<Stepping onto the Soap Box>
I've been reading through this thread on Insurance. Personally, I believe it
is necessary but a rip off.
About 10 years ago, I had a major accident with a company truck for which I
was at fault. I was towing a Snap-On tool van (one of the large cube van
type), on the back of a one ton GMC wrecker and I was way over loaded. It was
at the point where when I went over a bump, the front wheels of the wrecker
would hop. GMC's are known for getting really light in the nose with anything
larger than a Ford Taurus on the back. I was doing about 30mph when I came
over a small hill and on the other side was a car stopped behind a school bus
waiting to pick up a little kid. When I hit the brakes, the weight shifted
forward on the wrecker enough that the lower control arms folded up under the
truck and I lost control. I couldn't stop the truck and I couldn't steer
around them. The tool van climbed the sling, slamming it's momentum into the
boom of the wrecker and the combined weight of the wrecker (12,000 lbs.) and
the tool van (about 18,000) slammed into the rear of the car. I put down
about 75 feet of skid mark and if I had another 10-15 feet would have been
able to stop. I hit the car with such force that it left an impression of the
car's plate it the rubber mat on the push bumper of the wrecker. I also slid
her right under the bus far enough that it's bumper was across the top of her
dash. The girl in the car sprained her wrist and the steering wheel bruised
her lap. The school bus driver said she didn't feel a thing but heard the
noise. The girl in the car sued for $500,000 for injuries and her husband
(who wasn't even there) sued for $500,000 for loss of companionship and
courtisium. Meaning, because she was sore from the accident, he didn't get
any for a few days. The insurance company took my statement and that was the
last I ever heard of it. Insurance is necessary because you know some
dirt-bagged shyster lawyer put them up to a million. Her car was worth all of
50 bucks before I hit it, and a half million because he didn't get laid?
Point is, the Insurance took care of everything.
But I still feel it's a rip off. That accident was 10 years ago. I currently
pay $2400 a year on my 88 Dakota even though I haven't gotten so much as a
parking ticket since that accident. I'm 32 years old, single and live in what
is considered an urban area. Now my fiancée who is 30, has had 2 tickets in
as many years, drives a new sports car, and lives 3 blocks away, pays $1200 a
year. My insurance agent says it because, I'm white, I'm male, I'm single, I
drive a 4x4, and I live in the city and after the wedding, my rates will go
down substantially. How is it that when I get married, I instantly become a
better driver? In any other industry, if your rates were based on age, race,
marital status or where you live that would be considered discrimination. I
can understand my rates being higher after a major accident but this is not
right.
<stepping off the soap box>
Walter_Felix@MSN.COM
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/9219
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:08:01 EDT