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“A heart-rending debut nonfiction account of a couple’s struggles with insurance companies as they tried to recover from a catastrophic accident. Rhodes’ depiction of insurance carriers’ cynical money-saving strategies serves as a grim reminder of how toxic the mix of commerce and health care can be. He also illustrates, with painstaking thoroughness, the judicial system’s lamentable limitations and the ballooning costs of health care. Nevertheless, readers will find this a sad but inspiring story. A moving memoir that’s particularly timely, given the current health care debate in the United States.”
“Five Stars (out of Five). This eye-opening and heartrending memoir prepares families for dealing with settlements and caregiving after difficult accidents. The Blameless Victim is an eye-opener. Rhodes reveals that while civil courts and the legal system are supposed to guard the public against injustices committed by insurance companies and ensure that they fulfill their financial obligations promptly, they are confusing, slow, expensive, invasive of a victim’s privacy, and often side with the insurance company. His concern that others not suffer as his family did has made him a vigilant fighter for justice, and his book provides resources for the fight.”
Independent Kirkus Review
Independent Clarion Foreword Review
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While insurers bring in huge profits, blameless victims are often forced to go to court just to receive the monies needed for recuperation. The Blameless Victim is a raw account of the emotional, medical, insurance, financial, and legal challenges that one family faced when the crash of an 80,000-pound tanker truck causes a catastrophic injury.
The Blameless Victim tells the story from the catastrophic injury in early 2002 to the final decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 2012, which penalized insurance giant AIG in excess of $20 million for its delaying tactics, but failed to penalize insurance giant Zurich American Insurance.
The first section details the day-to-day trauma that the Rhodes family—including a teenaged daughter—endures during the 22 months following the accident.
The second section chronicles five courtroom battles, providing an eye-opening look at the claims processing operations within and among the insurance companies. It’s the beginning of a traumatic 10-year ordeal in which Rhodes launches legal action not only to force Zurich and AIG to make the payments they owe, but also to prevent insurance carriers from using the same outrageous methods to postpone settlement and delay payment to blameless victims in the future.
The result was a landmark legal decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, now referenced by many trial attorneys.
The Blameless Victim will help other families learn from his mistakes and to encourage others to overcome the incredibly difficult problems that recalcitrant insurance carriers as well as an uncaring legal system will push onto a blameless victim and her family.
The Blameless Victim by Harold S. Rhodes
Harold S. Rhodes actively participates in organizations to help those less fortunate, including the Greater Boston Chapter of National Spinal Cord Injury Association, the Milford Commission on Disability, the Milford Regional Medical Center Healthcare Foundation, the SenseAbility Gym for children with special needs, and the Shining Star Early Education Center. He continues to be the primary caregiver for his spouse, Marcia.
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The story of The Blameless Victim by Harold S. Rhodes is an eye opening look at the injustices that are faced in personal injury cases and is gaining much deserved local and national attention. Please click on the link below to view the full list of media articles and videos.
