Kentucky Legislative Update: HB 282 - The 30 day ban on solicitation of auto accident victims passes Kentucky House
House Bill 282 (HB 282) has passed through the Kentucky House of Representatives by a 97-2 vote this week paving the way for it to be considered by the Senate and enacted into law. HB 282 (the text can be found here) was introduced by Rep. Jim Gooch, Dem., Dist. 12, and seeks to make it a criminal offense for anyone to solicit victims of automobile accidents within thirty days after the accident. The bill mirrors legislation that is already in place restricting attorneys from soliciting business from car accident victims (KRS § 21A.300) and would make it a Class A misdemeanor to contact a victim or family member of a victim after the accident.
Auto accident and personal injury attorney Brian D. Cook applauds the legislation as do the rest of the attorneys at Bahe Cook Cantley & Jones PLC. For too long people whose primary interest is not the health of auto accident victims have preyed on accident victims in an effort to get at the PIP (personal injury protection) coverage of their insurance policies. PIP policies provide up to $10,000 (and sometimes much more) for medical coverage to people injured in car accidents, regardless of who was at fault in the accident. To learn more about how PIP (sometimes called “no fault” coverage) see our blog post, here. In an attempt to gobble up this money, a small number of unscrupulous health care practitioners, lawsuit lending companies, and others have rushed to “sign up” car accident victims to get at this money. To be sure, the vast majority of health care providers, doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, and others, and many lawsuit lending companies, provide their services to injured accident victims in an ethical and legal fashion. This law should help rid Kentucky of those that don’t.
To voice your support for this legislation, call your Senator or Congressperson and tell them to vote “yes” on HB 282. If you have questions about PIP coverage or how PIP insurance works in connection with a car accident, please contact Brian D. Cook or the other auto accident attorneys at Bahe Cook Cantley & Jones PLC.
