On Nov. 29, 2010, Erie Insurance Company filed a legal action versus the family of a Good Samaritan requesting that a Westmoreland County Judge approve its denial of auto first-party benefits. On June 1, a 42 year-old woman from Mt. Pleasant Township was driving when she was flagged down by an injured woman seeking assistance.

As described in the Tribune-Review, the driver was then shot dead by the injured woman’s husband. Erie claims that since its insured died from a gunshot wound to the head, not as the result of an accident, they should not be responsible to pay for any first-party benefits, including medical bills. The defendant has been charged with first degree murder.

The victim’s family had undoubtedly paid Erie auto insurance premiums for years totaling thousands of dollars. She stopped her car to give assistance to a fellow human being in need. Yet her insurance company thinks the proper thing to do is to add insult to injury and deny the claim based upon a legal technicality! This case underlines the necessity of hiring an experienced and aggressive Pennsylvania car accident attorney who will fight the car insurance companies.

If you or a loved one has a personal injury claim due to an accident, please contact me at 800-980-4842. I can put my 30 years of experience to work for you. I provide a free home consultation. For more information, please see my website: www.NewellLaw.com.