Resolved Question: Yea or Nay: eliminate medical portion of auto insurance?

Resolved Question: Yea or Nay: eliminate medical portion of auto insurance?
[America] The medical portion of your personal auto insurance, plus most of the Uninsured/Underinsured coverage, could be eliminated if the government collected a larger tax on motor fuel instead. This would have the effect of forcing those currently without auto insurance [said to be 18% of vehicles in my state] to pay at least something toward the cost of the accidents they cause [reported as 22% of accidents in my state]. Gas guzzlers, speeders, and overlarge tubs that are on the highways would likely pay more than others who drive the same mileage. It seems likely that people who drive a lot of miles would save as much on the insurance as they'd pay via the higher gas tax. Everyone who now buys these insurances but isn't one of these four groups would likely see their total costs go down. Naturally, the government would pay the hospitals and medical people for the care rendered. This would eliminate their losses on charity care for auto accident victims. It would also prevent ordinary families from being forced into bankruptcy by unpaid medical bills caused by some other driver. This proposal does not cover either "lost wages" or "pain and suffering" or "collision" -- victims would still sue the driver who causes the accident for these damages and could still purchase insurance to cover their vehicle and themselves for these risks. My back of the envelope estimate for Florida alone is that auto insurance costs [payments to the insurance companies] would go down about $2 billion a year and these funds would be paid directly to medical care providers without any "who's fault is it?" arguments and their related legal and paperwork costs. IF further research demonstrated that the system could function as described, would you be in favor of doing this to eliminate this portion of auto insurance, or would you be opposed? [why in favor or opposed would be helpful -- I'm trying to craft something here for the next session of the Legislature.] added points: naturally, the government will not pay medical care providers at their hugely bloated billing prices, but rather at something like what insurance companies currently pay. Everyone is covered all the time. Fault does not enter into the picture. Commercial vehicles, due to weight and number of passengers, may be required to carry supplemental insurance for losses exceeding $250,000. You may still sue for lost wages, damages to your vehicle and property, and pain and suffering. Taxing drivers' licenses and/or vehicles at registration would not be nearly as effective since an estimated 9% of cars on the road are not being operated by a licensed driver and/or do not have valid registration. Alex: your "elderly white lady" already pays extra -- first in UU insurance coverage and second in taxes to support the public hospital where the indigent auto accident cases without insurance are treated. The point of this is to force the uninsured drivers to pay. Bubbles: please increase everyone's taxes to pay for the added police and courts and jails you want. Unfortunately, I wouldn't want to live in your imaginary country. Dear Neo -- the other "solution" when an uninsured driver hits your car, or pulls a "Nike" a la Bubbles [below] is to shoot him. I'm sure that would be just fine with you.
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Resolved Question: How much should this car be selling for? When should we lower the price if it doesn't sell?
Details about the car are below. We have priced the car at $500. The Blue Book private party price is $695 and Edmunds private party price is $577. We've had 5 responses - one person stood us up. We have responded to 3 people and have had no communication after that. I'm waiting for an email from one person who found our ad on Craigslist. Is our price too high for a car in this condition? New parts: *New tires & front end alignment (November 2008 - only 1500 miles on the new tires!) *New radiator (Summer 2008) *New serpentine belt (Summer 2008) *New brakes (March 2009) *New top motor mount (March 2009) Good things about this car: *Low insurance cost (we're in our early 20s and we pay $40/month) *Easy to drive - great first car! *Very roomy *Cool seat covers - appropriate for guys or girls *Low mileage for a car this age (approximately 7500 miles per year) *Good gas mileage (26 hwy, 18 city, 21 combined) *Large trunk *Spare tire and jack take up no room in the trunk! *Has a great CD player and speakers *Rear window defogger Bad things: *Leaks coolant *Leaks transmission fluid *AC doesn't work properly - likely needs freon *Heater doesn't work *Small dents on right side of car and on hood *Paint scraped off on rear bumper - my aunt accidentally bumped the back with her car *Right side door creaks as it opens - door works fine, though *Headliner is hanging slightly - doesn't affect driving or anything *Back driver's side window doesn't close fully, needs a new clip On the original ad, we also have pictures of the car. Here are the pictures I have included with the ad: http://www.flickr.com/photos/85718819@N00/sets/72157619304971490/
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Resolved Question: winners of the Annual Stella Awards?
The Stella Awards are named after 81 year-old Stella Liebeck of New Mexico who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued McDonald's. That case inspired the Stella awards for the most frivolous, ridiculous, successful lawsuits in the United States. Here are this year's winners: 7th Place: Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas, was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The owners of the store were understandably surprised at the verdict, considering the misbehaving little toddler was Ms. Robertson's son. 6th Place: 19-year-old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won $74,000 and medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Mr. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps. 5th Place: Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was leaving a house he had just finished robbing by way of the garage. He was not able to get the garage door to go up since the automatic door opener was malfunctioning. He couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the house and garage locked when he pulled it shut. The family was on vacation, and Mr. Dickson found himself locked in the garage for eight days. He subsisted on a case of Pepsi he found, and a large bag of dry dog food. He sued the homeowner's insurance claiming the situation caused him undue mental anguish. The jury agreed to the tune of $500,000. 4th Place: Jerry Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas, was awarded $14,500 and medical expenses after being bitten on the buttocks by his next door neighbor's beagle. The beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. The award was less than sought because the jury felt the dog might have been just a little provoked at the time by Mr. Williams, who had climbed over the fence into the yard and was shooting it repeatedly with a pellet gun. 3rd Place: A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, $113,500 after she slipped on a soft drink and broke her coccyx (tailbone). The beverage was on the floor because Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. 2nd Place: Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware, successfully sued the owner of a night club in a neighboring city when she fell from the bathroom window to the floor and knocked out her two front teeth. This occurred while Ms.Walton was trying to sneak through the window in the ladies room to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge. She was awarded $12,000 and dental expenses. 1st Place: This year's runaway winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Mrs. Grazinski purchased a brand new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, (from an OU football game), having driven onto the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the drivers seat to go into the back & make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the RV left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Mrs.Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising her in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually do this. The jury awarded her $1,750,000 plus a new motor home. The company actually changed their manuals on the basis of this suit, just in case there were any other complete morons around.
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Resolved Question: Insurance 16 year old?
I have a few questions about insurance Are trucks cheaper than cars to insure? Is 4x4 any less or more? The older the vehicle the cheaper right? How old is too old? Honestly there is a 1989 Bronco down the street for sale perfect guy wants $1100.00 runs, drives, 4X4, 214k on it with the 5.0. Or a 1983 Ford F150 with v8 (not sure) runs, drives, very little rust (bubbles) for $1000.00 Then my dream is a Ford Taurus SHO 1991 manual, runs drives, wants 2,300.00 for it. Btw don't say get honda im sorry i wont do foreign. Maybe a Crown Vic but im a American made buyer. I know my cars not worried about repairs (i built a 440 Dodge Coronet motor) What about Vehicle age? or if it is 4x4 ?
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Resolved Question: Buying a Used Vehicle in a Private Sale in Ontario !?!?
This is my first time buying a vehicle and I get it tomorrow (Saturday). Its been certified, I did a VIN search on it, and all is well. 1. What documents do I need to get from the individual I am buying it from? 2. What order is best to go in to get it on the road - hopefully tomorrow? In terms of insurance (which I can't get until I get a copy of the ownership into my insurance company, transferring ownership, getting licence plates, etc) Is there any other step(s) that need to be taken? 3. Is it the Motor Vehicle License Bureau I go to, to transfer the ownership, and get plates? 3. How much am I expected to spend on registering the vehicle in my name? 4. What do I need to do to transfer ownership, register the vehicle in my name, and get plates? I don't think I can get Insurance until Monday, but my dad has insurance for his van; would he be able to drive mine home, if I'm able to get all other documentation taken care of?
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