AFLAC Regional Office
5009 W Clearwater Ave Ste E
Kennewick, WA 99336

• (509) 734-5304

Allied Insurance

• (800) 282-9445

Aid Association For Lutherans
Pasco, WA 99301

• (509) 544-8846

Unitrin Direct

• (800) 642-5254

According to the Insurance Journal, a federal judge in Louisiana has ruled that insurance companies will not be responsible for hurricane-related flood damage if homeowners carry coverage only for windstorms.

“You get what you pay for, and what they paid for was wind damage,” said U.S. District Judge Richard Haik in a ruling May 18.

State Farm was being sued on behalf of two families who were seeking class-action status. Attorneys for the homeowners had argued that insurance companies must pay total losses on a home when at least some of the damage was caused by a hazard covered by insurance. The insurance companies argued that the policies explicitly excluded flood damage. An appeal is possible.

The US Department of Transportation reports that 3,620 drivers between 15 and 20 died in car crashes in 2004, up 5% from 2003. 24% of the young drivers killed had a blood-alcohol-content (BAC) of .08 or higher.

According to the NHTSA the cost of accidents in 2002 for drivers 20 and under was 40.8 Billion.

A USA Today/Gallup poll in December 2004 shows that 61% of Americans think 16-year-olds are too young to drive.

A survey done by Trusted Choice reveals that “Almost 25 million U.S. families renting their homes are going bare on insurance coverage, leaving themselves vulnerable to serious property and liability losses.”

Renters insurance replaces furnishings and property in an apartment, condominium or other rental home should those items be stolen, destroyed or damaged. The policy also includes liability coverage, a safety net against a lawsuit or claim that potentially could result in a large financial hit on renters.

“Insurance protection isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ for renters,” Flannagan said. “It’s an essential backup for property losses – such as water and fire damage – as well as today’s liability risks faced by Americans: slips and falls, accidents at parties, pet attacks, and lawsuits by landlords, for example.”

The survey found:

• 2/3 of U.S. families that rent lack coverage
• Of those without coverage 26% feel the coverage is too expensive, 17% didn’t know they needed it, 8% never heard of renters’ insurance
• 89% own valuable electronic devices, exercise, and sports equipment

Allstate Foundation survey of 1,000 people 15-17 years old conducted between March and July 2005:

• 56% of young drivers make and answer phone calls when driving
• 69% said they speed to keep up with traffic
• 64% said they speed to go through a yellow light
• 47% said passengers sometimes distract them
• 50% believe that most teen crashes result from drunk driving.

I think that 100% of the young drivers who have cell phones, answer them when driving. So either this statistic says that 56% of young drivers have cell phones, or maybe that at any moment in time 56% of the young drivers are answering their phones at that moment.

Washington State requires you to have auto liability insurance, and if you owe money on your car, your lender requires that you carry collision and comprehensive coverage. Auto insurance pays for damages, injuries, and other losses specifically covered by your policy. Read your policy carefully to know exactly what it covers. Pay special attention to the exclusions section, which lists the things your policy doesn’t cover. The front page of your policy is called the declarations page. It contains useful information such as the exact name of your insurance company, your policy number, and the amount of each of your coverages and deductibles.

If you drive in Washington, you must show that you can pay for accidents you cause. Most drivers do this by buying auto liability insurance. Washington law requires minimum coverage of $25,000 per injured person, up to a total of $50,000 for everyone hurt in an accident, and $10,000 for property damage. This basic coverage is called 25/50/10 coverage. However, basic coverage might not be enough if you are held liable for an accident. You should consider buying more than the basic limits. When you buy an auto policy, your insurance company will give you a proof-of-insurance card. You will need to show proof of insurance if you are asked for it by a law enforcement officer.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, if your teenager has just gotten a driver’s license, the best vehicle to let your teenager drive is the newest one! The reason for this is that most newer cars are better designed for crash protection than their older counterparts. A newer, mid-sized car with airbags would be a safer choice than an older, larger car without airbags.

The first years teenagers spend as drivers are very risky but there are somethings parents can do to protect their teens. Chief among them is to choose a safe vehicle. Some of their suggestions include:

• Avoid vehicles that encourage reckless driving.
  Why tempt your child to act his age?
• Don’t let your teen drive an unstable vehicle.
  The combination of their lack of experience and the vehicles inherent instability are not good combinations.
• Pick a vehicle that offers good crash protection.
  Size and safety features matter.

Cell phone usage for young drivers has increased from 3% in 2000 to over 10% in 2005, according to the NHTSA.

Female teen drivers are driving 70% more than they were 20 years ago.

Only 50% of young males and 56% of young females are buckled up when driving with their parents. If they are driving without parents, these numbers fall to 42% for males and 52% for females according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Researchers at San Diego State University surveyed teens between January and December 2002 and found:

• Young drivers think they are speeding if they are driving around 90 mph.
• 62% of the group confessed to being in a vehicle where drunk driving, drag racing, reckless driving or other dangerous activities were engaged in.
• Of the 2,310 teens surveyed, 880 had traffic violations. These 880 drivers considered speeding to be at 93 mph.

Winter weather, with the accompanying snow and ice, can damage your home. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has some guidelines to follow on what to do when dealing with a property damage claim.

What to do if damage occurs to your home:

• Call your insurance company or agent with your policy number and other relevant information as soon as possible. Be sure you cooperate fully with the insurance company and ask what documents, forms, and data you’ll need.
• Take photographs/video of the damage.
• Make the repairs necessary to prevent further damage to your property (cover broken windows, leaking roofs and damaged walls). Do not have permanent repairs made until your insurance company has inspected the property and you have reached an agreement on the cost of repairs.
• Save all receipts, including those from the temporary repairs covered by your insurance policy.
• If your home is damaged to the extent that you cannot live there, ask your insurance company if you have coverage for additional living expenses incurred for accommodations while repairs are being made and save all receipts to document these costs.

Identity theft occurs when a person uses your personal information, such as Social Security number and date of birth, with the intent to commit fraud or to aid an unlawful activity. Once personal information is obtained, the person may open new credit card accounts in your name, open bank accounts in your name to write bad checks or take out a loan in your name. Federal law provides a $50 liability limit for the fraudulent use of credit cards. Because of this, most identity theft victims never incur a high amount of direct monetary losses. However, restoring credit and correcting the information is a slow and time-consuming process. Identity theft insurance is one way to help consumers cope.

Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) defines flood to be a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area or of two or more properties (at least one of which is the policyholder’s property) from: overflow of inland or tidal waters, unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source, mudflow, or collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or similar body of water as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels.

Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners