The fatal flaw is that there\’s seldom a body. (Pun definitely intended) We won\’t see a Law&Order: PI anytime soon because, quite frankly, it\’s boring. To make it interesting, you would have to add so much to the typical scenario that it would distort the picture of civil litigation. Not good if his goal is to provide a realistic picture of the same.
I agree with Chris. We insiders may \”get it\” and understand it, but those on the outside that don\’t know or understand how things work would probably not like it and be pretty much bored. Therefore a show that won\’t be on long and as I mentioned before, put US, the insurance industry, into a bad light.
Just picture this as the pilot for the series. You see an accident where no one appears to be injured. Latter that night as they talk to friends the light goes on. It\’s time to SUE and hopefull retire.
Next scene there they are going from the attorny\’s office to his doctor and he leaves with the neck brace, cane & assorted medical equipment.
Obviously this is a great way to help drum up some new business.
The closing scene will be the attorney & the poor poor victim spliting the check.
Or, better yet, some hack attorney selling his client\’s legitimate claim down the river because he needs to make the end of the month payroll of all the \”paralegals\”, runners, ER nurses, etc., that feed him the more dubious cases.
Anyone see this flick?
The Adjuster (1991)Director: Atom Egoyan
A reflection about what makes everyone\’s life unique, through the story of Noah\’s family. Noah is an adjuster, having sex with his customers. His wife Hera watches pornographic movies for the Board of Censors. They live with their son Simon and Hera\’s sister in a show-flat. One day, they meet Bubba, who wants to make a movie in their house.
Slow but interesting!
There is no way this series will ever get on TV as proposed. Even if it did get on, it would be cancelled very quickly. If there is any subject that is boring to everyone, it is insurance. I have worked in insurance for many years and let us be honest, everyone knows it is BORING BORING BORING. Pays good; that is why we work in the field. Anyone who denies this is fooling themselves.
Why do insurance agents turn into agency consultants? Because they were lousy agents.
Why do attorneys turn into screen writers? Because they are lousy attorneys.
Enough said!
To the person who suggested peeling stories from the SIU\’s at the carriers.. you are on to something. Warren, as you probably know there is plenty of material at the SIU.
Unfortunately, just like some DA\’s don\’t want to prosecute the \”little guy\” I am not sure the audience would want to see anyone get caught, so you will have to make them \”bad\”. On the other hand if the series worked to present how these fraud cases add up, and ultimately slow up the system so the more legit cases can\’t be heard.. then maybe a good message could be sent. What am I thinking .. naaaa. We want sex and violence on TV. Now if the SIU had a case where the doctor was sleeping with all the fraud patients, now we would have something.
All kidding aside, I do think the viewers would enjoy the lengths someone will go to to committ fraud. For that reason the investigator video\’s, notes and interviews would be a show all by themselves.
Honestly, unless you resort to A) Insurer bashing, B) Adjuster bashing, C) Attorney bashing, D) Claimant bashing, or, E) All of the above, there is no way to keep this series interesting week after week.
What makes criminal law programs so interesting is that criminal bashing is okay. Criminals as presented in shows such as Law and Order are based upon real life, where no one wants to identify with the criminal. If you piss off a criminal, who cares if they change the channel? It’s not like they have a support base.
On the other hand, there are a lot of insurance industry workers, attorneys, and claimants that the networks do care about. Piss them off week after week and you lose viewers and sponsors.
When the detectives discover the crucial DNA evidence on a sock thrown in a dumpster two blocks away, the viewers all feel safe in the knowledge that if this ever happens to them, the police will always find the evidence. When a paralegal turns up that missing ambulance bill that makes the special damages in excess of the no-fault threshold, anyone still watching will say \”So what?\”
To be certain, within the personal injury \”industry\” there are lots of things that happen that make insiders laugh, cry, and get worked up. But, for the general public who isn\’t \”in on\” what takes place, a weekly diet of larger than life caricatures of any of the related professions won\’t, in my opinion, sell a 30 second spot in prime time.
It will make people more suspicious of agents, adjusters, and attorneys on both sides of the bar. And that\’s not a good thing for the vast majority of us who, day in and day out, do a hard job with little public appreciation to the best of our abilities. Figure out a way to make the show interesting without making it disparaging, and you\’ll have a fan.
I hope these attorneys begin to give plaintiffs full disclosure regarding the net amount the plaintiff will actually receive after taxes and any recovery that the State or Federal Government may be able to collect for payments for social services rendered while awaiting settlement. The disclosure should also include the understanding that attorney fees will not be deductible and that the award can be fully taxable by the federal and state income tax laws. Where is Attorney General Spitzer when it comes to cleaning up his own backyard.
I love the concept of \”Personal Injury\” as a potential television series! I\’ve been a lawyer for over 17 years and have worked on both sides of personal injury cases. There\’s an unseemly underbelly to personal injury case handling with plenty of stories begging to be told.
Sometimes, hopefully rarely, people are taken advantage of by someone they turned to when they were vulnerable and needed help. Deceived by someone they had every reason to believe they could trust. Violated by someone they should have been able to trust.
Discovery of such betrayal shakes our faith. Even more so when it occurs within the sanctity of an attorney-client relationship. And still more when the duplicity becomes so commonplace at a law firm that it\’s simply dismissed as a routine business practice.
Nine years working in legal and management positions in large insurance companies opened my eyes to shenanigans the public rarely hears of. Strategies employed by adjusters to minimize average claim payments can be shocking.
Recent experience working for a large Jacksonville law firm representing personal injury clients revealed the firm\’s practice of regularly \’padding\’ costs charged to clients by $300 or more per case. The firm had been engaging in the overcharging pracices for several years. Hundreds of clients were overcharged and the combined misappropriated funds are estimated at several hundred thousand dollars. Hundreds of clients were overcharged in this manner and the combined misappropriated funds are estimated at several hundred thousand dollars. The firm\’s settlement statements and accounting records clearly document its overcharging practices.Examples of the firm\’s overcharging practices and supporting documents are available on my personal web page called \”Hill\’s Peek\” at http://home.comcast.net/~email4hill/wsb/index.html.
State Bars that are lax in regulating lawyer misconduct even after it\’s been identified, reported and documented present even more story line possibilities for the series.
Hmmmm…. Perhaps some of this could make it into the pilot episode of \”Personal Injury\”.
I HAVE BEEN IN LITIGATION FOR 7+ YEARS WITH ALLSTATE BECAUSE THEIR INVESTIGATOR SOLICITED AN INDIVIDUAL TO BREAK IN MY NEW RESIDENCE TO GATHER INFORMATION AFTER MY HOME BURNED DOWN.THE INDIVIDUAL SOLICITED WAS AN UNDERCOVER COP AND ARRESTED THE ALLSTATE INVESTIGATOR..AND THATS ONLY THE TIP OF THE CORRUPTION AT ALLSTATE WITH RESPECT TO THIS CASE.. THIS CASE COULD BE A SERIES IN ITSELF…
L&O did an episode about auto accident insurance fraud . . . how many people remember that as their \”favorite episode?\”
Instead of a drama, how about a sit-com. All the elements are there, attorney jokes, ethnic jokes, chiropractic jokes, massage jokes, insurance jokes (have a gecko play a role), body shop guys and of course, the plaintiffs and defendants!
The fatal flaw is that there\’s seldom a body. (Pun definitely intended) We won\’t see a Law&Order: PI anytime soon because, quite frankly, it\’s boring. To make it interesting, you would have to add so much to the typical scenario that it would distort the picture of civil litigation. Not good if his goal is to provide a realistic picture of the same.
Sounds a little like crim pro envy to me.
I agree with Chris. We insiders may \”get it\” and understand it, but those on the outside that don\’t know or understand how things work would probably not like it and be pretty much bored. Therefore a show that won\’t be on long and as I mentioned before, put US, the insurance industry, into a bad light.
Obiously if he is litigating against insurance companies now, it won\’t put the industry in a good light.
A \”realistic look\” would be an out of court settlement, not much drama there.
-and you can bet that the litigant would probably win each and every time – just like the bad guy always loses…
Just picture this as the pilot for the series. You see an accident where no one appears to be injured. Latter that night as they talk to friends the light goes on. It\’s time to SUE and hopefull retire.
Next scene there they are going from the attorny\’s office to his doctor and he leaves with the neck brace, cane & assorted medical equipment.
Obviously this is a great way to help drum up some new business.
The closing scene will be the attorney & the poor poor victim spliting the check.
What a great country we live in.
Let\’s show someone actually injured, with real issues, who has to give 40% of his actual damages to his unrepentant plaintiff attorney.
Or, better yet, some hack attorney selling his client\’s legitimate claim down the river because he needs to make the end of the month payroll of all the \”paralegals\”, runners, ER nurses, etc., that feed him the more dubious cases.
How about \”Law & Order: SIU\”?
Anyone see this flick?
The Adjuster (1991)Director: Atom Egoyan
A reflection about what makes everyone\’s life unique, through the story of Noah\’s family. Noah is an adjuster, having sex with his customers. His wife Hera watches pornographic movies for the Board of Censors. They live with their son Simon and Hera\’s sister in a show-flat. One day, they meet Bubba, who wants to make a movie in their house.
Slow but interesting!
There is no way this series will ever get on TV as proposed. Even if it did get on, it would be cancelled very quickly. If there is any subject that is boring to everyone, it is insurance. I have worked in insurance for many years and let us be honest, everyone knows it is BORING BORING BORING. Pays good; that is why we work in the field. Anyone who denies this is fooling themselves.
Why do insurance agents turn into agency consultants? Because they were lousy agents.
Why do attorneys turn into screen writers? Because they are lousy attorneys.
Enough said!
Thanks to all of you for your comments on the idea. I had no idea anyone would actually see this and comment.
I think the idea is a bit more interesting, but I don\’t want to give too much away.
Over the course of the series, we will deal with issues like tort reform, but not in too much depth because that would not make for good TV.
Warren
To the person who suggested peeling stories from the SIU\’s at the carriers.. you are on to something. Warren, as you probably know there is plenty of material at the SIU.
Unfortunately, just like some DA\’s don\’t want to prosecute the \”little guy\” I am not sure the audience would want to see anyone get caught, so you will have to make them \”bad\”. On the other hand if the series worked to present how these fraud cases add up, and ultimately slow up the system so the more legit cases can\’t be heard.. then maybe a good message could be sent. What am I thinking .. naaaa. We want sex and violence on TV. Now if the SIU had a case where the doctor was sleeping with all the fraud patients, now we would have something.
All kidding aside, I do think the viewers would enjoy the lengths someone will go to to committ fraud. For that reason the investigator video\’s, notes and interviews would be a show all by themselves.
Warren,
Honestly, unless you resort to A) Insurer bashing, B) Adjuster bashing, C) Attorney bashing, D) Claimant bashing, or, E) All of the above, there is no way to keep this series interesting week after week.
What makes criminal law programs so interesting is that criminal bashing is okay. Criminals as presented in shows such as Law and Order are based upon real life, where no one wants to identify with the criminal. If you piss off a criminal, who cares if they change the channel? It’s not like they have a support base.
On the other hand, there are a lot of insurance industry workers, attorneys, and claimants that the networks do care about. Piss them off week after week and you lose viewers and sponsors.
When the detectives discover the crucial DNA evidence on a sock thrown in a dumpster two blocks away, the viewers all feel safe in the knowledge that if this ever happens to them, the police will always find the evidence. When a paralegal turns up that missing ambulance bill that makes the special damages in excess of the no-fault threshold, anyone still watching will say \”So what?\”
To be certain, within the personal injury \”industry\” there are lots of things that happen that make insiders laugh, cry, and get worked up. But, for the general public who isn\’t \”in on\” what takes place, a weekly diet of larger than life caricatures of any of the related professions won\’t, in my opinion, sell a 30 second spot in prime time.
It will make people more suspicious of agents, adjusters, and attorneys on both sides of the bar. And that\’s not a good thing for the vast majority of us who, day in and day out, do a hard job with little public appreciation to the best of our abilities. Figure out a way to make the show interesting without making it disparaging, and you\’ll have a fan.
All this is going to do is give idiots new ideas on how to skirt the law and get money out of someone. That is all this world needs!!!!!
I hope these attorneys begin to give plaintiffs full disclosure regarding the net amount the plaintiff will actually receive after taxes and any recovery that the State or Federal Government may be able to collect for payments for social services rendered while awaiting settlement. The disclosure should also include the understanding that attorney fees will not be deductible and that the award can be fully taxable by the federal and state income tax laws. Where is Attorney General Spitzer when it comes to cleaning up his own backyard.
I love the concept of \”Personal Injury\” as a potential television series! I\’ve been a lawyer for over 17 years and have worked on both sides of personal injury cases. There\’s an unseemly underbelly to personal injury case handling with plenty of stories begging to be told.
Sometimes, hopefully rarely, people are taken advantage of by someone they turned to when they were vulnerable and needed help. Deceived by someone they had every reason to believe they could trust. Violated by someone they should have been able to trust.
Discovery of such betrayal shakes our faith. Even more so when it occurs within the sanctity of an attorney-client relationship. And still more when the duplicity becomes so commonplace at a law firm that it\’s simply dismissed as a routine business practice.
Nine years working in legal and management positions in large insurance companies opened my eyes to shenanigans the public rarely hears of. Strategies employed by adjusters to minimize average claim payments can be shocking.
Recent experience working for a large Jacksonville law firm representing personal injury clients revealed the firm\’s practice of regularly \’padding\’ costs charged to clients by $300 or more per case. The firm had been engaging in the overcharging pracices for several years. Hundreds of clients were overcharged and the combined misappropriated funds are estimated at several hundred thousand dollars. Hundreds of clients were overcharged in this manner and the combined misappropriated funds are estimated at several hundred thousand dollars. The firm\’s settlement statements and accounting records clearly document its overcharging practices.Examples of the firm\’s overcharging practices and supporting documents are available on my personal web page called \”Hill\’s Peek\” at http://home.comcast.net/~email4hill/wsb/index.html.
State Bars that are lax in regulating lawyer misconduct even after it\’s been identified, reported and documented present even more story line possibilities for the series.
Hmmmm…. Perhaps some of this could make it into the pilot episode of \”Personal Injury\”.
I HAVE BEEN IN LITIGATION FOR 7+ YEARS WITH ALLSTATE BECAUSE THEIR INVESTIGATOR SOLICITED AN INDIVIDUAL TO BREAK IN MY NEW RESIDENCE TO GATHER INFORMATION AFTER MY HOME BURNED DOWN.THE INDIVIDUAL SOLICITED WAS AN UNDERCOVER COP AND ARRESTED THE ALLSTATE INVESTIGATOR..AND THATS ONLY THE TIP OF THE CORRUPTION AT ALLSTATE WITH RESPECT TO THIS CASE.. THIS CASE COULD BE A SERIES IN ITSELF…
L&O did an episode about auto accident insurance fraud . . . how many people remember that as their \”favorite episode?\”
Instead of a drama, how about a sit-com. All the elements are there, attorney jokes, ethnic jokes, chiropractic jokes, massage jokes, insurance jokes (have a gecko play a role), body shop guys and of course, the plaintiffs and defendants!