Dudley DeBosier - October 2021

Dudley DeBosier - October 2021

OCT 2021

Baton Rouge 225-444-4444 1075 Government St. Baton Rouge, LA 70802

INSURERS PROFITED BIG TIME IN 2020 BY OVERCHARGING AND UNDERPAYING Despite spending millions of dollars on big-budget advertising campaigns designed to paint themselves in a positive light, insurance companies have one goal in mind: increasing their profits — even during a pandemic! The Consumer Federation of America recently reported that auto insurers in particular overcharged policyholders by $29 billion in 2020, despite significantly fewer people being on the road that year due to COVID-19-related shutdowns. In Louisiana alone, drivers were overcharged by $558 million in total, or around $180 per licensed and insured driver.

Denham Springs 225-444-4444

419 S. Range Ave., Ste. A Denham Springs, LA 70726

Lafayette 337-444-4444 2800 W. Pinhook Rd., Ste. 9 Lafayette, LA 70508 New Orleans 504-444-4444 622 Baronne St. New Orleans, LA 70113 Shreveport 318-800-8000 4300 Youree Dr., Ste. 250 Shreveport, LA 71105 Houma 504-444-4444 7887 W. Main St., Ste. 101 Houma, LA 70360

Because there were fewer drivers on the road and fewer auto accident claims, insurers paid out $42 billion less in settlements in 2020 than they did in previous years. But only a fraction of those savings — around $13 billion — were passed on to policyholders via rebates or bill credits. The rest of the money went straight back into the companies’ and executives’ pockets.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that State Farm’s CEO netted a bonus of $18 million in 2020, which was double what he received in 2019. The company netted an additional $3.6 billion in profit in 2020, and its net worth increased from $106 billion to $116 billion. Allstate’s CEO was also handsomely rewarded

with a $20 million payday after the company reported a $1.7 billion increase in profits due to a 30% reduction in claims.

1

Call for a FREE Case Evaluation 866-799-3519

NEW LEGAL DRAMAS FOR YOUR LIST

Enter to Win

$500 For Your Birthday!

Don’t Miss Out on These Gripping Stories!

Few places house events with higher stakes than the courtroom. Lawyers, judges, and jury work with (and against) one another, all while the fate of a person’s livelihood hangs in the balance. The courtroom has indeed captured our collective imagination, which is why television dramas about lawyers and courtrooms have been so popular for decades. Even in 2021, that hasn’t changed. So, if you’re a courtroom drama junkie and are looking for your next binge, then check out some of the following titles as we begin the season of new TV shows. ‘For Life’ The verdict isn’t always the end of the story — sometimes it’s the beginning. “For Life” follows a prison inmate wrongfully convicted of a life sentence and his desperate struggle to become a lawyer. He then works toward overturning his case and returning to his family. This ABC show was a huge hit with critics and fans alike and has been greenlighted for a second season. ‘Defending Jacob’ Oaths in the court of law are strong, but are they stronger than the bonds of family? That’s what one former assistant district attorney will have to answer when one of his son’s classmates is discovered murdered, and many signs point to his son, Jacob, as the killer. This miniseries debuted on Apple TV+ in April 2020 and stars Chris Evans of “Captain America” fame. ‘Perry Mason’ If your taste in story settings is more art deco than postmodern, then you might enjoy this Emmy Award-nominated show from HBO. Set in 1931, Perry Mason is a top-notch criminal defense attorney, who takes on what could be the biggest case the bustling city of Los Angeles has ever seen. As much a character study as it is a crime drama, the performances in this show may suck you in even more than the story itself.

If you’re familiar with Dudley DeBosier, then you know there are a few things we’re passionate about … and one of those is GIVING BACK! Because without people like you, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

On June 20, we celebrated our 12th birthday! We got to thinking, and it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t celebrate your next birthday, too.

To commemorate 12 years of serving our loving community, we’re selecting one winner each month — for an entire year — to receive $500 cash for their birthday.

Winners will be randomly selected and contacted during their birthday month. The first winner was selected in June 2021, and the 12th winner will be selected in June 2022.

How do you enter to win? It’s simple! Visit DudleyDeBosier.com/birthday, and fill out the submission form.

But if none of these seem particularly interesting to you, “Law & Order” is still there to help scratch your crime drama itch.

2 DudleyDeBosier.com

Dudley DeBosier Made a Big Difference for Briana Our client Briana was 19 years old and carrying her first child on the day that changed her life for the worse. She was traveling down the road when a careless driver pulled out of a Walgreens parking lot and gassed it, attempting to cross six lanes of traffic. Her lack of attention led to her T-boning Briana’s vehicle. The force of the wreck severely damaged Briana’s car and, even worse, caused her to suffer extremely serious injuries to both her neck and back. Through her initial course of treatment, Briana had multiple injections done in hopes of relieving some of her pain. But unfortunately, she was left with permanent injuries and a future medical plan of invasive surgery and a spinal cord stimulator. The defendant driver’s insurance company originally offered to settle Briana’s claim for $120,000. However, we knew that Briana would continuously need more medical treatments and procedures in the future. Being that Briana was so severely injured during the crash, it was obvious that Briana’s medical bills would be through the roof, so we refused their offer. After taking Briana’s case to trial, her attorney, Ken Miller, worked alongside Steve DeBosier and Paul Wilkins to settle her case for $450,000 on Aug. 19, 2019 — a $330,000 increase of the insurance company’s pretrial offer. Going the extra mile to get clients the money they deserve — that’s the Dudley DeBosier Difference.

Word Search

HAVE A Laugh

BLACK COSTUME GHOST HALLOWEEN HAUNTED MOON MYSTERY ORANGE PARTY PUMPKIN SHADOWS SPOOKY

3

Call for a FREE Case Evaluation 866-799-3519

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

1075 Government St. Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Inside THIS ISSUE 1 Insurers Profited in 2020

2

A Few New Legal Dramas for Your List

Win $500!

Dudley DeBosier Made a Big Difference for Briana

3

Corn Mazes Date Back to Ancient Greece?

4

A HISTORICAL LOOK AT THIS WACKY FALL TRADITION Corn Mazes Date Back to Ancient Greece?

Exploring a corn maze is a great way to get outside and enjoy the fall season with friends and family — but who came up with the idea of wandering around a corn field for fun? As it turns out, outdoor mazes are an ancient tradition, and the American corn maze of the ‘90s sprouted from the mazes of 17th-century European gardens. Don’t believe it? Here’s a quick tour of corn maze history.

This story isn’t the first recorded example of a maze or labyrinth — according to the World History encyclopedia, “[L]abyrinths and labyrinthine symbols have been dated to the Neolithic Age in regions as diverse as modern-day Turkey, Ireland, Greece, and India, among others” — but it’s perhaps the most famous ancient tale. If you’ve ever navigated a Halloween corn maze staffed by ghouls and ghosts, you can see the parallels! Garden Art to Get Lost In Mazes formed from bushes began popping up European gardens in the 17th century. They were a popular artistic feature of upper-class gardens in England, more for looking at than solving. One famous example is the half- mile-long Hampton Maze, which was planted in 1690 and still stands today. The Corn Maze: An American Invention Garden mazes eventually hopped the pond to America but didn’t become interactive puzzles until Don Frantz, Creative Director of the American Maze Company, came on the scene. In 1993, Frantz created the “first ever cornfield maze for private and public entertainment” to attract college kids in Pennsylvania. Today, every small-town corn maze is a descendant of his “Amazing Maize Maze.” To learn more about that wacky history, visit AmericanMaze.com.

The Minotaur and the Maze Have you heard of Theseus and the Minotaur? This ancient Greek legend tells the story of the hero Theseus, who ventured into an elaborate maze to kill the half-man, half-bull imprisoned there. The monstrous Minotaur was known to eat heroes, and the labyrinth was known to trap them, but Theseus managed to slay the Minotaur and find his way home with the help of a string that he unspooled as he walked.

4

DudleyDeBosier.com