Who's at Fault? A Look at Liability Issues

Whenever an auto accident occurs, the issue of responsibility takes center stage. In most cases, the insurance company of the "at-fault" driver must cover the damages, so a careful investigation is conducted. Police at the scene often write a report that may be used to determine who was responsible for the crash. Insurers make their decision based on an investigation that considers the police report and other accounts of the accident by drivers and witnesses. Even if you don't think you were at fault, you should contact your own insurance company, so that it may begin to work on your behalf. In some states, comparative negligence laws make it possible for more than one driver to share responsibility. If a red car is driving too fast and rear- ends a blue car, but the blue car did not have functioning taillights, then the red car may be found 70 percent responsible and the blue car 30 percent. A driver may only collect damages for the percentage of the accident that was not their fault, so the driver of the blue car could recover only 70 percent of the damages.

You want children? Are You Ready for Children? Mess Test: Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Now rub your hands in the wet flowerbed and rub on the walls. Cover the stains with crayons. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.

Toy Test: Obtain a 55-gallon box of Lego's. (If Lego's are not available, you may substitute roofing tacks or broken bottles.) Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream. (This could wake a child at night.)

Grocery Store Test: Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop at the grocery store. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.

Dressing Test: Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all arms stay inside.

Feeding Test: Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a stout cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal (such as Fruit Loops or Cheerios) into the mouth of the jug, while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

Night Test: Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8 - 12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 8:00 PM begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00 PM. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 PM. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00 AM. Set alarm for 5:00 AM. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.

Physical Test (Women): Obtain a large beanbag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10 of the beans.

Physical Test (Men): Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.

Final Assignment: Find a couple who already has a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training, and child's table manners. Suggest many ways they can improve. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run riot. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you will have all the answers.

McKinzie Insurance uses limited marketing resources. Our business development is mainly due to personal referrals from our clients and associates. When we speak with you, we would like to ask for your help. If you know someone that would benefit from the services we provide, let us know. Give us the name and telephone number of your referred lead, and we will give them a quick call to see if we can help. Qualified leads will earn you a $10 gift card to Starbucks!
Thanks for your help!

Hello Valued Clients and Associates,

Thank you to all of our loyal clientele. We have been working to keep your interests in mind. Perhaps you have received letters from us periodically, in the hope you will contact us if any of your insurance needs change. There is nothing worse than having a loss and being unprepared financially. Be prepared, and let our agency help you be ready for the unexpected.

Have a Wonderful May!

Michael