Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Highlands United
Insurance justice in Colorado
continued from page 10 the insurance company? Why should
Colorado’s justices and judges the insurance company, aided by the
Methodist Church
have now hammered home the insur- Colorado Courts, be able to shift that
ance mantra: any time you seek your risk back onto your shoulders?
own benefits that you pay with your In some states, such as Montana,
own premiums, the claim process is insurance companies have to act
now considered to be adversarial. fairly, in good faith, to everyone. Not
If you get hurt on the job and won-
der why your workers compensation
in Colorado. Short of actual fraud,
insurance companies in Colorado 3131 Osceola Street
Corner of 32nd Ave.
insurance adjuster refuses to autho- owe an injured person nothing. And
rize care and you struggle to wonder that’s what Colorado courts and leg-
and Osceola
why, this is how the Colorado courts islators think is fair.
want insurance to function. Because insurance companies
303.477.5857
You can always sue the insur- bank a profit the moment they col-
ance company. Then you endure lect premiums, based on the law of
months of waiting for your trial, after large numbers, insurance compa-
enduring “motions” filed by insur- nies have ample funds to pay for
Highlandsumc32@aol.com
ance company lawyers working to predicted losses up to the full policy
cloak in secrecy the very methods limits. While individual losses can-
www.highlandsumc.com
by which the insurance companies not be predicted, collective losses
“adjust” these claims. can be predicted statistically through
No insurance policy contains the the laws of averages and of large
Holy Week
terms “claims handler” or “claims numbers.
adjuster” or “claims supervisor” or in Insurance contracts are not ordi-
the parlance of modern management nary run-of-the-mill agreements.
“team leader.” Yet Colorado judges They are almost considered contracts
embrace this practice called “disin- of adhesion where the consumer has
termediation” where invisible barri- no choice but to take it or leave it.
ers to benefits get erected through
this “adversarial” process.
When do insurance consumers ever
get to bargain over the fine print? Palm Sunday March 16, 10:00 AM
Maundy Thursday March 20, 7:00 PM
Even more, if you get hurt by The consumers’ only option is to buy
somebody else, the insurance com- the policy or vote with their feet by
panies maintain absolute control going somewhere else and face the
Open Hearts
agement consultants, like McKinsey that’s who. Their decisions favor
and Company, or Accenture, to the insurance companies and the
devise plans to boost corporate prof- lawyers, of course, since to fight an
Open Minds
its, these business plans are not insurance company requires more
provided to state regulators. They are lawyers and more lawsuits and more
kept secret. When policyholders find judges.
What’s the matter with this pic-
Open Doors
out about them, then the insurance
companies relinquish parts of them ture? Or just with Colorado?
only if a “protective order” is entered Richard M. Kaudy is an expert
guaranteeing that these profit-maxi- in handling insurance and claim-
mizing plans are concealed from the handling matters both on behalf of
very public and policyholders they insureds and insurers. He has provid-
serve. ed expert opinions in this field, where
So what can a Colorado consumer
do when the insurance company
he donates fees from this service
to various charitable causes includ- All are welcome
Rev. Dr. Betty Bradford
won’t pay? They can file suit and ing Mothers Against Drunk Driving
await the months of endless delays (MADD). Rich has handled thousands
clever insurance lawyers contrive. of cases involving personal injuries
Only rarely do courts sanction insur- and corporate misconduct including
ance companies or their lawyers for class-action lawsuits. In addition to
not following the rules of civil pro- litigating a variety of cases, Mr. Kaudy
cedure. has taught numerous seminars and
The courts reason that these workshops in several states including
“first-party actions” are adversarial in Colorado, Texas, Oregon, California
nature. Anyone who wants what they and Arizona. He has been a guest
paid now learns to their sadness that lecturer in law and medicine classes
instead of being treated neighborly at the University of Denver College of
with friendly hands they are slugged Law and for CPCU classes.
as an enemy, as an adversary. Mark A. Gould is an attorney who
Is this how Colorado wants insur- practices with Richard M. Kaudy and
ance to work? lives in North Denver with his wife,
If we want to live in a Colorado Therese, and their terrier, George.
where you fight every single time Mark’s practice focuses on insurance
you need insurance, then applaud claims, car accident claims, bad-faith
the adversarial approach embraced insurance claims, commercial insur-
by Colorado’s judges. If you want to ance claims, and he also provides pro
live in a Colorado where insurance bono legal assistance to those who
companies have to pay you what they are unable to afford an attorney.
owe and not squeeze you for leverage If you have any questions or would
to pay less than your limits, then like any reprints of this article (or oth-
call someone who can change these ers), you can reach Mark or Rich at:
values. 303-623-1885 or mgould@kaudylaw.
After all, didn’t you pay good com (Mark) or rkaudy@kaudylaw.com
money to transfer the risk of loss onto (Rich).***
Page 14 North Denver News March 7, 2008
Cyndeth Allison
North Denver Notions
This part of the cemetery tells his short life with
the saddest stories. The tiny unhealed sorrow
lambs with the dates a few weeks, in their voices. I
a few days apart. Those with only remember a blue ribbon and a
one date. tiny, tiny footprint.
It is leap year day. My friends I have talked to many people
and I stand in a circle around one who have had miscarriages and
such grave, the birth whose babies have
date exactly 60 years
ago, the date of death Leap year died. I know the death
of an infant is a wound
two days later. The baby that never heals. This
child was never named, one was especially poi-
though I know my par- gnant because he was
ents planned to call him Roger born on leap year day and the
after their best friend. He would entire city of Denver celebrated
have been my big brother, the one his birth. I imagine my moth-
who would
have intro-
duced me
to cool
music and
his cool
friends,
the one
who would
h a v e
p l a y e d
catch with
our little
brother
and pro-
t e c t e d
him from
the school
bully.
I was
about ten
when I
learned I
could have
had that coveted thing, an older er, months later, meeting a dis-
brother. My parents ran across tant acquaintance, the type who
his birth certificate while looking wouldn’t otherwise even know
for something else. They showed she’d been pregnant, but who
it to my brother and me with would ask after the baby because
no fanfare, but told the story of she’d read it in the paper. The died. ily photo, some favorite CDs we
grief would have been kept raw Because this is a leap year, the could have shared. People placed
for a long time. baby was in my thoughts. I found stones in memory of babies lost
DID YOU KNOW?... My parents rarely talked about that the cost of a headstone was
COMMON that baby, and never about the not prohibitive. I chose one, not
in their own families.
This I did to honor my mother’s
GROUNDS hopes they must have had for
him. Yet he was there, a shadowy
with the traditional lamb, but
with a boy flying a kite, spaniel at
wishes, to commemorate my par-
ents’ love of that baby, to make
IS NOW SERVING A SELECTION OF part of our family, each of us car- his heels, for the carefree child- real his presence in our family,
F W
INE INES & rying some thoughts about who hood I wished he’d had. and to help heal for my brother
L B
OCALLY REWED EERS B he would have been in our lives. And on his birthday – his fif- and me the hole that he left. I
As she grew older my mother teenth – I gathered a group of did it to make sure that he is not
(and Guinness, of course!) began to say how she wished friends for a ceremony at his forgotten.
he had a headstone – the young newly-marked grave. We read Roger Allison,
couple hadn’t been able to afford poems, sang the songs of 1948, February 29, 1948 –
one. She thought maybe she’d do told him how he had been loved March 2, 1948
it now, to make sure he had some and missed. I place on his grave May he rest in peace.***
place in human memory. But she things I wished he’d had in life
didn’t get around to it before she – a handmade stuffed toy, a fam-
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March 7, 2008 North Denver News Page 15
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)PU4QFDUBDMFT On North Pecos St. there’s a good reception from everyone and
new shop, which features t-shirts, everybody really liked them,” she
clothes, accessories and miscel- added. “It was an amazing experi-
lanea with one thing in common ence for us.”
– a distinct point of view and an The couple had the opportunity
unabashed way of expressing it. to travel through Europe while still
1SFTDSJQUJPOMFOTFTUIBUEPOUGPSDF Here t-shirts featuring an image in college and noticed a difference
of Frida Kahlo hang beside others in people there. “It’s really inter-
sporting the face of Angela Davis. esting to go abroad and see other
ZPVUPMPPLUISPVHIBêTICPXM Che Guevara and Emiliano Zapata cultures, other societies, other
mingle freely with Bobby Seale and worlds essentially and see what
"UHSFBUQSJDFT Malcolm X. Even infants express a they are wearing,” Somoza stated.
point of view with baby tees proudly “They had cultural icons and really
exclaiming “No Justice, No Sleep.” cool, significant clothes. That’s the
3JEFPOCZUPMFBSONPSF T h e n
there are
less antiq- sporting items from their clothing lines – Intellectual Elegance
uities. and Chispa. Photo by Todd Pierson Photography.
-FF
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Though
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North
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Jeweler
JEWELRY Serving
SELECTION
Tonalli is a Nahuatl word imply-
North
reclaiming heroes.”HUGEDenver
JEWEL
“For me it was especially EJBNPOE
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for
Engagements u We
saturday
u Chains u Gold Fashions
In-house goldsmith, diamond setter & designers CFUXFFO
grew up in Denver though they make sure to bring out a very strong
never met here – they had to travel message aboutAppraisals
being proud offor estate
M-F: 11-
DXp('#0X$+g
Appraisals for estate
M-F:
1,441 milesor
11-6 to insurance
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do that.
who
purposesyou are, your cultural heritage and
Chavez and Somoza were among what you believe in. A lot Buyers:
of youthGold
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Colorado & Gems
students invited to wear stuff that means nothing.”
Mexico by the Mexican consulate. They take their involvement with
“At the end of my senior year and the community very seriously and
Jazmin’s junior year we were both regularly open their space up to
Just imagine — potentially all of your house ‘challenges’ nominated to participate in a Cinco meetings, exhibits and happenings
could be solved in one day at a fun event right here in
$"4)
de Mayo celebration in Mexico City,” in support of this cause or that.
the neighborhood! Somoza said. They were part of 300 In the meantime, Tonalli has an
U.S. Latinos invited to a convoca- added significance to the couple
• space • heating and cooling • take a workshop tion with over 1,000 Mexican stu- – soon their business partnership 8&1"
• windows • kitchens and bathrooms • visit with city officials, dents. “We actually became pretty will take second place to their life
• colors • yards and gardens home professionals good friends on the trip,” Chavez partnership – they plan to marry. (P
• bricks • permits/zoning and other experts Has pop culture been co-opted
• fire safety • water-wise ways • vendors galore
said.
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conscience – the first one sought at 3810 Pecos St. and such ques-
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to raise awareness of the sense- tions will plague you no more. Store
Weddings u Anniversaries
u We
lessuand unmitigated slaughter of hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday u Birthday
Historic Highlands Masonic Temple Center
u Birthdays u Holidays over the through
young women in Juarez Saturday. For more infor-
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Diamonds u R
3550 Federal Boulevard past 15 years. “We loved it because mation call 303-993-8803 or visit SERV
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we were putting the designs out to tonallishop.com.*** u Chains u
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You are invited to tour the Masonic Temple which, until recently, u Chains u Gold Fashions
has not been open to the public. Come visit this neighborhood icon. CFUXFF
M-F: 11
M-F: 11-6 SAT: 10-5
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Councilman Rick Garcia, The North Denver News, This Place in Time, LLC, Xcel Energy www.northdenvernews.com
Proud sponsors include: Denver Water, Lapis Gallery, Modern Bungalow, Northwest Denver City Council
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March 7, 2008 North Denver News Page 17
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