US Auto Insurance Guide

When Neil Young wanted a hybrid car of his very own, he hired a team of engineers to convert a massive, chrome- and fin-bedazzled 1959 Lincoln Continental to run on electricity and gasoline.

Call him crazy. Unigard Insurance Co. is.

“The altering of a gas-powered 1959 vehicle and its components is an extreme departure from what a reasonably careful person would do,” Unigard claims in the lawsuit it filed last week in San Mateo County Superior Court.

Unigard is the company that insured a San Carlos, Calif., warehouse that burned in 2010 along with Young’s hybrid Lincoln in a fire that authorities say started in the car. T

Full article…

Many insurance company adjusters deny, disclaim or reduce the amount of a business interruption claim, stating that amount of the loss is speculative or has not been “adequately” supported. A conjured or baseless claim should never be covered, and policyholders should always provide competent proof of an actual loss of income as a result of a slow down or suspension of operations. However, sometimes losses are based on real circumstances which were not necessarily documented for bookkeeping purposes and the proof cannot always be found in a spreadsheet. Rather than impulsively denying a claim for lack of “adequate” support, insurance companies should explore the nature of the circumstances and give the benefit of the doubt to the policyholder when warranted.

For instance, in O.T. Foo

Full article…

If you are in the military and deployed overseas then it’s quite possible you want to cut down on expenses while away. Military personnel can cancel their car insurance before deployment however this is NOT always a good idea. There are a number of instances when it may make more sense to simply reduce your coverage (or keep your existing policy) rather than just cancelling insurance altogether.

Car insurance can cover a number of different things, not just accidents. I

Full article…

Soaring prices of car insurance rates have drawn every one’s attention to making driving safe. The rate of accidents has drastically increased in past few decades. The main reasons behind this are unsafe driving, not following traffic rules, and the major one is cell phone.

People keep on calling, chatting, gossiping about useless things even while driving. Traffic regulations have clearly stated that using cell phone while driving is illegal and can lead to a penalty. But this was not enough. Now youth have used an alternative to this and text through their cell while they drive.

But the authorities have their eye on it too. Recently, NY traffic authorities have declared penalties for texting or messaging while driving the car. G

Full article…

Ban all cell phone use on the highways? Good luck with that.

Drivers are not only talking and texting more than ever, they’re surfing the Web as well. Penalties are inconsistent from state to state. And the impact of a cell phone ticket on your car insurance rates ranges from mild to none.

Not to mention that a singalong with the radio and a hands-free cell phone conversation look pretty much identical.

A recommendation Dec. 13 from the powerful National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) would ban all in-car phone use, including hands-free devices, for all drivers.

Full article…

As California enters the New Year, both Northern and Southern California have experienced problems with wildfires. Of the six fires in the Northern California Region which occurred over the last month, one still remains active and is only 40% contained in Calaveras County.

When Northern and Central California experiences wildfires, even if the local vineyards are not in immediate danger of burning, local wineries may keep careful watch as the smoke poses a danger to vineyard workers. Heavy smoke may cause delays for a winery and the smoke damage to a year’s crop can change the wine.

Los Angeles County has been plagued with arson fires. More than 50 blazes have flared since Friday in Hollywood, neighboring West Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley, causing about $3 million in damage. A

Full article…

A new year is often seen as an opportunity to reinvent ones life. Be that by getting in better shape, stopping destructive or bad habits, or just mixing things up a bit. And its also the perfect opportunity to look at your insurance needs, too.

If theres any universal constant with our lives, its that things change. Many of us will change jobs, move, establish relationships or end them, buy new cars and more throughout the course of any given year.

Its life changes like this that result in our recommendation that drivers take a look at their insurance needs at least once a year, and preferably, every six months.

Full article…