San Diego Personal Injury Attorney

I represent injured bicyclists, motorcyclists, truck drivers, and auto drivers in my San Diego County personal injury law practice. I am a member of the San Diego Consumer Attorneys Association and a member of the California State Bar.

Why do you need a California Personal Injury Lawyer?

I deal with insurance companies and seriously injured people every day. You need an attorney on your side because the insurance company adjustors will mislead you and do anything in their power to give you as little money for your case as possible. THEIR JOB IS TO SAVE THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY MONEY AT YOUR EXPENSE.

If you are interested in learning more about insurance companies working to profit their shareholders and not serving their insured customers, the American Association for Justice (AAJ) has released an in depth report they did in 2008 entitled, "The Ten Worst Insurance Companies In America: How They Raise Premiums, Deny Claims, and Refuse Insurance to Those Who Need It Most." 

This report features in depth research into Allstate, who is among the ten worst insurance companies covered. The AAJ report refers to investigations and documents that Allstate was forced to make public, wherein, "According to CEO Thomas Wilson, Allstate's mission is clear: 'our obligation is to earn a return for our shareholders.' […] The company essentially uses a combination of lowball offers and hardball litigation. When policyholders file a claim they are often offered an unjustifiably low payment for their injuries, generated by Allstate using secretive claim-evaluation software […] "According to the AAJ investigative report, Allstate's strategy is to "delay, deny and defend," hoping that you will just take the offer and go away. According to the AAJ report, "One particular powerpoint slide[..] prepared for Allstate featured an alligator and the caption "sit and wait" – emphasizing that delaying claims will increase the likelihood that the claimant gives up." According to former Allstate agent Shannon Kmatz, this would make claims 'so expensive and so time-consuming that lawyers would start refusing to help clients.'"

Allstate has been punished. And, according to the AAJ report, "Complaints filed against Allstate are greater than almost all of its major competitors [...]" Despite the complaints the State penalties imposed as fines, Allstate's behavior continues to be quite extreme, in fact:

For four years, Allstate refused to give up copies of the McKinsey documents, even when ordered to do so repeatedly by courts and state regulators. In court filings, the company described its refusal as "respectful civil disobedience." In Florida, regulators finally lost their patience after Allstate executives arrived at a hearing without documents they had been subpoenaed to bring. Only after Allstate was suspended from writing new business did the company, in April 2008, finally agree to produce some 150,000 documents relating to its claim review practices. Still, some commentators believe many critical documents were missing.

I highly suggest reading this entire AAJ report, Allstate is just one of their reviewed 'worst insurance companies' and I've offered just a glimpse of the Allstate lows this 28 page report covers. The American Association for Justice has many other excellent research reports which are accessible to the public and trial lawyers from their website.

Remember Allstate is in the insurance business and they behave like other insurance corporations. Insurance companies don't care about you and they are not your friend. They are just out to increase their INSURANCE COMPANY PROFITS. Don't sign anything and call an attorney so you have someone on your side. Call Dean Goetz at 858-481-8844.

DEAN GOETZ, San Diego Personal Injury Attorney

I fight to protect the rights of my clients. If you want help dealing with an insurance company, call Dean Goetz at 858-481-8844. Don't settle your claim without getting a good idea of what your case is worth. Settling for less then your case is worth only empowers the insurance companies and makes it easier for them to continue to take advantage of the victims of negligent Allstate insured drivers.

Dean Goetz handles all types of California personal injury cases.

Auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, boat accidents, skiing accidents, railroad accidents, wrongful deaths, on the job injuries, construction site accidents, dog bite injuries, product liability, premises liability, and any situation where you have been seriously injured by the negligence of another.

Please contact Dean Goetz at 858-481-8844 for a free consultation so that we may discuss your case.