Car Theft Rates Lowest Since 1967

Posted in Insurance Articles by Hudson Lynas on January 8, 2012 No Comments yet

Incidents of car theft have dropped to their lowest levels in over four decades, according to new research from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

Car theft rates dropped 7.2 percent between 2009 and 2010. Experts believe built-in anti-theft technology and aggressive action by law enforcement may account for the decrease.

The NICB also released a list of the top 10 cities for car theft:

1. Fresno, Calif.

2. Modesto, Calif.

3. Bakersfield-Delano, Calif.

4. Spokane, Wash.

5. Vallejo-Fairfield, Calif.

6. Sacramento, Calif.

7.Stockton, Calif.

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Michigan Supreme Court considers 30-day waiting period for lawyer solicitation of accident victims by mail

Posted in Auto Insurance by Anthony Thompson on January 6, 2012 No Comments yet

I don’t like injury lawyer solicitation. It gives the profession a black eye.  I’ve been outspoken about this issue and have written about it repeatedly.

Now, after  a recent hearing, the Michigan Supreme Court  is finally considering a change to injury lawyer advertising and direct mail solicitation of people who have been injured in car accidents.  One of the proposed changes prohibits injury lawyers from sending direct mail to accident victims within the first 30 days after an injury or death.

As Ive said before, such restrictions will go a long way in protecting accident victims because frankly, most of the attorneys who are soliciting are the ones  not qualified enough to really help car accident victims to begin with. A 30-day

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Allstate Insurance Battles NY’s No-Fault Coverage

Posted in Car Insurance Topics by Christine Davis on January 6, 2012 No Comments yet

Allstate Insurance continued its crackdown of insurance fraud in New York state to close out 2011.  Many insurance companies have a big problem with insurance fraud because of the no-fault coverage issued in the state of New York, according to Insurance News Nets Allstate Files $1.1M Insurance Fraud Case in NY.  This most recent lawsuit for $1.1 million is against sixteen people accused of falsely running companies they said were owned by a medical doctor in order to submit false claims to Allstate.  This is Allstates ninth insurance fraud lawsuit in New York this year and their thirty-sixth since 2007.

Unfortunately, no-fault auto insurance has been causing a fraud nightmare in the state of New York for years.  Consumers in New York pay more for their auto insurance because there is so much fraud, dubbed a fraud tax by some.  An Allstate spokesperson urges New York lawmakers to enact and enforce regulation that will eliminate no-fault insurance or find a way to eliminate the fraud it is causing.

This most recent scheme involved multiple small companies and individuals sending medical claims and referrals in violation of the no-fault law.  Everything was under the guise of a named medical doctor who does not really exist.  Allstates Special Investigative Unit filed this lawsuit to recoup the more than $1 million it feels it lost.  Allstate Insurance is joined by many other insurers, like Donegal Insurance, and state leaders in New York in their battle to reform the no-fault auto insurance system.

Health spending trends under Romney, Perry, and Huntsman: Healthcare fact of the week

Posted in Insurance Articles by Hudson Lynas on January 4, 2012 No Comments yet

Mitt Romney has been attacked by many for his record on healthcare while he was governor of Massachusetts. But with three governors in the Republican race, it is useful to compare the track records of all three as they relate to health spending. No matter how the figures are sliced and diced, it is clear that health spending, relative to the national average, rose more quickly during the Romney administration than during either the administrations of Governor Rick Perry or Governor Jon Huntsman.

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Car Insurance for Collectors

Posted in Auto Insurance by Anthony Thompson on January 3, 2012 No Comments yet

If you keep a vehicle primarily as a collector’s item, standard auto insurance coverage is likely unnecessary because such vehicles are rarely driven and don’t require extensive insurance protection. For example, you might have an exotic Italian sports coupe that you only drive for a few weeks in the summer, or a 1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that you only drive back and forth to an occasional auto show. Rarely driven show vehicles like these are best covered by classic auto insurance. Such policies offer the same protections as standard policies but, because the insured vehicle spends the majority of the year in storage, are substantially less expensive.

You and your vehicle will need to meet the carriers requirements in order to qualify for a collector car insurance policy.

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