you do any type of work? So, there’s a lot of, of little nuances in their policies that, uh, are a little one sided in their favor, you know?
Next Speaker: If a disability comes into play in someone’s life, should they call a lawyer first?
Next Speaker: Well, there –
Next Speaker: What’s the order of events?
Next Speaker: Well obviously, the first thing you have to do is file your application and there’s several steps that you have to, you have to go through to file your application for disability. And, there’s a difference too, is it a private policy that you purchased yourself or is it sponsored through an employer? There’s a lot of different variations there. And, some of them under, uh, federal law, uh, the way that it, how they’re written, you may not even have a right to a jury trial. If, uh, you have a disagreement, if the insurance company says no, you’re not disabled, uh, you may not, and there’s…so that if you’re denied, then you should consult with an attorney who does disability claims.
Next Speaker: Now you also co authored another book, The Truth About Lawyer Advertising In Indiana and Kentucky. I mean how many of those ads have we seen? What do those ads really say?
Next Speaker: Sure. In, of course, I’m a, I do advertise and all lawyers advertise. To say, you know, some lawyers advertise, some lawyers don’t, I think is, is misleading itself. So, you know, certainly I do a lot of advertising, but the, the truth is is you’ve got to be an educated consumer. See I believe in educating because if, I think that an educated consumer makes the better client. And for example, one of the first things you have to know is is the lawyer you’re calling on TV been licensed to practice law here, because, believe it or not, there are lawyers on television here in Louisville who are not even licensed to practice law in Kentucky or Indiana. And, they may not even be a lawyer. You know, there’s, there’s chiropractors that look like lawyer ads and so, you’ve but to be educated. And that’s what the book is really about.
Next Speaker: Another thing kind of came up in the Sheep’s Clothing book is about uninsured motorists. You’re driving along having happy holiday thoughts. All of sudden the person that pops you has no insurance.
Next Speaker: And that is very common. That’s very common and many insurance companies might be surprised to hear me say that most people don’t have enough insurance. Because if you try to save a few dollars by not having any uninsured motorist coverage, well that car that hits you, uh, may not have any coverage themselves, so if you have a very bad injury, may not have enough coverage. So, it’s very important to look at your policy and know what you have because one of the big things, you know, clients will always come tell me, I’ll ask them what coverage they have and the, the response is always, well, I have full coverage. And I’m like okay, what coverage do you have? Oh, I have full coverage. So that doesn’t really mean anything to say I have full coverage. You’ve gotta look at, uh, your insurance policy to know what coverage you really do have.
Next Speaker: Well, Karl Truman, thanks for the rocking holiday tie.
Next Speaker: I like that.
Next Speaker: Taking pressure off me…And Karl Truman’s books are listed on amazon.com for $19.95 and $16.95. He’s offering a free copy to Great Day Live viewers to call his office and ask…as long as you are not with another firm or insurance company.
Next Speaker: ****.
Next Speaker: You can request his free copy by calling Karl Truman at 502-222-2222