AAJ Winter Convention 2020

AAJ Winter Convention 2020

The 2020 conference schedule has now begun!

This week the Independent Life team is exhibiting at the American Association for Justice (AAJ) 2020 Winter Convention in New Orleans. While we are the only structured settlement annuity provider attending, four of our partner agencies will also be exhibiting:

What messages will Independent Life’s representatives be communicating to the trial attorneys who attend the AAJ Winter Convention?

Structured Settlement Benefits

In addition to providing a definition of structured settlements and the importance of structured settlement public policy, Independent Life continues to emphasize the benefits of structured settlements as a cornerstone of our marketing strategy.

We are also committed to creating awareness of the National Association of Insurance Carriers (NAIC) designation 1 equivalency rating to highlight the financial security of structured settlements.

Additional Benefits of Independent Life

Of course, as the first and only structured settlement company to focus exclusively on the structured settlement market, Independent Life has also developed and promotes additional structured settlement benefits. For examples:

  • Our unique Payee Protection Policy provides our structured settlement payees with security against unfair transfer petitions.
  • Our two-tier medical underwriting process offers superior analysis for catastrophically injured plaintiffs.
  • Our non-qualified product expands the types of cases that qualify for structured settlement annuities.

Structured Settlements and Settlement Planning

2019 was a year of significant change and we detailed these shifts on the Knowledge Network in a four-part series tracking the historical developments of the structured settlement market. Among other significant trends and transitions during this 40 plus years history have been: 1) a shift in control from what was initially a defense-dominated market to a more balanced market where plaintiffs, their attorneys and advisors play a much greater role; and 2) the development of a larger, more complex “personal injury settlement planning” market where the structured settlement annuity represents a strategic core product but not the only product. Within settlement planning, the structured settlement sale is more complex and the role and responsibilities of various professional stakeholders has continued to evolve.

The Role and Responsibility of Plaintiff Attorneys

As the Mraz case demonstrates, even the most successful and sophisticated trial attorneys don’t always possess adequate structured settlement and settlement planning knowledge to identify and achieve a “best interest” result for their client. Among 16 Chapters in “Structured Settlements and Periodic Payments Judgments,” Chapter 5 is titled “Role and Responsibilities of Plaintiff’s Counsel in Structured Settlements”. For some of the important highlights, be on the lookout for a two-part series on our Knowledge Network.

CONCLUSION

Independent Life is grateful to the many trial attorneys who, along with Independent Life’s agents, helped make 2019 (our first full year of operations) a success. 2020 is shaping up to be another great year as attorneys, among other stakeholders, increasingly recognize the benefits, not only of structured settlements, but also of the unique advantages of Independent Life’s products.

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