Most of us pay our car insurance with the expectation that the necessary benefits will be there if we are seriously injured or killed in a New York City car accident. However, consulting with an experienced personal injury or wrongful death attorney is often the best course of action to protect your rights and the financial well-being of you and your family.

Insurance companies are in business to make money. Unfortunately, this too often comes at the expense of acting in the best interests of consumers and customers. The New York State Department of Insurance reported Monday that $32 million was recovered last year on behalf of consumers.

While about $5 million was related to insurance fraud, a substantial number of cases involved insurance companies that acted unfairly or otherwise violated the rules and regulations governing the sale of insurance and settlement of claims in New York.

-Insurance investigators forced companies to reinstate 116,000 insurance policies, which had been either canceled or not renewed in violation of the law.

-A total of 394 disciplinary actions were taken against insurance agents and brokers for violating laws, including those in place to protect consumers. In all, 39 insurance licenses were surrendered and 53 were revoked.

-More than $1.2 million in fines were collected from insurance companies and agents.

Dealing with the aftermath of a serious or fatal car accident is stressful enough. Consumers shouldn't face the added burden of dealing with an uncooperative insurance company. An experienced attorney may be in the best position to protect your legal rights and to ensure that you and your family are being treated with the fairness and respect you deserve.