The Crash That Killed Martin and Jennifer.

It seems like yesterday, but forever ago. Andrew and I were six weeks away from our wedding day and I took an extra shift at the café, hoping to earn a few more dollars to help make the day even more special for myself. Ordinarily, I didn’t like to work the Sunday daytime shift, but knowing the tips were usually very high I went with a smile in my heart. Who wouldn’t be happy six-weeks before marrying the most awesome man she had ever met in her life? It was about time for the “after church” crowd to hit. Coffee … Continue reading →

Commentary: Sue Happy Society–Who Is Liable?

It seems you can’t turn around without hearing about some kind of lawsuit or another for some reason. It wasn’t that long ago when people assumed responsibility for their own actions. Now it’s common to hear stories of people winning multi-million dollar settlements for smoking or spilling hot coffee on their laps because they can’t get out of the car and drink their morning coffee at a table. While big business is always subject to lawsuits and often end up on the losing side even when logic tells the public that the person suing should have known better, or brought … Continue reading →

One States Effort to Control Insurance Credit Scoring

Insurance companies have been using Insurance Credit Scores for several years now. This information has been used in a variety of ways to underwrite and rate insurance products offered to the public. As a result consumer groups and states have expressed concern as to how Insurance Credit Scores are being used and what protections consumers should expect. A number of states have passed a variety of laws and restrictions on Insurance companies and how they use the Insurance Credit Score information. It would be impossible for me to keep track of the changes in every state but, this is some … Continue reading →

Viewpoint: Health Insurance Dictates Treatment Options.

I may have been an insurance agent in my past, and I might even understand all the reasons, actuary calculations, and claims adjustment issues involved from the companies point of view. But, I am also a consumer of the very products I seem to understand from the other point of view. As a consumer most often my understanding of insurance has helped me make better risk management decisions, deal with limitations of claims and all the other insurance ins and outs. There is one area however, I have faced problems and confusion over and that is when health insurance dictates … Continue reading →

Study: Global Warming Plays a Role In Western Wildfires.

Western U.S. wildfires have gained a lot of public and political attention in past few years. It seems the fires have been more severe, much larger and for more damaging to homes and natural resources. Fire-fighting costs for wildfires now routinely exceed one billion dollars a year. It appears that around 1987, the region shifted from the infrequent large wildfire which lasted an average of one week, to more frequent and longer-burning wildfires lasting an average of five weeks. In the mid-1980s, the length of the wildfire season which was typically March through August was extended by 78 days compared … Continue reading →