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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Yellow Dots Save Lives in Pennsylvania Car Crashes
Two new motorist safety programs make sure Pennsylvania drivers never get behind the wheel without bringing important medical information along.
The Yellow Dot and Emergency Contact Information initiatives were announced November 9 by Governor Tom Corbett:
“Both of these programs speak for people when they can’t speak for themselves, so medical concerns can be addressed and contacts can be reached as quickly as possible,” Corbett said. “When someone is in a crash or they find themselves in an emergency situation, it’s critical that emergency responders quickly find out as much as they can about the victim.”
Participants in the Yellow Dot program fill out the program form with their emergency contact, medical contact and medical information, insert it in the program’s folder and then place it in their vehicle’s glove compartment. Participants then place a yellow dot sticker on their vehicle’s rear window. […]
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PA Cheerleaders Warned of Injury Risk
By now most young athletes and their parents in Pennsylvania are aware of the risk of sports injuries, particularly concussions in football.
Less appreciated are the risks that cheerleaders face – but the American Academy of Pediatrics hopes to change that.
The AAP has issued a policy statement urging coaches, parents and school officials to take steps to make sure cheerleaders get the same coaching, care and protection as quarterbacks and point guards.
Read the full statement: Cheerleading Injuries: Epidemiology and Recommendations for Prevention.
In recent years, cheerleading has gone from exhorting crowds at football games to a year-round activity that combines acrobatics, dance and gymnastics.
Participation has skyrocketed. From 1990 to 2003, the number of U.S. cheerleaders age 6 and older increased from 3 million to 3.6 million, according to the AAP.
Unfortunately, the injury rate has also soared. […]
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7 Ways to Fast-Track Your Sandy Insurance Claim
Claim your insurance protection for damage done by Hurricane Sandy
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, thousands of Pennsylvanians are filing insurance claims under homeowners, auto, health and even life insurance policies.
Many will face long waits and daunting paperwork.
Some insurance slowdowns are inevitable following a disaster of Sandy’s proportions. Damage estimates range from $7 billion to $50 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.
But by taking a few simple steps Pennsylvania residents can improve the odds of their claims getting fast-tracked for approval:
- Do your homework. Take pictures or video of the damage. Before-and-after photographs, purchase records and contractor estimates for repairs are especially valuable.
- Hurry up and file your claim. “Experts say that many homeowners hesitate because they aren’t really sure if they have enough damage to merit a claim—or at least a claim that is more than the value of the policy’s deductible,” the Wall Street Journal reported. […]
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CDC Statistics Show One Million Teens Drink and Drive
One million teens drink and drive, down 54 percent in 20 years
Just last week our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys reported that teens tend to mimic the unsafe driving behaviors of their parents. Now, in a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers confirmed this behavior, specifically with drinking. According to the report, “teen alcohol consumption and drinking and driving patterns are correlated with those of adults living in the same state.”
The CDC released its latest study on teen drinking, Vital Signs: Drinking and Driving Among High School Students Aged ≥16 Years — United States, 1991–2011. The report was compiled after analyzing data from the 1991–2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) to describe the trend in prevalence of drinking and driving (defined as driving one or more times when they had been drinking alcohol during the 30 days before the survey) among U.S. […]
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Pennsylvania Dog Laws Are Being “Aggressively Enforced”
While Governor Tom Corbett focuses on protecting Pennsylvania residents, he also ensures that those residents who can’t take care of themselves are properly cared for – including animals. Last week he announced the Dog Law Enforcement Office is aggressively enforcing the State’s dog laws to protect man’s best friend.
According to the press release, the Dog Law Enforcement Office is focused on “protecting the well-being of dogs and puppies across the state.”
“Pennsylvania has one of the toughest dog laws with the most aggressive protections for adult dogs and puppies in the nation,” said Michael Pechart, acting director of the office. And his office takes enforcement seriously. Of the nearly 300 kennels that were once in operation in the state, just 51 remain.
The Enforcement Office is also working to increase enforcement of dangerous dog laws by citing owners who fail to register their dangerous dogs with the office, […]
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