In these unsure economic times, lots of folks are looking for ways to save money, cutting everything out of budgets they can spare. But dropping uninsured motorist coverage from auto policies is a big mistake. Yes, monthly premiums will decline. But cutting that coverage could cost a lot more in the long run. Why? Drivers will have to pay a lot more of their own bills if they are involved in a bad accident with an uninsured motorist. How likely is that? Take a look at the odds.
Texas is a good example. In spite of the fact that state law requires drivers to carry insurance, statistics show that 20% of the drivers in Texas are driving with no insurance. That number rises significantly in urban areas. Drivers without uninsured motorist coverage to protect themselves from irresponsible drivers have to rely on their own auto insurance to pay for the accident. A bad accident with an uninsured driver can leave victims with medical tabs that run into the thousands of dollars. If a breadwinner is sidelined with those injuries and a car is totaled as a result of the accident, bills can go unpaid and credit can be ruined. Personal injury lawyers are hard pressed to find anyone to sue for damages on the victim’s behalf. This is one case where short term savings risk long term disaster.
The more we learn about ATVs, the less there is to recommend them. Manufacturers say they are fun – a great way to enjoy the outdoors. What they don’t say is alarming. ATVS are not made to drive on hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt. Their tires are oversize and have low tire pressure and no gripping ability on hard surfaces. They can be unstable even at low speeds. Their top heavy design and narrow wheel base make them “tippy.” When they roll over, they can cause catastrophic injuries – death and permanent spinal cord and brain damage among them. The Yamaha Rhino is especially dangerous. Its side-by-side models, made before 2004, had no doors, safety handles or other safety features. Many are still in use despite warnings. Rollovers crush arms and legs, leaving victims permanently crippled. Some, who were ejected, died. In July 2007, a report on CBS News showed a 24 percent increase from 2000 to 2004 (to an average of 171 a year) in deaths of children using ATVs. In 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics called ATVs “the perfect recipe for tragedy.” The increase in deaths and injuries to children and adults across the United States are related to the ATV’s growing size and speed, according to ATV injury experts.
This is the way it goes in a perfect world: You paid your insurance premiums. Ike came and damaged your property. You lost money after it closed your business for a time. You called your insurance company and got reimbursed. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been like this for some. Their stories vary. But three themes stand out: Claim denied. Claim delayed. Claim underpaid.
The best way to deal with that scenario is to hire a lawyer with 30 years experience in insurance company “tactics.” Namely, Jim Adler. The Texas Hammer has added hurricane property damage to his roster of services for victims who have been damaged in accidents. While some insurance companies do operate like the “dream world” we describe, others don’t. Since the hurricane, Jim S. Adler & Associates has received calls from hurricane victims who paid their premiums but are having trouble getting paid by insurance companies who took their money, sometimes for years, and now are balking at their claims. Case evaluations at Jim S. Adler & Associates are free. Clients pay nothing to their lawyers until claims are settled and sometimes they pay nothing at all because judges will order their insurance companies to pay all legal fees.
It’s simple: Not everybody hears about recalled products even when they get a lot of publicity. So it’s worth bringing up two recent recalls because you and your children need protection from products that can kill babies or – and this isn’t much of a stretch – burn the house down. We’re talking about cribs and laptops, believe it or not.
- The Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled more than one and a half million Delta Enterprise Drop Side Cribs in October after they “trapped and suffocated” two eight month-old babies. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the cribs have two lethal defects: missing safety pegs and spring peg failure.
- One hundred thousand Sony laptop batteries were recalled in October after 40 incidents of overheating. Users reported smoke and flames. Twenty-one cases involved damage to property. Minor burns were involved in other instances. Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and Dell are involved in the recall. In 2006, Sony recalled almost 10 million laptop batteries for fear they could catch fire.
