Auto Insurance

Posts Tagged ‘Medical Bills’

Does anyone else smell a legal zoo bigger than the mythological Ark

Most health insurance companies do not pay medical bills if you are injured in an accident and there is applicable auto insurance that should cover the bills. Usually you see this with the ERISA plans (employer sponsor plans). Some private plans will step up and pay the bill….but ERISA plans usually don’t.

Even when the health insurance pays….they usually send a medical lien to the at fault drivers company. That means that the health insurance plan gets paid back for the money they paid out from the settlement proceeds.

For the at fault drivers who would not have coverage under their liability coverage…..they have to use their health insurance.

Auto insurance rates usually have to be approved by the insurance department of each state. These rates are pretty tightly regulated as it is.

I don’t see health care reform affecting auto insurance rates.

The number of personal injury claims has been going up steadily and so to the number of payouts, this in turn is leading to a rise in insurance premiums as the number people claiming compensation after being involved in an accident is rising. These are the findings of a new report which claims that personal injury claims will push the cost of insurance up by 28 per cent over the next five years.

The report comes from market analyst Datamonitor who predict that between now and 2015, the amount insurers pay out in claims will rise by £2.4 billion, estimating that in 2015 £10.9 billion will be paid out by insurers over accident claims.

The research also reveals that payouts in the wake of compensation claims have continued to rise and show no sign of abating. The average payout to someone injured in a road accident has risen from £4,277 to £5,331. This reflects rising medical and legal costs. It is also a reflection of strong rates of inflation relating to both these factors.

Car Insurance has been the worst hit as a result and the future does not look rosey in terms of low premiums. Car insurance premiums have risen steeply in the last year at a rate of 5.9%, which is almost three times the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. Higher medical bills and ongoing care arrangements are costing insurers huge amounts in compensation and this is being reflected in the premiums they charge.

However this is not the only reason. With increasing developments in technology to tackle car accidents, newer safety features in cars cost more to fix and replace. Larger crumple zones and more airbags add to the cost of repairing the vehicle and this cost must be passed on to the drivers.

This would not be a sufficient reason for The Association of British insurers, however. The organisation has long since lobbied for change to sort out the way claims are being processed and to address the exact problem of rising premiums. For small claims under £25,000 it has been suggested that a straight forward streamlined way of handling claims will mean fewer lawyers will need to be involved and bring down the costs of administering the claim.

The ABI has an extremely valid point. Their criticism of the legal costs system is very relevant as legal costs have increased significantly over the years. At present the average claim takes just under a year to settle with some cases being open for up to two years. Two years of legal representation is going to cost a lot of money, which ultimately the insurers will end up paying.

Saurav Dutt
http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-injury-articles/personally-causing-injury-to-insurance-premiums-488666.html

California has some of the highest auto insurance rates in the nation. So where can you get cheap California auto insurance quotes? Read on …

Minimum California Auto Insurance

In order to license your car in the sate of California you’re only required to have liability insurance. This pays for damage to another person’s car or property when you’re at fault in an accident. It also pays for any medical expenses they or their passengers may incur, and compensates them for pain and suffering.

Liability Coverage

The minimum liability coverage in California is 15/30/5. That means you need to have $15,000 coverage for injuries to any one person in the other car, $30,000 coverage for injuries to all persons in the other car, and $5,000 coverage for damage to the other person’s car or property.

If you don’t have a lot of assets the minimum liability coverage may be enough, but if you have assets you want to protect from a lawsuit, you should increase your liability insurance to cover them.

Optional Coverages

Collision – This pays for repairs to your car no matter who was at fault. If you drive an older car that’s not worth much, consider eliminating this coverage. If you drive a late model car you can save money by increasing your deductible.

Comprehensive – This pays for damage done to your car by anything other than a collision – fire, vandalism, theft, hail, etc. If you have an older car you may want to skip this coverage. If you drive a newer car, increase your deductible to save on your premium.

Personal Injury Protection – This pays for you and your passenger’s medical bills when you’re involved in an accident. If you already have medical insurance you can consider doing without this coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist – This pays for you and your passenger’s medical expenses and damage to your car caused by an uninsured, underinsured, or hit-and-run driver. One-quarter of the drivers in California are driving without a license, so this is good insurance to have.

Cheap California Auto Insurance Online

Because rates can vary dramatically from one company to the next in California, the best way to get the cheapest rate is to compare quotes from different auto insurance companies.

Thanks to the Internet, you can go to an insurance comparison website that represents a number of companies and get multiple insurance quotes. Some of these sites have an “Articles” section where you can get money-saving tips, and a chat feature where you can talk online with a auto insurance expert and get answers to your questions. (See link below.)

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com or click on the following link to get cheap California auto insurance quotes from top-rated companies in your area and see how much you can save.

ryan@thesatellitetvguide.com
http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/where-to-get-cheap-california-auto-insurance-quotes-122117.html

Tell me why?
Go to Healthcare-Now at MichealMoore.com support low cost and affordable healthcare for every American!
Email your political people and tell them you won’t re-elect them if they do not help pass a good health care bill that helps all americans really get health care!

Cars don’t run up 800k medical bills for cancer treatment.

Auto insurance is at its heart financial protection. You purchase insurance in order to prevent paying thousands of dollars in the event of a collision or other loss. Many different types of insurance are available, covering almost every conceivable means of loss or damage to your vehicle as well as others to which you may cause damage. Very few drivers need to purchase every single type of insurance, so it is helpful to understand each type in order to decide which ones you require.

Property damage insurance is sometimes known as liability insurance. This product is designed to cover damages that you may do to someone else’s vehicle. Your state sets a minimum amount of this insurance that you must carry but the state requirement is often quite low. If the damage you cause exceeds the limits of your insurance you could be sued for the difference. It is therefore wise to purchase as much property damage insurance as you can afford.

Personal injury insurance is usually required by law, though the required amount may vary by state. This insurance pays a portion of your medical bills (generally 80 percent) and a portion of your lost wages (usually 60 percent) if you are injured in an accident. Personal injury protection often includes a small death benefit as well. This insurance may cover your relatives or household members or even everyone in the car, depending on your insurance company’s policies and state mandates.

Bodily injury insurance is extremely important even though it is not required by many jurisdictions. If you are at fault for an accident that injures someone beyond the limits of his personal injury coverage, bodily injury insurance will cover the difference. Otherwise you could be sued for medical expenses.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

If you are injured beyond the limits of your personal injury protection in an accident caused by someone who does not carry bodily injury insurance, what are your options? You could certainly sue him and likely win your case. However lawsuits are time consuming and expensive, and if he does not have the money to pay you might be stuck with an uncollectible judgment against him. Instead, your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage could cover your injuries. This protection is reasonably priced and will ensure that you are paid in a timely manner. Purchase this coverage if you can.

Collision insurance will reimburse you for damages to your vehicle if you are at fault. Collision coverage will pay up to the actual cash value of the vehicle less your deductible. If your car is financed you may be required to carry collision insurance. However the premiums are high and this product is not recommended for older low value vehicles.

Comprehensive insurance will pay for damage or loss to your vehicle from both theft and acts of God. Comprehensive coverage will pay up to the actual cash value of the vehicle less your deductible. This insurance is usually required if your car is financed but not recommended for older cars with a low cash value.

Many other options are also available, covering everything from medical payments beyond your personal injury coverage to a rental car while yours is being repaired. Most of these options are good to have if you can afford them but not necessary if you can’t. Always speak with your insurance agent if you have any questions or concerns regarding your coverage options.

Levi Quinn
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/looking-at-different-types-of-auto-insurance-107988.html

If you are looking for the best auto insurance company in NJ, you are not alone.  Hundreds if not thousands of people in New Jersey feel they are not getting the best rate possible on their car insurance.  With a simple online search or two, you can begin to locate several different companies which offer competitive monthly rates.  If you are a resident looking at renewing your policy or hoping to find an entirely new insurance company to work with, your very first step should be to find a comprehensive list of NJ auto insurance agencies.  With several quotes in front of you, you should be better able to make an informed decision about which can serve you best at the lowest price.

Every car owner has specific needs for their vehicle and family coverage.  Each auto insurance company in NJ offers varying packages that respond to the differing needs of customers.  What you need to find is the company that can offer the best coverage for you personally at the lowest cost possible.  The only way to determine this is to research and compare several companies side by side.

Other than comparing prices and coverage options, it can be a smart idea to either talk to friends and family members that have worked with the companies you are considering or look up reviews online.  Learning from other people’s experiences and determining if a company comes through on its promises is critical in helping to ensure you choose a trustworthy auto insurance company in NJ.  There are many packages offered by varying NJ car insurance agencies which cover things like medical bills for the injured and property damage on either your car or the other person’s car that was involved in the accident.  While many people favor the least expensive options possible, consider the fact that if you get into an accident, your coverage will pay hardly anything and you will be stuck footing most of the bills on your own.  If you acquire comprehensive coverage, however, you can rest at ease if you get in an accident that you will be taken care of.

Car insurance is an absolute must.  You should not even think twice about whether to get coverage or not.  As a resident of NJ looking for the best car insurance coverage or a new company policy altogether, look into what you can find online about the best auto insurance company in NJ.

You are probably wondering why you even need auto insurance at all and why everyone says it is so necessary.

Believe it or not, auto insurance is one of the most important types of insurance that you can get. It is so important that you are protected when you own a car, and we have narrowed down some good reasons why this is.

Pays for a car replacement: Suppose you get in an accident with your vehicle and it has to be towed. If this is the case, which is very likely with the amount of accidents that happen on the road these days, you are going to need to pay for your car to get fixed and to have an additional car to use while yours is in the shop. If you have auto insurance, these expenses are covered for you. However, if you do not have auto insurance, you will not be able to have these expenses covered and be left with having to figure out someway of paying them out of pocket.

Photo by sylvester75117Pays hospital bills: If you get into an auto accident and get injured, or if you injure someone in an accident that is your fault, you have to pay the medical and hospital bills. Without the auto insurance coverage you need, you will be left having to pay for this all by yourself, which could lead you into bankruptcy or high amounts of debt. Don’t let this happen to you. By getting auto insurance you can be sure that these hospital bills are fully covered for you by the company.

Pays for costs if you hit someone: If you are driving and you hit someone, it is your obligation by law to pay for the damages that you cause. Not only are you obligated to pay for the other person’s damaged vehicle, but you also must pay for your own. With auto insurance coverage, you will not have to worry about these costs because they will be covered for you. You could lose your license without it

You may not have realized it, but it is actually illegal for you not to have auto insurance. Therefore, if you are caught driving without auto insurance, you risk the possibility of losing your license for good. You do not want to be left without the ability to drive simply because you failed to get auto insurance coverage.

The best advice my insurance agent ever gave to me was; insure against the uninsured!

I am now a HUGE advocate of that advice & have been ever since Nov. 2004 when a hit & run driver, hit me while I was
Photo by andy54321riding my motorcycle. The only time this driver slowed down was when he or she applied the brakes to see to it that the bike & I rolled off the hood of their car. I was left to crawl across 6 lanes of traffic, on a Sat. night, in Memphis, Tn.

My injuries led to a week long hospital stay at the best trauma unit around the mid south, I had surgeries for my leg, arms, feet. It was followed up by intense physical therapy. Not to mention my bike was totalled. At the time of the accident, I had been a licensed rider for 24 years. The night was crystal clear & the weather was beautiful. It was an accident but it was one I was insured for. The medical bills for his was astounding & would have wiped out everything I had saved.

I was off work for months. No paycheck coming in at all. I have two schoolage children at home & I was widowed in 94. I hated to write that check ever month to the insurance company because I am such a good, experienced rider; nothing can happen to me, RIGHT? except that it did.

Prepare for the worst but hope for the best. Insure yourself for it!