Page 121 - Cityview_Jan_Feb_2014

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL TENNESSESANS

F

OR 14 YEARS I have health insurance. If passed, the in auto insurance premiums.” We

exclusively represented bill will immediately decrease the received only blank looks and bro-
injured Tennesseans and amount of money paid annually ken sentences without even a sug-

small businesses. My clients are to hospitals and physicians who gestion that the bill was intended
from East Tennessee and have treat patients injured in auto col- to reduce auto premiums.

deeply conservative values. hey lisions, and it will decrease access

are the kind of folks who resent to legal representation and civil he Phantom Damages Act is
government bailouts, handouts courts for injured citizens who proof positive that age old legal

and political cronyism. hey bought health insurance. With- principals and conservative values
express their values by simply tell- out question–the bill penalizes are important–unless they hinder

ing me they want the person or doctors, hospitals and respon- more proits for an industry like
company that injured them to sible drivers.
big insurance. If you are a respon-

make them whole for the harms sible, insured Tennessean, who

and losses they sustained.
hink there must be some ben- does not want Farm Bureau, All-
eit in the bill for consumers state and a drunk driver to enjoy

Most clients are surprised to learn somewhere? hink the bill will the beneits of your hard earned
our tort system was founded on decrease your auto premiums? health insurance premiums - call

the very conservative and com- hink again. During the 2013 your legislator and tell him or her
mon sense principal that those legislative session I was proud to a vote for this bill is a vote against

who cause us physical and eco- serve as president of the Tennes- East Tennessee values.

nomic damage should bear the see Association for Justice (for-
full responsibility for and cost of merly the Tennessee Trial Lawyers

those damages. he same clients Association). In that role, I was
are then shocked to learn that invited to testify about this bill in

the Tennessee Legislature’s move the Senate along with the lobby-
to eliminate the collateral source ists for big insurance. he Sena-

rule in injury cases lies in the tor sponsoring the bill and the

face of this conservative princi- insurance lobbyists refused to tell
pal and 160 years of solid law. the Senate Judiciary Committee

It is in fact nothing more than that the bill would decrease auto
a handout to auto insurers–the insurance rates. he same insurer

most powerful lobby in Nash- lobbyists and I were invited to a
ville–at the direct expense of private meeting to debate the bill

responsible, insured citizens.
with the bills’ House sponsor.
After many misleading and

In simplest terms, auto insurers self-serving statements by

want collateral source eliminated the insurance contingent,
so that the negligent, drunk, or I challenged them to sim-

drug abusing drivers they insure– ply “tell the Representa-
and insurance company share- tive how much on aver-

holders - proit from injured Ten- age this bill will save
nesseans who responsibly bought
Tennessee consumers

LAW OFFICES OF

STEPHEN A. BURROUGHS

9111 Cross Park Drive, Suite E-100

Knoxville, TN 37923

(865)525-3773

Bryan Capps, Attorney