Insult to Injury: Insurance, Fraud, and the Big Business of Bad Faith [Hardcover]

Joan Hangarter bought a disability policy in 1990 to protect her should she ever become seriously ill. She dutifully paid her annual premiums for nearly a decade. But when she became disabled, she and her children found themselves homeless and bankrupt when her insurer—UnumProvident—stopped paying her benefits. With the help of attorneys Ray Bourhis and Alice Wolfson, Hangarter won a landmark $7.7 million jury verdict against Unum.

Hangarter’s dramatic story illustrates in shocking detail how insurance companies put profit above the promises they make to policyholders. Exposing the intricate systems insurance companies use to target and terminate expensive claims without just cause, Bourhis reveals the back-room mind-set that drives these illegal practices. He shows how low-level employees are duped into unethical conduct, how insurers manipulate data and witnesses in the few cases that do go to trial, and exactly what ordinary people are up against when forced to take on these behemoths.

Bourhis paints a frightening picture of how key decisions by Congress and the US Supreme Court have enabled these schemes to continue unchecked—and heprovides a sorely needed roadmap to reform.Introduction
False Profits
Licensed to Steal
So Sue Me
Go Figure
The Seventh Amendment
Open Fire...
So Help Me God
Pinpricks and Pretexts
Customer Care
Fact or Fiction
...Some with a Fountain Pen
A Message
Liar’s Dice
Friends in High Places
Kick in the Assets
Claims Games
Afterword
Exhibits
Further Reading
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
About the Author“Ray Bourhis continues his strong commitment to justice by successfully taking on the insurance industry and criminal fraud in this compelling case study. He makes clear that we need to do much more to end the shameful abuses of the current system and guarantee honorable insurance coverage for every American.&rdquolƒE