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Questions About Auto Insurance & Accidents

5324 messages,  Last post on May 09, 2013 at 1:37 PM

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Messages Page 514 of 533

#5124 of 5324 Re: Insurance [euphonium] by steve_ HOST

Oct 18, 2012 (10:47 am)

Replying to: euphonium (Oct 18, 2012 10:38 am)
Maybe I was at fault because of the bee that got in the car and that's why I rear-ended the guy in front of me. Is there an actuarial table for that?
 
Since I moved, I've been with the same insurance company for two years now. Almost a record.

#5125 of 5324 Re: Insurance [steve_] by busiris

Oct 18, 2012 (2:20 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Oct 18, 2012 10:47 am)
Having grown up with a neighbor that has been a life-long insurance actuary (several math degrees), and me being 58 now, she has told me stories that I found hard to believe, but to answer your question, according to her it wouldn't be any surprise to see actuarial tables on "bees, birds, skunks, etc." causing driving distractions/accidents.
 
The availability of computerized models at low costs help make a myriad of actuarial charts easier to compile and update.

#5126 of 5324 Re: Insurance [busiris] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 19, 2012 (8:14 am)

Replying to: busiris (Oct 18, 2012 2:20 pm)
The American public has become completely desensitized to the carnage occurring on public roads. If, for instance, instead of 40,000 dead Americans from highway fatalities, we demanded sacrifice of 40,000 Americans a year to the god Kali, there would be national outrage. But we seem content to give up a football stadium full of people every year as just part of life's risk,a risk that most of us are willing to take.

#5128 of 5324 Cost of Repairs by houdini1

Oct 19, 2012 (8:36 am)

A friend of mine who drives a Ford F150 P.U., recently had his driver side rear view mirror taken off by a city bus. A weird accident, and no other damage was done. I was astounded that the repair estimate was over $1800.

#5129 of 5324 Re: Insurance [Mr_Shiftright] by kirstie_h HOST

Oct 19, 2012 (8:55 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Oct 19, 2012 8:14 am)
Not really a fair comparison. Most Americans would be outraged at sacrifice to the god Kali because they would not perceive any benefit. Plus, that would be a guaranteed death of 40,000 Americans, without regard to whether they had any input into their demise.
 
Most Americans DO see a benefit to the risk of driving. I'm less concerned about dying in an auto accident than I am wasting precious hours of my life trying to get from point A to point B. Sure, I could walk to the grocery, at a cost of 1 hour of my life every day (every day, because there's only so much I can carry). I could walk to the nearest bus station, 20 miles away, when I want to visit my parents, and then walk another 5 miles to their house. But why?
 
Plus, there are plenty of traffic deaths that are avoidable or caused by the person who meets their demise - alcohol, distraction/inattention, inadequate safety features in vehicle or failure to use features (seatbelts, headlights), driving in known dangerous conditions (icy roads)... there are choice that affect your likelihood of survival.

#5130 of 5324 Re: Insurance [kirstie_h] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 19, 2012 (9:20 am)

Replying to: kirstie_h (Oct 19, 2012 8:55 am)
Alcohol and smoking deaths are self-inflicted but on the highway there are people ready to kill you. There is a difference there.
 
Think about how long it took for tougher drunk-driving laws. Or think about how anyone with a body temperature of 98.6 can pass our ridiculously simple driving tests and go out any buy a 600 HP car. Scary stuff.

#5131 of 5324 Re: Insurance [Mr_Shiftright] by fezo

Oct 19, 2012 (9:28 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Oct 19, 2012 9:20 am)
Driving advice.

#5132 of 5324 Re: Insurance [fezo] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 20, 2012 (8:34 am)

Replying to: fezo (Oct 19, 2012 9:28 am)
Wise words from Grandpa. Trust no one. His blinker is on for a right turn? Presume it's been stuck for a week.

#5133 of 5324 victor23 by marsha7

Oct 22, 2012 (1:48 pm)

I really think that the greatest harm is that the police in PA do not come unless there is bodily injury...you can total out a car and come out unscathed, yet the cops do not come to determine who is, obviously or not obviously, at fault...that is a problem, IMO...that allows ANYONE to say anything at the scene and retract the story later...that can happen anywhere, but a police report, while not the Gospel, documenting what may be obvious (skid marks, witness names, etc) can certainly help to determine fault...
 
Other poster: people CAN suffer injuries at what most call a "low speed collision"...while this does not always happen, I had a client who fractured a cervical vertebra (i.e.broken neck) at being rear-ended at 10-15 mph...all you need is a 10-15 mph differential and the "whiplash effect" snaps your neck back and forth (or side to side) and can cause injury...yes, some do fake it, but the biomechanics of a low speed collision still can cause injury to the spine, and, no, seatbelts do NOTHING to stop that injury...some folks say that seatbelts ENHANCE the injury by holding your body in place, but that is preferable to having your body fly thru the windshield, a la Jayne Mansfield...

Messages Page 514 of 533

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