You want to think your insurance company will be there for you when you need it. But what if you’re wrong? What if you made a claim on your insurance policy for a relatively small amount of money – just enough to help you get your life back on track after an accident – and your insurance company flat-out denied your claim with no explanation? It happened

The insurance industry has explored what seems like every possible avenue for increasing their revenue at the expense of claimants. Yet no matter how difficult insurers make the game, some claimants still manage to win. They don’t recover the money they deserve through sheer luck or even superhuman persistence. Instead, they succeed because of the choices they make when faced with powerful opponents like insurance corporations. The

The insurance industry tried every imaginable strategy to change the rules of the game, and their hard (but devious) work has paid off. Insurance companies have a “product” consumers are required by law to purchase and a marketing scheme that negatively brands those who seek to utilize what their money has bought. Insurers have used their massive financial influence and a lot of misinformation to invade every

Spreading lies about “greedy” claimants and how outrageous lawsuits have supposedly become was the best way for the insurance industry to shut up people who might otherwise stand up for their rights. The industry started by warping public perceptions of a high-profile case against McDonald’s, but from there, the public disdain for frivolous lawsuits took on a life of its own.

The Myth about Sue-Happy America

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This story and the important message it conveys for all establishments that serve alcohol are just as interesting as the settlement amount (which pushes the total compensation for this case to more than $1,000,000). Dram shop laws – laws that allow bars and restaurants to be held liable for injuries that result from the actions of over-served patrons – are now on the books in numerous states.

If you’re like many Americans, you probably know only what the insurance industry wants you to know about tort reform. After all, lobbyists have wined and dined politicians for support and flooded mass media with the insurance industry’s version of what tort reform means.

The Tort Reform Lie

According to the insurance industry, a flood of frivolous personal injury claims needlessly raises auto insurance premiums for everyone.

Sometimes acts of heroism take a coordinated effort from numerous men and women willing to make sacrifices for the good of others. That’s exactly what happens when close-knit groups like the Cedarville Fire Department come together to save lives.

When it comes to heroic acts, the whole effort is more than the sum of its parts. No matter how skilled or dedicated, one individual cannot do every

EMS Chief Andy Lovell proves that a hero’s courage extends beyond running into burning buildings or onto the grisly scene of an accident. Sometimes heroes have to put that same commitment and dedication to use in leading teams of first responders and coordinating life-saving efforts all around.

The Gloucester County EMS consists of 11 stations, 23 ambulances, and 170 staff members. Managing such an expansive organization might

When you’re a claimant, you certainly don’t want your situation referred to as a “game.” There’s nothing fun or trivial about your need for receiving the coverage you purchased, or about the consequences you suffer while an insurance company gives you the runaround. Maybe someone is “winning” here, but it’s not you.

Like games, though, the insurance industry is supposed to be governed by rules and laws.

Perhaps the only action more selfless than volunteering one’s time to the potentially dangerous pursuit of fighting fires is devoting even more time to commanding an entire company of firefighters. Yet that’s exactly what Mike O’Brien does as Assistant Chief. In the field, he risks his own safety to help others. In the station, he puts in additional time and uses his leadership skills to help accomplish

In no other industry, besides insurance, is conflict of interest considered to be a good thing. Instead of being considered a problem, it’s a business model. The intent of insurance is to provide coverage for risks and, should those risks occur, pay resulting claims fairly and in a timely manner. The ways by which insurance corporations earn revenue actually reward companies for breaking the promises they make

The City of Philadelphia is many things: busy, exciting, cultural, and of course dangerous. Enforcing the law in such a massive, densely populated city with so many varied neighborhoods takes nothing less than the selfless dedication of the city’s finest. Among them is Joseph Handline, a young man who has emerged as a community leader both within and outside the police force.

Handline has served with the

When it comes to serving his community, there’s not much that Joseph Hauck doesn’t do. The firefighter and EMT also works in a hospital emergency room, volunteers time to educate children on fire safety, and is continuing his own education so he can save even more lives. His service and enthusiasm inspire entire communities and landed him a well-deserved finalist spot in the Real Heroes Wear Badges,

Real heroes work hard, as Eladio “Andy” Martinez, contest finalist and runner-up, illustrates. The Philadelphia firefighter goes above and beyond the call of duty, working full schedules and massive amounts of overtime to serve his community and provide for his family. It’s not just his epic work ethic that is inspiring, but the difference he makes in the lives of everyone in his community.

In his six

It seems like hardly anyone expected the freezing rain that struck Philadelphia and areas across New Jersey on January 10, 2014. Sheets of ice covered car windshields, turned the roads into an accident-ridden mess of slush and stop-and-go traffic, and made sidewalks and outdoor steps so slippery that many encountered serious danger with just one foot out the door.

Commuters were stranded during rush hour, but at