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I can be a very nerve wracking experience to be in an auto accident, even when no one is injured. If you are in an auto accident and it is you who are at fault then it can be even more nerve wracking. In this case not only are you responsible for the damage to someone else's car along with your own but you probably are worrying how the accident will affect your auto insurance premiums.

Changes in the Pattern of Rate Hikes

For some time now, auto insurers have been using the excuse of accidents as a means for raising their clients’ auto rates. Occasionally the company would even raise rates when their client was not at-fault, even in this case where they didn’t have to pay out any money for a claim. But in many states the public outcry along with changing laws has changed this. There are however, still many responsible drivers who may yet be in for a rate increase.

Normal Procedures for Dealing with At-Fault Claims

The state laws determining why and when an auto insurance company can increase its rates based on an at-fault accident may vary from state to state. Here is how insurance companies handle at-fault claims along with a few tips.

• In the event that there is a police report and the presiding officer has designated one of the parties in the accident to be “at-fault,” insurance companies do not need to take the officer’s word for it. In most cases, the insurance company itself will hold its own investigation into the accident to determine who they decide was at-fault for the accident. In many states there are laws determining how the investigation should be conducted.

• When deciding if to raise rates, companies may take the severity of the accident into consideration when. So if it is a small or minor fender bender your rates may not be affected, but if you are in an accident in which major auto repairs are needed or medical bills need to be paid, your rates will probably go up.

• There are insurance companies today that are offering what is called “Accident Forgiveness.” When the driver has a good driving record according to their insurer’s standards, for his first at-fault accident the company may not raise the driver’s rates.

• When it comes to the second at-fault accident however, most people can expect a significant rate increase. This is experience true when it follows closely behind their first one.

Insurance is not like any other product you may be purchasing in life. For example, if you were to buy a car, you would be allowed to drive it home. If you were to buy a house, you would be able to live in it. But this is different when you buy insurance. In this case you only get a piece of paper that represents a promise that if you are to make a claim it will be paid. But, is there a way to make sure you get paid? Here are some tips to follow.

1. Always keep a record of your claim number. Make sure that it is written down and available to you. If you do this, the claims adjuster will be able to handle your claim faster. It is a general rule that the quicker the adjuster is able to handle your claim, the easier he or she is to work with.

2. Do not try to get every dime out of the adjuster. If the offer that you have been given is close to the amount of loss, and seems reasonable, do not keep pushing for that last $5. You will never get what you want from them and in the end you may cause negotiations to be harder on other aspects of your claim.

3. Do not threaten the adjuster by telling him or her that you are planning to hire an attorney. They hear this all of the time and it doesn’t scare them. The usual reaction is that they get more difficult to work with. Unless you have actually hired an attorney, don’t mention it.

4. Treat the adjuster like a regular person. Adjusters are also human. When you treat an adjuster with respect you can expect to be treated the same way. This will make the claim process much easier.

5. Make sure that you have available all of the required documentation. For example, if you say that you had a special seat in your car that cost $500, then the adjuster is going to want to see some kind of proof. While you may not have the original receipt, you may have to provide some documentation that the car seat costs what you say it did.

6. Do be disappointed if the adjuster does not treat you as his friend. The adjuster has a job to do and can't spend time developing relations. His job is to pay your claim and then move on to the next claim. If they are able to save the insurance company some money, then from their perspective, that is all the better. So don't expect them to give you advice, explain things to you, or offer you exactly what your case is worth!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau about 60 percent of people get health insurance through their employer under group health insurance programs. Another 27 percent of the population is covered by government sponsored health care.

The remainder is the self-employed or those working for very small companies which do not provide health insurance benefits. If that describes you, you must directly purchase coverage directly through private health insurance companies. If you and your family have always been healthy, you will be able to choose from a variety of plans available in your state. However, if you've already had any medical conditions, or other high-risk factors, you may be unable to find a health insurance company that will insure you at any price.

All health insurance companies are in business to make money. They don't want to sell insurance to people who are most likely to utilize it. At the end of the day, what determines their profitability is that they need to take in more dollars in premiums than they pay out in benefits and administration costs. When a health insurance company sells a policy to a business it gets all that businesses' employees, healthy and sick.

The most bewildering and difficult to understand aspect of individual health insurance policies is probably the pricing, so it's well worth your while to shop around. For instance, the premiums for similar products from different insurers can vary by as much as 50 percent for the same person. What's more, the rules and regulations about individual health insurance vary from state to state, making comparison shopping a must for the uncertain consumer.

If you're faced with finding individual health insurance, don't let the confusion tempt you to go without. Even if you're healthy, you could fall off a ladder or have a serious car accident and be financially ruined. Plus, you'll lose your pre-existing-conditions coverage in most states if you go without health insurance for more than 63 days.

Finding the right balance of coverage and cost of health insurance can be challenging, but it's a necessity. So take your time and do your search one step at a time. The first step is to evaluate your health insurance needs and understand your health insurance options. For some, that may mean buying COBRA coverage from their former employer.

Numbers talk, particularly when you're buying health insurance. As part of a group plan, you can enjoy a significant discount on health insurance premiums as well as comprehensive policies.

But remember that if you leave your job you may be surprised at just how expensive the same coverage is when you have to buy individual health insurance because your new place of work does not offer a group health insurance health insurance scheme.

There is also no guarantee that an insurer