Blog Posts in 2018
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Meeting the Minimum: California Auto Insurance Requirements
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
Meeting the Minimum Minimum policy limits for auto insurance vary greatly from state to state. In California, you can be fined if you drive without sufficient insurance, also called proof of financial responsibility. Thus, it helps to know what those minimum policy limit requirements are so you can purchase the correct amount of insurance and avoid fines. Auto Insurance Standards By nation-wide ...
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Can Both Drivers Be at Fault?
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
Can Fault Be Shared? When one person is at fault for an accident, determining liability and filing an insurance claim can be relatively straightforward. When both drivers are at fault, however, determining who is responsible for the costs becomes a little more complicated. The laws on fault are state-specific. In some states, being even partially at fault for an accident means you have no right to ...
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Can a California Personal Injury Attorney Obtain a Better Settlement?
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
Can an Attorney Assist With Your Settlement? When people embark on the insurance claims process, few think of consulting with a personal injury attorney. Many feel the insurance company will do what’s right and compensate you appropriately. In reality, insurance companies typically do what’s “right” in the eyes of the law but not necessarily what’s right given the circumstances. People that handle ...
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Negligence in Insurance Claims: The Duty People Owe
Posted By Christohper MartensContinue Reading
Held to a Standard Negligence plays a significant role in insurance claims, as the negligent party could be the one who is found liable for compensating the wronged party. To understand how negligence plays a role in insurance claims, let’s first take a look at the legal definition. Negligence Defined Negligence is the failure to act in a way that a reasonable person would under similar ...
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Tax Tactics in Estate Planning
Posted By Christohper MartensContinue Reading
Planning for Taxes The federal estate tax can hit high net-worth estates with a hefty tax burden that affects the surviving family members. Most people want to leave all their assets to their heirs, not the federal government. The lifetime exclusion amount for gifts and estates is just under $11.2 million , so estates valued under this threshold will not be subject to the estate tax. However, you ...
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Estate Planning Tips for Remarriage
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
A Second Step Nearly one-fourth of all married spouses have been married before , according to a recent Pew Research Center study. Remarriage is becoming more common, as are blended families. But remarriage presents unique complications in estate planning, as your family structure—and your intended beneficiaries—change. To ensure your wishes are current and clear, here are some tips to consider ...
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How to Include Your Pets in Your Estate Plan
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
Planning for Your Pets Pets are considered property, legally speaking, although they play a much more important role in our lives. When we die, our property can be distributed according to our wishes. You might not care what happens to your collectibles and other belongings once your beneficiaries take possession of them. You might, however, care deeply about what happens to your pet when you die. ...
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Estate-Planning Tips for Same-Sex Couples
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
Unique Needs Same-sex couples face the same challenges as heterosexual couples do when estate planning. Married same-sex spouses enjoy many benefits and are viewed the same as heterosexual spouses for legal and tax purposes. Unmarried spouses, however, have to take a few additional steps to ensure their partner receives the assets as they intended. Fortunately, same-sex couples can legally marry ...
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California’s Dog Bite Law: What Is Strict Liability?
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
Dog Bite Liability in California Dog bites can cause severe injuries and even death. Breed-specific legislation has worked to limit where specific breeds, such as Pit Bulls and German Shepherds, can live, thus providing protection on the community and municipal level. But people still fall prey to dog bites with some regularity, which begs the question of who’s responsible for their injuries? ...
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Estate Planning Tips for Unmarried Couples
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
Planning for the Future as an Unmarried Couple For married couples, estate planning may be relatively straightforward. With many assets, the deceased’s spouse is typically the beneficiary. For unmarried couples, however, estate planning might take a few additional measures to ensure the surviving partner can assume ownership of assets without having to fight the matter in court or face an ...
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Settling Your Insurance Claim: You Need an Attorney, and Here’s Why
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
Settling a personal injury claim isn’t as easy as submitting your medical bills and waiting for a check. Well, insurance companies might want you to think it’s that easy, but only because that method usually results in the claimant receiving less compensation than he or she deserves. The truth is, settling a claim for maximum compensation takes more strategy than you would think, which is why it’s ...
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Learning Patience as a Patient After an Auto Accident
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
Having the right to file a personal injury claim does not mean you have a right to have your claim paid right away. Many people don’t realize they must go through the insurance claims process before they can receive the compensation they deserve. This leaves many who’ve been injured in an accident in a financial bind. They need the money to pay for treatment so they can recover. But, they cannot ...
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Medical Record Rights: Disclosure and Access
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
Protecting Your Right to Privacy When filing a personal injury claim, insurance companies will request medical records to corroborate the medical bills for which you are seeking reimbursement. But insurance companies will also use medical records as a resource through which to comb for evidence that could reduce the value of your claim. While you probably won’t see your claim paid if you withhold ...
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How to Not Fall Prey to Insurance Company Tactics
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
Insurance companies spend a lot of money on presenting an image to the public of a trusted service company that has your best interests in mind. From well-known spokespeople to catchy taglines, Big Insurance is not without its deceptive practices. Insurance companies make an effort to convince policyholders they can turn to them in their time of need. In actuality, insurance companies, even yours, ...
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The Insurance Claim Statement: Read This Before You Speak
Posted By Christopher MartensContinue Reading
If you’ve been in an accident or opened up an insurance claim, you may be quickly contacted by an insurance investigator and asked to provide a statement. The insurance representative may initiate the conversation by asking how you are recovering from your accident. In reality, the question is motivated more by the company’s bottom line than compassion. They will then ask you to provide a quick ...
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