Car Insurance Claims
Insurance Tips For New Home Owners
December 13, 2010 | Author admin
If you have just bought your very first home, you are probably unaware of how your purchase has affected your insurance profile and that you need to review your existing insurance cover. In fact, even upgrading from a small, cheap house to a larger family home will impact on your insurance. Most people think that adding some form of homeowners insurance is all that is needed when purchasing a new home. While the addition of a homeowner’s policy is by far the biggest change, your other insurance policies will most likely need to be reviewed too. The following are some of the more prominent policies you may need to revise.
Homeowner’s insurance
If you successfully applied for a home loan, your bank will have required that you take out a homeowner’s insurance policy. The questions that you need to ask yourself are did I get sufficient cover and did I shop around for the best deals?
When analyzing your coverage needs, your assessment needs to be based not only on what is required by your bank, but also on the actual value of the property. Banks often pressurize you to take whatever insurance policy they put in front of you. Except for a few conniving banks, taking the bank’s own cover is not mandatory. This means that you have the option of shopping around for better insurance.
Car insurance
If you just bought a house, your marital status may have changed. If this is the case, then congratulations! You may be eligible for a lower premium as marital status affects your risk profile. Married couples are considered a lower insurance risk by insurance companies. You may also want to cover both your and your spouse’s cars under one policy. This should work out much cheaper than having two separate vehicle insurance policies. You may even want to go one step further and combine your vehicle and homeowner’s policy to get even cheaper premiums. Lastly, it is essential that you update your car insurance policy as your change of address will also affect your policy. This is essential because should you need to claim due to theft from your new home and you have not updated your policy, your claim might be turned down.
Disability and life insurance
If you were to become disabled or unable to work due to an accident or disease, your mortgage will still need to be paid. Disability cover will pay you a monthly benefit if this happens which could very well save you from financial ruin until you are able to work again. Similarly, life insurance will help pay off your debts and perhaps even the mortgage on your home should you pass away. If you are the breadwinner in your family, this type of cover is essential.
Purchasing a new home can be a very exciting experience, but it is important that you remember to review all your insurance policies to make sure that you and your loved ones are adequately covered. If you are unsure of where to start contact your insurance broker and without a doubt, shop around for the best insurance deals!
Posted in Auto Insurance, Boat Insurance, Car Insurance Claims, Definition of Disability, Disability Pay, Disability Statistics, General Info, Homeowners Insurance Claims, Homeowners Insurance Deductible, Income Life Insurance, Injured, Insurance Claims, Insurance Premium, Liability Insurance Claims, Life Insurance, Life Insurance Claims, Make a claim, Mortgage Insurance, Motorcycle Insurance, Property Casualty Insurance, Property Damage Claims, Property Insurance Definition, Sickness, Teens and Auto Insurance, Third Party Claim, Umbrella Policy, Vehicle Insurance | 
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Auto Accident? What do you Do?
December 13, 2010 | Author admin
Based totally on the latest report released by the renowned World Health Organization, about three thousand people die in vehicular accidents every day. And we aren’t even talking about one country here ; the alarming figure speaks for worldwide vehicle accident incidence. In the U. S. alone, there were about 6,000,000 vehicular accidents that happened in the year 2005. In fact, according to reports, a mean of 115 individuals die every day due to car crash figures – that is’s roughly around one accident each thirteen minutes.
it is no wonder then that auto accident claims are reasonably popular today, ranking only second hardest to prove in suits behind medical laxity claims. The severity of such vehicle accident, though, will eventually rely not on one but many factors. These may include, but not restricted to, the autos involved, The speed of the vehicles colliding, and the road or terrain in the vehicular accident.
The worst that could happen during these automobile accident injuries is death. A more common damage that’s customarily complained about is the whiplash injury. While whiplash wounds are but a common thing in vehicular accidents, the symptoms show after a very long time. Hence, it is reasonably tough to prove in court for compensation of damages. of course, you could not just pay no attention to the mental effects these traumatic vehicle accidents bring to the victim. Vehicular accidents can provide you with near-death experiences if you are personally involved in the accident or even worse, they may result to endless shock and a robust feeling of emptiness or emotional damage, which the family of the bereaved has to endure. While the physical injuries are serious enough, the mental effect will be the harder to get past through. It takes longer for people to recover from such a devastating loss of a loved one and many are limited to a long terrible state and mourning regularly accompanied by psychological suffering and stress.
Auto Accident Checklist: Tips On What To Do Following A Car Accident
December 13, 2010 | Author admin
It is not expected of somebody who has just experienced a car accident to be fully composed and calm after such auto accident transpires. However, a substantial degree of such composure and calmness is needed in order to minimize the adverse events resulting from auto accidents. Here are some important things you have to do following a car accident:
• Ascertain the degree of resulting damages
Having an assessment of the gravity of your, your companions’ and/or the vehicle’s injuries or damage gives you an idea of what to do next. Remember that it is not advisable to mobilize somebody with fractured bones unless the situation leaves no other option but to do so (for instance, if the vehicle is on fire or about to be on fire).
• Take note of the factual details of the accident
For the authorities to have a clear picture of the accident, it is important not to miss or err on important details like at what speed where you or the other party was driving, what exactly were you doing inside your vehicle immediately before the car accident, etc.
• Go to the police and file a Car Accident Report
The importance of accomplishing this cannot be stressed enough. After a car accident, the issue as to who is to be held responsible for resulting damages can only be resolved if enough data about the accident is at hand.
via Auto Accident Checklist: Tips On What To Do Following A Car Accident.
10 Ways to Prevent an Auto Accident
December 13, 2010 | Author admin
Sure, I am a personal injury attorney, but that doesn’t mean that I enjoy hearing about, or representing the victims of, preventable car accidents. Part of my role is to help all the drivers out there to be safer on the road.Texting, eating and applying makeup while driving, changing the radio station, reprogramming the navigation system, talking on the phone or driving intoxicated all contribute to the 6+ million car accidents witnessed in the United States every year. Though you may not engage in these distractions while driving- there are many others on the road who do and here are some simple tips to help prevent causing or being involved in an accident. Here are a few simple reminders that may just make you safer!
1. Focus on the Road and Remove Distractions: Cell phones, changing out the CD, switching the music on your music player all distract you from the road. About 80% of the 6+ million accidents each year are caused by distracted drivers.
2. Stay out of the “fast lane”:
According to research most freeway accidents take place in the left lane. The right and middle lanes offer more escape routes in case of emergency- helping you avoid collision.
3. Keep an Eye Out:
Don’t simply watch what the person in front of you is doing- pay attention to the cars 3 or 4 lengths ahead of you. You will know what is happening further up the road which will enable you to avoid a collision in the event that the person in front of you is not paying adequate attention.
4. Hands on the wheel: Holding the steering wheel properly in the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock position provides more control over your car- enabling you to more easily react and maneuver.
5. Monitor your blind spots:
Quite a few accidents occur as the result of blind spots. The drivers of large trucks are often scrutinized for this, but all drivers should be monitoring their blind spots- particularly when changing lanes.
6. Be Cautious at Intersections:
Intersections can be extremely dangerous- never gun-it when the light turns green- instead make sure there are no vehicles running red lights. Also pay close attention to pedestrians who may have the right of way.
7. You Can Judge a Driver by their Vehicle: If a car has a considerable amount of bodily damage that may indicate a poor driver.
8. Be Familiar with Your Car and its Abilities: Know your vehicle’s limits so you may be able to handle adverse conditions. If you have weak tires don’t speed or slam on your breaks while raining and leave ample space between you and the vehicle in front of you.
9. Perform Routine Maintenance Visit your mechanic on time with factory recommended services, oil changes etc. Monitor your particular cars recall list and make sure you get any recalls taken care of as soon as possible.
10. Avoid nighttime driving. Lower visibility and a higher drunk-driving rate make the roads particularly dangerous after hours.
Can the premium rated of car insurance be lowered?
December 6, 2010 | Author admin
Car premium expenses can be a cause of concern especially when these premiums tend to keep on increasing. However, there are some ways in which you can certainly lower the amount of monthly premiums that you need to pay. I would like to share some of those ideas with you so that you are able to reduce the cost of car insurance premiums.
It should be noted that the calculation of the insurance premium is rather complex and can sometimes be incorrect. There are a number of reasons why these calculations can go wrong. You should check that the NCB has been applied correctly. If your car was driven by your children who were under age and therefore the premiums for the insurance of your car are high, then you would like to consider if your children are still underage for if they even drive the particular car. You can certainly contact your insurance company and discuss this fact with them. It should be noted that the main driver of your car should be correctly conveyed to the insurance company. If a female is the main driver then the premium rates may vary. Your age is also an important factor for deciding the monthly premiums and you have crossed 50, you may get a discount. In some cases you birth date can be incorrectly recorded, which basically implies that you might be missing the discount.
Sometimes, it so happens that people tend to over insure their car. Some people might suggest that companies often tend to levy a higher insurance premium on your automobile, for their own profits. So, before deciding on the premium rate of your car you should conduct a proper research on the market prices of the premium suitable to your car. Sometimes this makes quite a bit of difference in the premium rates. You should also check if the company offers discounts for employing multiple policies, if you have.
Once you have understood the cause of the applied premium rates for your car, you can surely scout around in the market so that you can make a correct assessment about the root cause of the problem. You can then consult your company or any other experts in the car insurance premium policies for methods which you should employ for lowering your car insurance premium.
I hope you have understood it does not obligatory to shell out a concentrated amount of money for employing a decent insurance for your car.
5 Quick Ways To Reduce Your Auto Insurance Premium
December 6, 2010 | Author admin
Looking for ways to reduce your auto insurance premium? The auto insurance rates can spiral depending on factors including age, past conduct, and other factors such as credit history. However, the trick is to find ways to reduce the annual payment off. We started for the 5 fastest ways to reduce your auto insurance premium.
Tip 1: Increase your deductible
Stop trying to get the lowest deductible, instead of going in a better payment plan pocket. Deductible is the amount you pay before your insurance policy kicks in. This is an easy way to reduce the amount of the premium of your newspaper, however, is clear in this case, if something happens to your vehicle – You Need more nuts to cover the initial expenses, prior to entering a claim.
Tip 2: You can park your car in a garage
One of the simplest ways to reduce the insurance premium is to park your car in a garage, personal or commercial establishments. This helps to draw in some cases nearly 20% of the premium. In a garage, the chances of getting your car stolen or sideswiped are considerably lower. An operation in a garage could cause a difference between a rate and a normal rate.
Tip 3: the tower and negotiate
Nothing better than the traditional shop to negotiate. Make sure you have at least three to four awards with you, before placing it on the service provider. Make sure you do not buy for the price, but the entire business.
Tip 4: Take a defensive driving course
Few people realize that. By volunteering for a state approved defensive driving course, you can enjoy premium discount of 10%. But check with your insurer in this regard.
Tip 5: Reduce Coverage
Well, the reduction in coverage is perhaps the easiest way to reduce your auto insurance premium. However, we suggest you exercise caution and prudence, in making that decision. This could save money, but also limit coverage.
Learn More On Insurance About Insurance Insurance Quotes
Car Insurance Tips – All You Need To Know Before Buying Insurance Premium
December 6, 2010 | Author admin
You can drive really carefully but still you won’t be insured from
accidents, no one do. They are natural part of life. You can’t control
other
driver’s behavior or extremely bad weather conditions. Nowadays car
insurance is obligatory thing, every year happen more than six million car accidents, and that’s statistics only for USA! But before you consider buying one for yourself, look at these fundamental tips, they will help you to buy cheaper and better car insurance.
First of all, and most importantly – be ready to spend your time finding a lot of different car insurance companies. Contact them and ask about policy details, types of coverage and prices. Do not buy insurance right away, after finding 2-3 companies. There are thousands of car insurance corporations, who are eager to get you as a client and help. You can save up to 500-600$ on car insurance; you just need to spend few hours searching for a good one. Yes, you heard me right!
Filling forms and talking on the phone can become really boring, but look at it this way – you can “earn” up to 500$+ in just 2-3 hours! That’s 166$+ per hour! But keep in mind, that cheapest quote will not always be the best value for you. Also good idea would be to ask friends, family and colleagues about their insurance; someone could have experience in this area.
Cost of the insurance premium can vary a lot, it’s based on your vehicle
details, you age, your gender, area of living and some other things.
Here is the some useful info you need to know: If you are male you will
pay
more than a woman for car insurance, it’s proven that women usually are
calm
and safe drivers. (Sorry men!) Also if you are under the age of 25, you
will
pay much more than your older colleagues. Married men will pay less;
statistics show that they are less likely to get in car accidents. If you
leave in the city with huge traffic and high population, car insurance
quote
will cost more than for countryside people.
Yes, you probably can’t change those factors, but before buying new car,
you must read this information! Red, yellow and white cars are much
likely
to get in road accidents, so insurance premium will be higher. Generally
insurance price for older cars will be higher as well.
And keep in mind, if you want to have a sports car or luxury car, be
prepared to pay for a premium at least two times more than you should pay
for an ordinary vehicle’s insurance.
Be aware that “clean” driving without any tickets will be rewarded – not
only premium cost will be lower, but also you will receive monthly
discounts
(of course if you will keep driving safe and clean throughout the year).
So
think again before drifting or racing in the city, it will not pay off.
Follow these simple tips, do some research and be ready to get nice and
cheap car insurance, it is worth your efforts!
via Car Insurance Tips – All You Need To Know Before Buying Insurance Premium.
Definition of Bodily Injury – Law – Personal Injury
December 1, 2010 | Author admin
Definition of “bodily injury”
A quick check on the Internet leads to many sites that provide definitions about injuries. However, the only definition that counts after you’ve been in an auto accident is the one listed in your auto insurance policy.
Check your auto insurance policy
Here are a couple of examples of General Definitions taken directly from auto insurance policies:
* Bodily injury means bodily injury to a person, including resultant sickness, disease or death.
* Bodily injury means any bodily injury, sickness, disease or death sustained by any person.
Bodily injury refers to injuries sustained
There you have it. Bodily injury is damage to your body that may show up now or later as injuries, illnesses, diseases, or even death. Bodily injuries are specific to something that happens to you that results in damage. Those injuries can be to the body, mind, or emotions, as opposed to an injury to property.
The most common forms of bodily injury are injuries to the neck and back (commonly called whiplash) or simply bumps and bruises.
Insurance companies may refer to underlying injuries as soft tissue damage. More significant injuries affect the limbs, brain and head, or spinal cord, and can cause a lifetime of damages. Here you will require Vancouver WA Personal Injury Lawyer to fight for justice by providing enough proof.
Reaction at the scene of an accident
At the scene of an accident, the adrenaline kicks in. Your body’s natural reaction is “fight or flight”, and most people are just scared and shook up, not always aware of what could be serious injuries.
So when you suffer bodily injury, protect your rights by the words you use. Instead of saying, “I’m fine,” just say something like, “I’m not sure… it’s all so sudden.” After all, how can you really tell in the rush of that moment?
Damages may not be visible
The thing that most people may not realize until later is that physical damage may not be readily apparent. Even broken bones might not be noticeable. In cases of whiplash, there may be no bruises or scraping, but the ligaments, connective tissues, and muscles may have been stretched and snapped to the point of damage that is not immediately evident. Such injuries may not be identified without an x-ray, MRI, CAT scan, or other diagnostic tools.
So what is personal injury?
The term “personal injury” is often used by victims to find an attorney who specializes in such cases, as our office does. Think of personal injury as an “umbrella” term that covers not only your bodily injuries, but other damages as well.
Educate yourself about your rights in an auto accident
Everyone deserves to find out if they have a claim. It’s better to learn about your rights sooner than later, though. For example, even in a simple conversation with an insurance company, you may say things that later might make it difficult to reach a favorable settlement. That is true whether you are talking with your own insurance company of the one that represents the other driver.
It’s better to consult with our offices immediately after the accident, to protect your rights and make sure you see medical providers who truly care about your injuries and are careful to document their findings.
My next blog will discuss some of the damages other than bodily injury that can affect your claim.
Steps to be taken in case of car Accident
December 1, 2010 | Author admin
We any ways have to be careful in our day to day life, but unluckily bad things do happen. Follow the below given 13 steps if in case you come across any car accident:
1. First thing you need to do is to notify the police on time and call ambulance if in case of serious injury.
2. Do work together with the accessible authorities who come to the scene.
3. Take based on reason steps to safe guard your vehicle from any other loss. Consider moving it out of the traffic.
4. Further try to record every thing what every possible on the scene. Your notes should carry the details of accident, recognition of the autos and people available, and the names and badge numbers of all urgent situation personnel. Take pictures in case possible.
5. Insist on breath tests if you estimate drugs or alcohol are involved.
6. Do not agree on money in any case. Do not confess fault. Do not agree on fail to notice about the auto accident.
7. Have a carbon copy of all police reports.
8. Have the insurance company inspects and evaluates the scratch before any steps are taken to repair it.
9. Cooperate with the auto insurance carrier agent in the examination, protection or settlement.
10. Send your car insurance carrier copies or lawful papers received in relations with the accident as soon as possible. Be sure you keep the originals copy with you.
11. If you are injured, submit to physical tests by physicians selected by the insurance carrier as commonly as they reasonably require. (The insurance carrier do pays the cost of these examinations.)
12. Give your support for the car insurance carrier to get medical reports and other applicable records.
13. Now its time to file a claim.
14. After filing a claim you require to keep a record of expenses you incur as a result of an auto accident, as it may be repaid under your policy.
15. Store copies of all the paperwork in your own managed files. You might be required to refer to it later.
Recorded Statement — Do I have to give one after a car accident?
December 1, 2010 | Author admin
The recorded statement is a guarantee step in the claim investigation process.
Insurance adjusters will be calling you to ask if they can take your statement about the accident. Many people believe that they have to give these statements so the insurance company provides coverage for the loss. Most insurance companies have Cooperation Clauses in them, but none of them can require you to give a recorded statement in the event of a car accident.
You have the constitutional right to remain silent and to not testify against your own person. Even in murder trials, the right to no self incrimination is respected. The concept carries over to car accidents. No one can bound coverage and require you to be in a recording giving testimony of facts.
Taking a recorded statement is entirely voluntary. Do not let the insurance company tell you otherwise. If they tell you that the cooperation clause in your policy says that you must cooperate, then you can tell them that you will cooperate by giving a verbal statement (same statement just not recorded).
The cooperation clause is just that, a clause that requires you to help the insurance company�s investigation. It does not say that you have to do it under a recorded statement. If they are too pushy, then ask them to put their requirements on writing and verify what they are telling you against your actual policy.
Benefits v. Harms of a Recorded Statement
The benefit is that your insurance company will be able to better document your file. If there is a dispute about fault, and your case goes to arbitration, the arbitrator will probably look at a file with a recorded statement as having better evidence than a file without one. I have seen arbitrators decide that one person�s version of events was �more convincing� because she/he was willing to put their words in a recording.
The harms of giving a �bad recorded statement �could be many, delay in the investigation for something that you said that could bar coverage, complete denial of coverage, fault being construed against you, interpretation of your words against you, etc.
If you think that giving a recorded statement is the right thing to do, then consider only giving it to your own insurance company. If the other party�s insurance carrier asks for a recorded statement, have them contact your insurance company and �share� a copy of the tape. This way you only give one statement, and the people questioning you is your own insurance company (the one protecting your interests).
Here are the best 10 tips of what you should do before you give a recorded statement:
1. Make sure you have time to talk. Secure at least one hour of your time.
2. Make sure is time that work s for you and the adjuster�s. Do not do it before the adjuster�s lunch time. They will rush you to get out of the tape without giving you a chance to fully explain your point of view.
3. Have all the information available in front of you. For example, Names, streets, insurance polices, and the police report if possible.
4. Read your police before hand. This way you will know why the adjuster is asking what they are asking, and see if they are trying to find information to deny your claim.
5. Tell the adjuster that you are willing to give the statement only if they give you a transcription of what you said. Make sure you say this on the tape.
6. Remember that you can decline to answer any question for any reason at anytime. Just say it. I decline to answer for personal reasons.
7. Tell the adjuster that you will also record the conversation. This usually puts them in their best behavior.
8. Answer only what they asked you. If the question is what color is the light? then answer should be a color and nothing more.
9. If the question is subjective, decline to answer, tell them that you do not know, or simply just ask the adjuster what they are looking for specifically.
10. Be polite and respectful. If they are rude or anxious, the adjuster�s supervisor will probably side you. But if you are rude, your complaint will be dismissed.
via Recorded Statement — Do I have to give one after a car accident?.
