During the present economic downturn, many people have looked at their lifestyles to see what they can cut to make life more comfortable. Some of us have even been tempted to forgo insuring our cars. Bad idea. And here’s why:
Police Powers
Some motorists still think that if the police suspect a car is uninsured, that the driver will be issued with a “producer” giving them seven days to produce proof of insurance .
While this is true, a lot of folks don’t know that the Police have the option of confiscating your car UNTIL you produce a valid certificate of insurance, leaving you by the roadside without transport. This applies even if it’s not your car as it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure they are properly insured, so even if you borrow a pool car at work, make double sure it has a proper business car insurance policy or fleet insurance cover.
Understandably, there are a lot of complaints when a car is impounded, especially if the driver was actually insured perfectly legally, as unfortunately, like all systems, mistakes do happen. Occasional computer glitches, memory lapses, poor administration, all sorts of things can and do happen from time to time, which could end up with an insurance company failing to update the MID (Motor Insurance Database), properly with your registration number.
The Motor Insurance Database
The MID or Motor Insurance Database, is a nationwide register of all the insured vehicles on the road in the UK. If you want to, you can check your car is on it at askmid.com
When you insure your car, your insurance company will automatically update the MID with your details.
It is important to note: if your car is not on the MID it is highly likely you will be pulled over by traffic police who may seize your vehicle if they do not believe the car is insured. Remember to keep a copy of your certificate handy in your car as proof, as you may not be able to phone your insurance company if you are pulled over during out of office hours.
Enforcement
So is insurance required? The first Road Traffic Act was introduced in 1926, due to the high number of people being killed or injured by vehicles. The other part of the problem, besides the injury, was that in more serious cases where there was perhaps a greater need for compensation, for instance if the victim would never work again, the motorist responsible might well not have enough money to pay for the victim’s welfare, and so third party insurance was made compulsory by law to protect the general public.
So this is why the Police enforce the law, which they do very effectively with the modern technology they have at their disposal.
Traffic Police vehicles now have ANPR, or Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras linked to a computer in the dashboard. As cars move past the vehicle, their registration plates are automatically scanned and the details checked against the MID. If a vehicle registration number is not found on the database, the computer alerts the Traffic Officer, who will then pull you over in order to check you have a certificate of insurance. If you cannot produce it at this point, your vehicle will be impounded on the spot.
Driving other people’s vehicles
Driving other people’s vehicles on your own policy can also raise problems. As you’ve probably guessed, if the car itself is not insured, it will not be on the MID and the Police will pull you over. There are 2 problems with this. Firstly, some insurance policies that offer a DOC (driving other cars) extension, state in their policy wording, that they will not give you cover on someone else’s vehicle, if that vehicle itself is not insured. Secondly, the Police cannot always tell from your policy details whether you have a DOC extension on your policy or not, and if there is any doubt, they will take the vehicle.
NB: It is a common belief that a fully comprehensive insurance policy always includes the DOC extension. This is not so, the DOC extension is not automatic and is available on third party policies with some insurers, so although you may believe you have this extension, read your policy wording thoroughly to make sure. Also, many vehicles such as vans and other commercial vehicles are covered on commercial vehicle insurance policies, and these NEVER have the DOC extension, even when fully comprehensive. It is worth checking your policy upon renewal too, as many insurers are now phasing out the DOC extension, to make it easier to be compliant with the MID and the Road Traffic Act.
Getting your car back
To get your car back will cost a minimum £150 release fee, and it still won’t be given back to you unless you can provide a valid certificate of insurance when you go to pick it up. You will also be prosecuted which will result in:
- a minimum fine of £200 (up to a max. of £5,000)
- a minimum of 6 penalty points and possible disqualification
And, if you fail to re-claim your vehicle within a set time limit, it will be crushed.
So, if you’re tempted into saving a bit of money by skipping your car insurance, it’s best not to.
Insurance companies are about as far-off from a comrade as one might find. They are a necessary part of today’s culture, however you ought to not mistake “I am required to have one” with “I can trust one.” After you are in an auto accident, you might see a completely different side of the insurance company. Departed are the cheerful marketers trying to convert you to their brand, and the pleasant commercials. Now you will endure their lawyers and adjusters, and they are drastically less pleasant!
Following the accident, in a couple of days you might get a phone call from the other person’s indemnity company, or possibly yours. They may ask you to an office to “chat.” Here, they could make a proposal in raw currency to resolve the claim. That number might appear high, but keep in mind it is almost certainly a smaller amount than they would shell out otherwise. In this way they pay out an absolute amount before you know what your ending expenses will be.
Let us say for the sake of argument that you have a collision which totals your coupé. Your insurance company pays on the collision claim, no problem. However, you were hurt in the accident and according to law the other person’s insurance ought to pay it. They ask to meet with you, and then offer you $30,000 to settle the claim for good. You accept this bid, and feel you have come out on top. You may possibly fail to realize, however, that certain injury-related medical costs will not be covered by your health insurance. Hospital costs multiply like jackrabbits, and before long you are upside down the amount you initially settled for. A simple search for testimonies like this can turn out a lot of results. It is a widespread story!
Do not allow yourself feel overwhelmed after a car accident. If you or your family are hurt, you’re probably in no shape to have a legal argument in the midst of a hostile legal team. That’s why you need to get your own personal injury law firm. They will supply a personal injury lawyer that can defend your interests with passion. They can contact the other person’s insurance company for you, and will not accept a payment which is not in your best interest. A large amount operate on a contingency basis, accordingly they don’t get paid unless they get you a sizeable settlement.
Don’t bring a knife to a swordfight - if you are in an accident, get a personal injury attorney.
We humans can be the most altruistic and giving of all creatures. In doing research on anger management statistics I was shocked at how capable we are at committing acts of violence as well.
Murder
The most serious effect is murder; some 25,000 people are killed by another person each year in the United States alone.
A 1997 study by the World Health Organization showed that about 300,000 people are murdered worldwide each year in wars, conflicts, and violence between individuals. Young men are at the highest risk of being killed. Studies in many countries show that 4 out of 10 deaths of men aged 15 to 24 are due to murder or suicide. Every day in the United States, 65 people are killed and more than 6,000 are wounded in interpersonal violence.
?»¿?»¿?»¿?»¿?»¿Domestic Violence
Estimates range from 960,000 incidents of violence against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend per year.
Intimate partner violence is primarily a crime against women. In 2001, women accounted for 85 percent of the victims of intimate partner violence (588,490 total) and men accounted for approximately 15 percent of the victims (103,220 total).
Male violence against women does much more damage than female violence against men; women are much more likely to be injured than men.
Women of all races are about equally vulnerable to violence by an intimate.
The most rapid growth in domestic relations caseloads is occurring in domestic violence filings. Between 1993 and 1995, 18 of 32 states with three year filing figures reported an increase of 20 percent or more.
Domestic Violence and Children
In a national survey of more than 6,000 American families, 50 percent of the men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children.
Slightly more than half of female victims of intimate violence live in households with children under age 12.
Studies suggest that between 3.3 - 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.
Studies suggest that between 3.3 - 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually
In a national survey of more than 6,000 American families, 50 percent of the men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children.
Slightly more than half of female victims of intimate violence live in households with children under age 12.
Violence at Work ?»¿?»¿
In the United States alone approximately one thousand murders take place in the workplace each year.
One million or so workers injured each year in violent attacks by coworkers.
A Study From the Sunday Times in 2006 found:
•45% of us regularly lose our temper at work.
• 64% of Britons working in an office have had office rage.
• 38% of men are unhappy at work.
• 27% of nurses have been attacked at work.
• Up to 60% of all absences from work are caused by stress.
• 33% of Britons are not on speaking terms with their neighbors.
• 1 in 20 of us has had a fight with the person living next door.
• UK airlines reported 1,486 significant or serious acts of air rage in a year, a 59% increase over the previous year.
• The UK has the second-worst road rage in the world, after South Africa.
• More than 80% of drivers say they have been involved in road rage incidents; 25% have committed an act of road rage themselves.
• 71% of internet users admit to having suffered net rage.
• 50% of us have reacted to computer problems by hitting our PC, hurling parts of it.
Pretty shocking isn’t it? These statistics dramatically point out that anger management problems are not limited to one class or a certain type of person. It damages the livees of a significant number of people every year. Think not only of the physical cost, but the emotional costs, the psychological damage, the legal costs and the medical costs.Poor control over emotions cost us an incalculable amount each year.
We as a people should strongly consider offering an anger management class or, better still, a class on how to manage your emotions to every school curriculum. The younger these skills are learned the more natural they become when you grow up and the less likely we are to see numbers such as those presented here.
Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional neglects or does not provide the required remedy to their clients that leads to injury and even death. Most people aren’t aware of the fact that they can take legal motion against medical professionals that cause them injury. In case you believe you’ve been injured at the hands of improper medical care it is best to seek the advice of with an legal professional as soon as possible. Each year many people are harmed from medical procedures from surgery to the prescribing of incorrect medications.
There isn’t a limit to what medial subject you can turn out to be a victim of medical malpractice. Do not limit yourself to only believing it must be only the medical profession that can trigger this. Insurance coverage corporations that deny claims might also be found in violation of medical malpractice laws. It’s always vital to get the advice of an legal professional if you happen to believe you might have been the sufferer of such causes.
People need to know that if they’re the sufferer of medical malpractice they are going to almost definitely have costly medical payments, psychological and physical related issues, lack of work, medical prices and at times extra assistance will probably be needed. All of these costs will add up shortly and when an individual is injured to the point that they cannot work it may well weigh closely on their minds. That is in fact where one needs to hunt legal action to recoup their losses and return to a life of normalcy.
What do I Look for When Hiring a Medical Malpractice Attorney?
Many areas come into play if you want to hire an lawyer regardless of their specialty. Most attorneys will concentrate on an area of legislation once they end law school and pass the bar in their state. After all you will need to take several issues into consideration when hiring an attorney to represent you with your case. You should consider taking the following when hiring your legal professional:
- What Schooling Do They Maintain? - Whereas an attorneys schooling will not be the most important issue when making your decision it’s one thing you have to consider. Find out where they went to law school, where did they graduate in their class and finally how many attempts did it take them to pass the state bar. This should give you an overall indication of how critical they have been about their law school education.
- Do They Have A Good Fame? - Repute among their peers is of course important. Nevertheless, most individuals wouldn’t have many pals which can be attorneys or judges to get advice from. However, you can converse to your loved ones and buddies for recommendations. Typically you will have a number of friends or members of the family that may know some lawyers. Additionally, speaking with earlier shoppers of an lawyer is a good way to seek out out extra about them and their abilities as an attorney.
- What Is Their Track Record? - Nothing speaks more than a lawyers previous cases. If they’ve a good closure rate with successful cases odds are in favor that they are very experienced and skilled within the area they specialize in. On this case it will of course be medical malpractice.
In closing, bear in mind in case you are confused in any scenario that entails possible medical malpractice, it is best to always speak with an attorney. They will be capable to provide you with their skilled advice on if you should have a strong case. If you would like to study more about considerations and specialties throughout the legal profession feel free to visit the Tampa Florida Lawyers web site at http://www.TampaFloridaLawyers.net.
