What is Insurance?
Insurance is, “a contract whereby, for a stipulated consideration, one party undertakes to compensate the other for loss on a specified subject by specified perils. The party agreeing to make the compensation is usually called the “insurer” or “underwriter;” the other, the “insured” or “assured;” the agreed consideration, the “premium;” the written contract, a “policy;” the events insured against, “risks” or “perils;” and the subject, right, or interest to be protected, the “insurable interest.” (Black’s Law Dictionary 946. 4th Ed. Rev. 1968)
An insurance policy is a contract in which an individual or entity (the policyholder) pays an insurance company (the insurer) in regular payments in exchange for financial protection over specific risks or losses. For example, medical insurance helps to cover medical costs, such as hospital visits, hospital stays, and medications. Similarly, auto insurance helps to cover damages incurred from car accidents. Insurance payments are known as premiums. Insurance contracts typically limit the amount of costs that an insurance provider may be required to pay.
The McCarran-Ferguson Act (15 U.S.C. § 1011) grants many aspects of insurance regulation to individual state governments. However, federal laws like federal taxes do apply to insurance, and must be acknowledged. Insurance is important to the legal system, as it helps protect individuals, those who cause harm to individuals through negligence, and any third party that is faced with the burden of compensating for an injury.
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Dan Munley attends IIHS tractor trailer crash test
Munley trucking team invited to IIHS crash test
On Tuesday, August 29, 2017, Atty. Daniel W. Munley along with paralegal, Jerome Levans, attended a crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Each year, thousands of people are either killed or injured when a passenger vehicle collides with the side of a tractor-trailer. When a tractor-trailer is hit from the side, the advanced safety features of the passenger vehicle are not triggered because the passenger vehicle’s windshield is the first thing that comes into contact with the trailer. Hundreds of people die in crashes like these every year.
The IIHS crash tested the “Angel Wing” underride guard from Airflow Deflector, Inc. They are designed to prevent passenger vehicles from going underneath the tractor-trailer during a side-impact crash. Instead, the passenger vehicle’s front bumper will strike the Angel Wing, […]
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Families leading the fight for safer trucks
Who doesn’t want safer trucks? Weighing 80,000 lbs and driven by truckers too often pushed to their physical and mental limits, a tractor trailer barreling down the highway at 70+ mph can cause unimaginable damage in an accident. Still, potentially life-saving measures leading the fight for safer trucks are the people who know too well the devastation these vehicles can cause — the parents of children killed in tractor trailer collisions. Their mission has become to improve safety regulations that can save lives and prevent other families from experiencing the unnecessary loss that they have. However, even when the benefits are obvious and the costs minimal, truck safety regulations stall.
Underride Guards
Two mothers have devoted their lives to advocating for better underride guards after their children were killed in underride crashes. Marianne Karth and Lois Durso both lost their daughters in crashes involving tractor trailers. […]
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How to Choose the Right Personal Injury Lawyer for You
Choosing the right personal injury lawyer
When you find yourself in need of legal advice or representation, it can be hard to know where to begin. You may never have had to seek a lawyer before. You may be unfamiliar with how the legal system works, or whether you even have a case. With so many lawyers to choose from, how do you know who you can trust? How do you know who will get the best results? We have some advice on how to choose the right personal injury lawyer for your unique case.
Not all law firms are created equal. In fact, your choice of personal injury lawyer can make all the difference in the success of your case. When you’ve been injured, or lost a loved one in a tragic accident, you want to know that your case is in the right hands. […]
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Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneysyers named 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys: Six Super Lawyers and a Rising Star
We’re pleased to announce that once again the personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys have been included in the annual list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers.
Only 5% of the attorneys in Pennsylvania earn this title. For more than a decade, the Munley lawyers have earned a spot on the Super Lawyers list. This year, we’re thrilled to announce that our own Katie Nealon has been named a Rising Star. Super Lawyers Rising Stars must be under the age of 40 and in practice for less than 10 years. This list is highly selective; only 2.5% of the young lawyers in Pennsylvania make the cut.
Robert W. Munley, Sr., Personal Injury – General: Plaintiff, Personal Injury; Products: Plaintiff
Marion K. […]
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Side Underride Guards May Be the Difference Between Life and Death
First-Ever Side Underride Crash Tests
A new crash test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows exactly how side underride guards on tractor trailers can mean the difference between life and death.
A side underride crash occurs when a passenger vehicle collides with the side of a trailer or heavy truck. The results are grisly. The impact can shear the top of the smaller vehicle and kill the occupants.
The IIHS has long been measuring rear-underride guard effectiveness, but this is the first test of side guards. Researchers ran two midsize cars into the sides of two semi-trailers at 35 mph. One trailer was equipped with a fiberglass side panel, and the other with the “AngelWing” underride protector from Airflow Deflector, Inc.
Tractor Trailer Side Underride Guard Test Results:
Fiberglass panel – As the above photo shows, the car went right through the panel and became lodged under the trailer. […]
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