Presenting Personal Injury and Safety Issues Special Report
by Consumer Reports on
Car Insurance Secrets
C
onsumer Reports recently published a special report regarding Car
Insurance Secrets. The report is based on extensive research of over 2
billion price quotes over a two year span. Twenty different hypothetical
policyholders were analyzed from multiple leading insurance companies.
The policyholders ranged in age (16 to 75 years old), gender, and marital status, and
had varying personal factors including driving record, credit score, insurance coverage, and vehicles across 33,419 general zip codes.
Summer 2015
Adler u Giersch ps
Selected in
Seattle
Business
Magazine’s
Top 100 Best
Companies
to Work For
So what did Consumers Reports find?
1. Don’t trust advertisements claiming to save you money. In fact, the op-
posite is often true. For example, Flo, Progressive’s spokesperson, always claims
to save hundreds by switching or bundling insurance policies. The commercials
usually have a clever script using comedy or song and dance. The Consumer
Reports study found that Progressive was, on average, the second most expensive,
right under Allstate, when switching auto policies.
2. Driving records are less of a factor then one might think. Insurance compa-
nies increasingly determine their rates on a person’s financial and credit history.
Insurance companies use this data to predict the likelihood that their insured
will file a claim. Typically, a person with a lower credit score is charged a higher
insurance rate than one who has excellent credit. Only three states in the U.S.
prohibit insurance companies from using credit scores to determine insurance
rates, but Washington State is not one of them. Insurance companies are under
no obligation to disclose the credit score they are considering to their insureds.
3. Insurance companies are using a new technique to determine price
sensitivity. Called price optimization, insurers are now using data and statisti-
cal models to monitor the likelihood a consumer will shop around for a better
price. Fortunately, this new technique is not allowed in Washington State, but it
is good to be aware of the insurance companies’ hidden truth of price sensitivity.
4. Loyalty discounts may actually be loyalty penalties. Some consumers may
actually incur a penalty to staying with one particular insurance company. This
was not true for all insurance companies—some gave minimal discounts and
others gave nothing at all. Consumer Reports noted:
“In Washington, State Farm Fire & Casualty offered no
discount; State Farm Mutual provided $182, or 15 percent in savings. Geico General and Geico Government
Employees didn’t offer a discount; Geico Casualty actually charged a $689 loyalty penalty, or 17 percent.” 1
For more information on Consumer Reports’ Special Report on Car Insurance
Secrets, visit www.consumerreports.org. The full reports includes statistical data
from the study, tips on fighting unfair pricing, and a petition to sign called “Price
Me By How I Drive, Not by Who You Think I Am” that will go to all 50 State
Insurance Commissioners and members of the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners. u
1 http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/car-insurance/auto-insurance-facts-myths/index.htm
Adler Giersch Staff at Seattle Business Magazines Awards
Dinner. (L to R) First Row: Richard H. Adler (Attorney),
Jenny Iacobucci, Kristin Cruse, Lauren E. Adler (Attorney),
Carol Fritsch, Patrice Roney, Maritza Moreno-Sanchez.
Second Row: Arthur D. Leritz (Attorney), Heather
Aliulis, Debbie Smith, MaryEllen Bolden, Jacob W. Gent
(Attorney), Steven J. Anglés (Attorney), Melissa D. Carter
(Attorney), Peggy Weirauch.
I
n July, Adler Giersch ps was listed in
the Top 100 Best Companies to Work For
by Seattle Business Magazine. Our staff
attended the Top 100 award ceremony on July
1, 2015 at the Washington State Convention
Center. In the Small Business category, Adler
Giersch ps ranked Number 5! And, we were the
only personal injury law firm in the entire state
selected for the Top 100 award. This was an extra
special honor for each person at the law firm.
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To us, this award means that we take care of
our team the way we want our team to take
care of our clients.
Many have asked us our secret, and we think it
comes down to two factors: our service-minded
team members, and our firm’s mission. These
two factors blended together result in a common passion to provide top-tier advocacy and
compassionate counsel for our clients.
To see the complete list of 100 Best
Companies to Work For, visit http://
www.seattlebusinessmag.com/article/
100-best-companies-work-awards-2015.
To celebrate our Top 100 award, and to officially welcome attorney Lauren E. Adler to our
attorney team (see Adler Giersch ps Spotlight
Article on Ms. Adler), Adler Giersch ps is hosting an event on October 1, 2015 at the Rainier
Club. Please join us for appetizers and drinks as
we raise a toast to our staff, family and friends.
RSVP required, please contact our office at
206.682.0300. u
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Calendar
May 21-23, 2015 The entire team at
Adler Giersch ps participated in its annual
planning retreat, allowing all team members an opportunity to reflect on accomplishments, brainstorm on ways to improve
our services, strategize for the upcoming
year, and enjoy each other’s company outside the office.
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June 26, 2015 Richard H. Adler
presented to the Northwest Neurosciences
Clinic in Yakima, WA.
July 1, 2015 The staff of Adler
Giersch ps attended the annual Seattle
Business Magazine Top 100 Best Companies
to Work For awards dinner (see article).
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July 24, 2015 Richard H. Adler presented at Harborview Medical Center’s
Neuroscience Summer Fellowship program
for high school and college students interested in further studies of science, technology, and/or math.
July 26, 2015 The law firm of Adler
Giersch ps helped sponsor and participated in the 5th Annual Walk, Run, and
Roll benefiting the Brain Injury
Alliance of Washington and
Seattle Brain Works. The walk
took place at Magnuson Park in
Seattle and successfully raised
over $16,000!
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August 12, 2015 The NFL
announced a $2.5 million gift for a new
Health and Safety Sports Institute at the
University of Washington to study concussions and other sports-related injuries.
Richard H. Adler was an invited guest
during the press conference and was noted
for his work in the legal and health care
arenas of preventing preventable brain
injuries in youth.
The Adler
Giersch Team
at the BIAWA
Purpose:
To promote public awareness of
insurance issues, victim’s rights, health
care treatment of choice and safety on
the roadway.
www.adlergiersch.com
Bellevue Office:
Kent Office:
425.643.0700253.854.4500
Seattle Office: Everett Office:
206.682.0300 425.338.7700
Your referral provides us with the highest
compliment possible. We appreciate the
trust and confidence your referrals imply.
Seattle u Bellevue u Everett u Kent
333 Taylor Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
Address Service Requested
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Seattle, WA
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Adler u Giersch PS Spotlight:
Lauren E. Adler, Attorney at Law
L
auren E. Adler joined the law firm in
2014. Before that, Ms. Adler served
as an Assistant Attorney General for
the Washington State Office of the Attorney
General, representing children from abuse
and neglect in the home. As an Assistant
Attorney General, Ms. Adler handled trials
and hearings, and made multiple appearances
at the Washington State Court of Appeals
for oral argument. She was recognized by
judges, attorneys and within the Office of the
Attorney General as a compassionate, talented and skilled trial attorney.
Ms. Adler is a lifelong Washingtonian,
born in Seattle. She attended Whitman
College in Walla Walla, Washington, earning a combined Bachelor of Arts degree in
Environmental Studies and Politics then went
straight on to Seattle University School of
Lauren E. Adler (R) and her friend Shawn Kelly, speech
pathologist, (L) at the start line of the Seattle To
Portland bike ride.
Law for her juris doctor. She was admitted to
the Washington State Bar in 2012. During
law school, Ms. Adler received the President’s
scholarship, a merit-based scholarship
reserved for top-tier law students. She was
selected for the Seattle University Law Review,
the school’s most prestigious law journal, and
served as one of its editors. Ms. Adler was also
a distinguished finalist in local and regional
trial advocacy competitions. Outside of her
coursework, Ms. Adler served as President of
the Environmental Law Society. She spearheaded local and global awareness campaigns
on campus, successfully converting the
school’s printers to enable double-sided printing, raising funds to aid the people of Somalia
suffering from severe drought, and organizing
special guest lectures.
Ms. Adler is an avid yogi and cyclist. In July,
she completed her first Seattle To Portland
bike ride. She lives in Seattle and usually
can be seen out and about at local farmers
markets and exploring new restaurants in the
area. She enjoys time with family and friends,
outdoor adventures, and experimenting in the
kitchen.
The law firm is hosting a welcoming party
for Ms. Adler on October 1st at the Rainier
Club. Please contact our office to RVSP. u