Driver at fault for accident files claim against victim

"Justice needs to be served, but not at the expense of innocent people - that wouldn't be justice, would it?"

Because he wanted to pass a family business on to his son and two daughters, Charles Terrizzi started his own small company out of the converted garage behind his house. With five employees, Charles' start-up, Chase Air, installs air conditioners in homes in Jacksonville, Florida.

Last year, Charles was working in a customer's attic when he received a call from his service crew. He learned that a man crossed a yellow line and veered into oncoming traffic, hitting one of Chase Air's two vans head on. The police determined that the accident was the other driver's fault. But that didn't stop the ticketed driver from hiring a lawyer to file a claim with Charles' insurance, threatening to sue if they did not pay for the damages that, according to the police report, he himself caused.

Like they do with many other claims, the insurance company decided that, not withstanding the facts of the accident, it would be more costly to fight and win in court than simply to pay a settlement, so they gave the driver $10,000. Charles said, "The sad truth is that it's cheaper for [the insurer] to settle as if they did something wrong when they didn't do something wrong... Thus it's perpetuated that opportunistic lawyers can continue to do these things. They're made stronger when who's made weaker? The American people -- the hardworking people."

In this case, Charles was right. After receiving the money from Charles' insurance company, the driver and his lawyers next sued the young man who was driving the Chase Air truck. That case is still ongoing.

Speaking about the cost of lawsuits to American businesses, whether in the form of higher insurance costs, out of court settlements, or expensive legal fees, Charles said, "All these things factor into our ultimate price to our consumers, and everybody has to pay for it."

According to Charles, not only do the costs of liability insurance and other legal fees drive up prices, but one lawsuit could easily put his small start-up company out of business. "Justice needs to be served, but not at the expense of innocent people - that wouldn't be justice, would it?"

Part of the FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org campaign.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• company
• truck
• car
• crash
• accident
• sued
• negligent
• ticketed
• driver
• ridiculous
• small
• business
• legal
• law
• lawsuit
• abuse
• grassroots
• outreach
• reform
• tort
• iamlawsuitabuse.org
• facesoflawsuitabuse.org

[sociopathpsych]

@pimpsome actually there are lawers who are fighting to end lawsuit abuse.

[pimpsome]

My favorite bumper sticker reads

Save a life

Shoot a lawyer

Oh and an ambulance ride is only about 1k the ER bill will probably be 4k though

[darklordojeda]

American Justice at it's finest isn't it? Gotta love these judges allowing this bullshit nowadays.

[megasdkirby]

This is why I am checking to see if the laws where I live permit a video camera inside my car recording while I drive. If it IS legal (some places it is...others it isn't), and this shit would happen to me, I would countersue for triple the amount, to teach that asshole a lesson. Poor guy, I hope he wins the lawsuit. People need to stop being pussies and halt these stupid ass lawsuits.

[SexSteakSoda]

I would counter sue the cocksucker who pulled that shit on me, I would ask 100,000 dollars for defamation of my name along with mental anguish. I would then propose a settlement out of court, I won't take you to court in exchange for one free kick to your nutsack. So the guy either pays lawyer fees up the ass in hopes he doesnt have to pay 100k, or he just mans up and take a kick to the sack. I bet you he would never file a frivolous lawsuit again.

[joshcrosson]

this cannot be legal!!

[sociopathpsych]

i'd put a hit out on the person suing me. that's cheaper than settling! bastards deserve it!

[House2017]

I guess the 10,000 $ wasn't enough. Now they just HAVE to go after the victim even when the Plantiff was to blame? Sheesh. I hope that suit is dismissed.

[samatention]

First you buy lawyer insurance. That pays YOUR lawyer if you are sued. Not your insurance Company lawyer. Big difference.

It sound like you should have counter sued him for defamation of your name to the tune of $50,000 and cost of legal defence.

[batvette]

while I applaud the apparant intent of this clip, a couple of things... many complaints like this are actually made by insurance companies themselves who play pollyanna in such cases of blatant abuse, claiming to be victims, then turn around and do the same abuses anway to others. Secondly it's not all the lawyers and insurers, how about the outrageous medical costs? Like $5k for a 10 mile ambulance ride?

Lastly, American Dream? Well u got the dream part right. It's all rigged, by the top 1%