Mirror of Justice

California Laws to Help You Save on Car Insurance

July 19th, 2009 at 07:05pm Under Insurance Law

When it comes to saving money on car insurance, there are some obvious things that will help you out. As I’m sure you heard before, it always makes sense to get more than one quote. That way you can compare the rates from different companies and save. But there is a lot more that will help besides just comparing rates.
Did you know that California has set up laws for auto insurers? These laws are meant to protect drivers from fraud and abuse by insurance companies. The state of California is one of the best states when it comes to protecting its drivers from fraud and abuse from insurance companies.
One recent law to help consumers save is Proposition 103. Proposition 103 was passed in 1988 to change that, but went into affect July 14, 2008. The law states that that auto insurance companies must provide you quotes based on your driving record, not your zip code. Previously, drivers paid their premiums based on their location. So you could have been a better driver (and lower risk) than someone a mile away, but you would have had to pay a higher premium based on your zip code.
Another law meant to protect drivers in the state of California is Assembly Bill 2677. This law was passed in 2005 and says that auto insurance companies in California must provide drivers with the lowest rate available to them. If they do not show you your lowest possible rate, they are violating the law. Be sure to always ask to see the lowest rate available to you.
California has also regulated the rates that insurers can charge to drivers. Recently California mandated that Allstate must lower its insurance rates by 15.9%. Allstate covers roughly 10% of all California drivers, so the mandate was a huge win in helping California drivers save even more on car insurance.
Another benefit to California drivers in need of cheap auto insurance is the California Low Cost Auto insurance program (CLCA). This program is a minimum coverage insurance that helps drivers in dire economic circumstances get affordable car insurance. Through the CLCA drivers can get insurance for as low as $400 a year.
The more you know about auto insurance laws in California, the more educated you will be on your rights as a consumer. Knowing your rights will help you save money. Of course, don’t forget to compare your rates.

Auto Insurance Towing Laws

July 19th, 2009 at 07:05am Under Insurance Law

There are many good reasons to carry auto insurance. With newer cars you want to protect your investment in case of an accident or a disaster that damages the car. And if your vehicle is financed, the originator of your car loan may require a certain level of insurance until the car is paid off.Another reason to carry at least a minimum of auto insurance is all states require every car on the road to be covered by bodily injury and property damage insurance. These requirements help ensure all drivers can pay for damages or injury caused by the vehicle they are driving. Each state does have it’s own specific requirements for minimum auto insurance, so do be certain you understand the requirements in your state.Minimum auto insurance laws have always come with a fine or other penalty. Say you get pulled over for speeding, the police officer who pulled you over will ask for proof of insurance, among other things, during the traffic stop. If you can’t produce proof of insurance in the form of your insurance card you will likely get a citation for lack of insurance on top of any other moving violations you get charged with during the stop. This minimum level of auto insurance now comes with even more incentive to make sure your car is insured in many cities and towns across the United States.A growing number of municipalities have added another layer to this process. If you can’t prove you are carrying auto insurance on the car you are driving, not only do you get a ticket for lack of insurance but your car is towed to the local pound as well. This requires you to not only pay the towing and impounding fees, but also produce proof of insurance to even get your car back. The idea behind the new law is to get uninsured cars off the roads and to provide additional municipal income.The number of cities imposing no-insurance tow laws increases every day. Even if your city or town doesn’t have this regulation on the books, if you were to be pulled over in a jurisdiction that does without auto insurance, or even proof of insurance, your car could be towed until you can prove you have insurance on the car. This can cost you greatly in time and money.It’s also worth keeping in mind cities with these policies can even target your uninsured vehicle by running the car’s license plate to see if the auto has insurance coverage or not.The lesson? Make sure you have at least the minimum level of auto insurance on any car you drive.

How To Deal With Insurance Adjusters

July 17th, 2009 at 07:05am Under Insurance Law

The insurance adjuster is asking me for information and wants to meet, why?

Plant Quinn Thiele LLP – Ottawa Personal Injury Lawyers

Think meeting the insurance adjuster wihout a lawyer is a good idea?  Think again.  Why do they want to meet?

It is the insurance adjuster’s job to find ways to reduce your case or get rid of it entirely. The more documents they have the more chances they will find something to hang their hat on to deny or reduce your claim.

Insurance adjusters much prefer dealing with injured persons who don’t have a lawyer. Why do you think they call you the same or day after you are injured? They want to get to you before you know your rights and interests and BEFORE you speak to a lawyer who can offer guidance to you in relation to your rights and the claims process. They want to control the file, and more importantly, control the evidence. They are not your lawyer and have no duty to you. Their business card says “Adjuster” for the insurer, not lawyer for you. They represent the opposing party’s insurer, not you! Their job is not to give you legal advice, but to investigate the accident. Adjusters know how to manipulate you. The moment you retain an experienced PQTLaw personal injury lawyer, that manipulation stops.

Don’t believe us? Try this. When the adjuster calls to meet with you and obtain a written statement and authorization to obtain information from your doctors and your employer, ask them if you can meet with the owner of the property where you fell or the driver that hit you so you can ask them questions and obtain a written statement. The answer will be – are you crazy? No way. It’s a one way street.

The less an adjuster pays on a claim, the better for their career.  Insurers make millions and millions of dollars in profit every year. They are corporations who’s primary focus is profit, profit and profit. The longer you don’t know your rights and interests, the more serious damage can be done to your claim.  Insurance adjusters receive training and have experience in assessing and investigating claims.

Our experience is that by the time the insurance adjuster is willing to make an offer to settle your claim, given the admissions you may have made, they offer pennies on the dollar.

Why? You dug your own grave – you provided the insurer with a written statement or recorded statement – you provided the insurer with access to all your records, medical, financial or etc – you took no steps to preserve your evidence – you took no steps to obtain your own witness statements – you took no steps to obtain a lawyer to know your rights, interests and risks – and so on… Your case has been destroyed. By the time an offer is made, if one is even made, the insurance adjuster has potentially harmful documents, information and tons of reasons to justify making no offer or making a ridiculously low offer.

Call us at 613-563-1131, Marc-Nicholas Quinn, Plant Quinn Thiele, LLP – OttawaPersonal Injury Lawyers

www.pqtlaw.com   — mquinn@pqtlaw.com

California Insurance Laws Simplified

July 15th, 2009 at 07:06pm Under Insurance Law

For most drivers in the state of California, it is mandatory to buy car insurance as has been mentioned by the law of the state. This a pre requirement that every car owner or driver must fulfill or he or she may be liable to punishment for not obeying the law. This law has been put in place in order to save the people of california from the huge costs that one may be forced into once involved in any accident. This saves a lot of people from being have to suddenly pay for huge damages that may have occur and also from the humongous hospital bills.The main concern of any driver has always been the price of the car insurance and how to choose the right insurance policy in california. A higher rate of insurance leads to one being have to pay huge amounts of premiums on his or her car. The best policy should be one that provides the maximum benefits without one having to pay excessively as premium. One should not have to pay large sums of money for the premium. The best company should be the one that is able to handle the most sensitive claims most efficiently and is able to provide relief at the most shortest time span. The company must be able to pay even huge amounts in the hour of need and must be financially stable.Since the law has made it compulsory for every one in the state to own a policy, the demand of policies is very high. This has also led to a huge increase in the number of companies offering such offers and benefits. In the recent past there has been almost a 20% increase in the number of car insurance companies operating from the state. This makes it very difficult for an individual to decide as to which company and which policy to go for. One should therefore go for a round of inspections and compare the quotes being offered by the different companies or agencies and then decide wisely as to which policy is best suited to his needs and why he should go for it. This will serve his purpose. The policy should be such that he has to pay the minimum while being eligible for a higher claim value. There are although a very few companies which are very good in their record of providing the best services to their clients. Not that the other companies are not good but there can only be a few which are best in the game.

Michigan Car Insurance Comparison Online

July 14th, 2009 at 07:05pm Under Insurance Law

Auto insurance is one industry which always remains full of activity due to several various reasons. Most of the potential auto insurance buyers do not get correct and timely information about the suitable coverage they need, the extent of risk that must be covered by them, cost of coverages, claim processing, customer service, etc. For this very reason, the internet has provided a way to help consumers complete a car insurance comparison to ensure that they are receiving reliable protection from a reputable company at an affordable price. Individual’s need to also take the time to understand the limits which are required by their particular state in order to be properly protected and abide by the state’s laws. Like any other state, Michigan requires that each owner and driver of an automobile must carry the proper liability coverage and it must be maintained at all times while their vehicle is being operated.

Minimum Liability:

Michigan auto insurance laws require No-fault insurance and it is against state law to operate a car without no-fault insurance. The minimum limits of a satisfactory policy issued has three parts:

Minimum BI/PD coverage limits for the state of Michigan

These limits are often described as 20/40/10.

However, in case of legal proceedings, courts sometimes award more than these minimum limit amounts. In such case, the insured would be responsible for paying the amount not covered by the limit on the policy. To protect themselves against these situations, consumers should compare additional coverage in order to ensure that they have adequate protection. If within a person’s budget, they can choose higher limits to protect against incurring financial hardship in the event that they are involved in a collision in which they are found to be at fault and their policy’s payout has been exhausted.

Obtaining and comparing auto insurance quotes for higher amounts of liability may surprise many, as they may find that the difference of being covered more extensively may not be as expensive as they thought. Similarly, there are some optional insurance coverages one may wish to consider. These optional coverages are not mandatory but can prove to be quite beneficial. Such options include collision and comprehensive coverage, which unlike basic liability, will compensate the insured if they suffers a loss and not just the other party.

The advantage of utilizing the internet for the purpose of receiving prices for premiums is that within minutes, web surfers can receive multiple rates from a variety of insurers. This gives them the opportunity to compare not only prices but the companies as well. Although price is important, the integrity of an insurer should be considered as well. There are agencies that rate carriers that anyone can access to help determine who they would like to do business with. The internet also provides a way for potential customers to make a comparison of different types of coverage which may benefit them. Quotes can be provided to inquirers free of charge and with absolutely no obligation. The option to purchase is also made available so that customers can become insured instantly and receive instant proof of insurance.

La Quinta Business Lawyer’s Top Ten Things That Sarah Palin Would Change About the Constitution

July 13th, 2009 at 02:57am Under Constitutional Law

Here is La Quinta Business Lawyer Sebastian Gibson’s Top Ten:

1.The Vice President is in charge of the Senate.

 

2. The President must be a woman.

 

3. No more interviews of politicians.

 

4. The democratic party is outlawed.

 

5. Only one news channel – Fox News.

 

6. Any more fake calls from disc jockeys pretending to be the President of France and Canada is out of NAFTA, whatever those initials stand for in the constitution.

 

7. All turkeys are pardoned.

 

8. Snowmobiles should be used in place of cars throughout the U.S.

 

9. Anytime a woman is elected governor in Alaska, she automatically becomes the President two years later.

 

10. Rewrite the whole darn constitution with PTA moms in charge this time.

 

Now here is everything (well, almost everything) you need to know in businessabout environmental, international law, election and campaign law, consumer law, class actions, constitutional, internet, publishing, advertising, media, food and wine, hotel and restaurant law, estate planning, wills, trusts, water law, agricultural, insurance law, bad faith, psychologist and psychotherapist defense, education law and child accidents.

You can also find all you need to know (well, mostly) in business about personal injury, car accidents, brain damage, wrongful deaths, business, real estate, landlord-tenant, homeowners association law, construction, patents, trademarks, corporations, entertainment law, advertising, copyrights, and litigation by searching for those subjects and adding the words La Quinta business lawyer or La Quinta business attorney to your search terms and looking for other articles by Sebastian Gibson.

 

You can also learn more about any of these business areas of law and how we can assist you as La Quinta business attorneys, or as lawyers in any city, by calling the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers which can be found on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  .

 

1. Environmental and Toxic Tort Law in La Quinta – With multi-billion dollar energy companies spending more money to confuse the public on the threat posed by global warming than on research into alternative forms of energy, it will take all of us to sort fact from fiction and solve the growing problem of global warming. An additional danger to all of us comes from exposure to toxic materials in our daily lives from tainted food, to contaminated ground water, to dangerous viruses in the public and in hospitals to lead and mercury poisoning. If you experience unusual symptoms that a doctor can’t explain, you may have been exposed to a toxic substance and have a toxic tort claim that should be evaluated by us or another qualified La Quinta environmental attorney.

 

2. La Quinta International, Shipping and Maritime Law – A La Quinta international attorney with years of international legal education and experience such as you’ll find at our La Quinta law firm, can provide you with a wealth of practical knowledge and the ability to find answers to your international law questions. It is to your advantage to also have a La Quinta international lawyer working in cooperation with foreign counsel in other jurisdictions to ensure that the most cost-effective avenues are pursued to resolve your legal matter. However, many international matters can be resolved with letters between La Quinta international lawyers and foreign lawyers, and international mediations and arbitrations can also be utilized. If you have been injured on a ship or an oil rig you have rights under the Jones Act to be compensated for your injuries, medical treatment, past and future wage loss and care.

 

3. La Quinta Election and Campaign Finance Law – If you are considering running for political office or have already done so and are facing campaign finance legal issues, the time to hire a La Quinta election attorney with election law knowledge is at the first possible opportunity before you get into hot water that can sink your campaign or put your political career into jeopardy.

 

4. La Quinta Consumer Law and Class Actions – If you have paid for an item but have not received it, been promised an action or service that has not come to fruition or are considering ordering services or signing any type of agreement, the time to hire a La Quinta consumer lawyer is immediately in order to avoid being scammed, or defrauded. A La Quinta consumer attorney’s letter drafted forcefully but professionally will obtain the desired result, products or services in a good percentage of cases. Whether you ordered gold bars but did not receive them, were told that your car would be paid off when you traded it in on a new one or were promised that a pool would be completed in your back yard, a La Quinta consumer attorney can and should be hired for a modest fee to write a letter on your behalf and demand the required action, products or services. If you think you are just one of many who have been scammed or defrauded in some way, you may have a class action.

 

5. Constitutional, Publishing and Publicity and Privacy Rights, Internet Law, Advertising and Media Law in La Quinta – Defamation includes both libel and slander. Anyone in the media or publishing or broadcast world or with a web site is at risk of a lawsuit for claims of defamation or false advertising However, constitutional law questions also arise in civil rights discrimination cases, discrimination in employment and a wide variety of other legal matters. If you have been disenfranchised or your constitutional rights abused in any matter or if you have been accused of abusing the rights of others, contact a La Quinta constitutional lawyer as soon as it occurs. If others seek to profit with the use of your name or image you also have a claim for damages.

 

6. Food and Wine Law, Hotel and Restaurant Law in La Quinta – Today, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, bars and grocery stores face an ever increasing host of new regulations they never faced previously. From the usual licensing problems they face with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for adherence to and violations of ABC rules, to new state regulations involving menus and calorie counts in fast food restaurants and new rules requiring groceries to show the country of origin in labels on most of their produce and meat. The worst case scenario today for an establishment serving alcohol, is to serve a minor alcohol who later dies in an auto accident. Such an establishment will need legal representation by a La Quinta food, alcohol and restaurant lawyer before the ABC as well as legal defense of civil lawsuits filed against it.

 

7. La Quinta Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts – The current estate tax in 2008 affects only people who die with an estate in excess of two million dollars. In 2009, that amount will increase to three and a half million dollars and in 2010, the estate tax is repealed. That’s the good news. If, however, the estate tax repeal is not extended by 2011, the estate tax will kick in again. The worse news is that in 2011, if the estate tax repeal is not extended, the estate tax will kick in at one million dollars. The current federal estate tax rate is a whopping 47 percent. That stays the same in 2009. But other current provisions in the tax code change or end in 2010. In light of this, it is more important than ever to hire a La Quinta estate planning lawyer to draft your will and evaluate the need for a living trust to avoid probate fees ensure your estate goes to the beneficiaries you want it to go to. If you don’t have a will or trust at death, the state will determine who gets your estate, but it will usually be your spouse and children, of if you have none, your closest relatives.

 

8. Water, Agricultural and Natural Resource Law in La Quinta – It is hoped by American farmers and meat producers that the new Country of Origin Labeling Law taking effect in groceries will cause food shoppers to seek meat and produce from the U.S. over food items from other countries. But it is the water shortage in California that has California farmers faced with dire consequences. In 2008, the California Governor formed a Water Bank to stave off mandatory water rationing, but if California has another dry winter, or more fires that draw upon California’s precious water reserves, or if the state legislature does not address the state’s delta environmental problems and expand the state’s water works, with a bill that has been tied up while the legislators haggled over a budget, rationing across the state could become a reality. If you have a water or agricultural issue, the time to call a La Quinta agricultural lawyer with knowledge in this areas is before the issue becomes critical.

 

9. Insurance Law, Bad Faith, Psychologist, Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist Defense in La Quinta – As insurance companies feel the pain of the stock market crash and face the reality of the value of their own investments decreasing, we expect to see insurance companies delaying settlements, and flirting with violations of the insurance bad faith statutes. As the public becomes more and more depressed with the sinking stock market, loss of jobs, reduced income and less enjoyment out of life, we also see the likelihood of greater use of psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists. When claims are made against these professionals without justification, our La Quinta law firm stands ready to defend them

 

10. La Quinta Education Law and Child Accidents – A recent court ruling in California has given temporary relief to parents homeschooling their children. However, we still expect further court rulings to make guidelines that will govern when or under what circumstances homeschooling of children will be permitted in California. Children, as any parent knows, can be injured any time, anywhere. What should not happen is any injury to a child that is the result of the negligence of another. To that end, our La Quinta personal injury lawyers championed protection for children and convinced at least one court and encouraged other personal injury attorneys to do the same, to uphold a new tort for negligent endangerment of a child.

 

If you have a legal matter in La Quinta, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Coachella, Rancho Mirage, Indio, Indian Wells, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Thermal, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms or anywhere in the Coachella Valley, our La Quinta law firm has the knowledge and resources to be your La Quinta Lawyers and your La Quinta Attorneys. Be sure to hire a Coachella Valley law firm with experience in Personal Injury, Car Accidents, Drownings, Brain Damage, Catastrophic Injuries, Wrongful Death, Business, Real Estate and Landlord Tenant Law, Homeowner Association Law, Construction, Trademarks, Patents, Corporations, Entertainment, Sports Law, Marketing, Advertising, Media, and Copyright Law, and who will endeavor to ensure that your rights are properly represented.

 

Additionally, if you have a legal matter which involves Environmental and Toxic Tort Law, Litigation, International, Shipping and Maritime Law, Employment, Election and Campaign Finance Law, Consumer Law and Class Actions, Constitutional, Publishing, Publicity, Privacy Rights, Internet Law, Advertising and Media Law, Food and Wine Law, Hotel and Restaurant Law, Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts, Water, Agricultural and Natural Resource Law, Insurance Law, Bad Faith and Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist Defense, Education Law or a Child Accident in La Quinta or anywhere in Southern California, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learn how a La Quinta attorney from our offices can assist you.