Auto Accidents Newsletters
Automobile Fire Insurance
While the popular impression of the flammability of motor vehicles may be exaggerated due to such things as the manner in which they are portrayed on television and in the movies, cars and trucks do contain flammable materials, and they obtain their motive power through the use of flammable fuel. As a result they occasionally catch fire, causing damage to themselves and to objects around them. Fire coverage under policies of motor vehicle insurance has been devised in order to reimburse vehicle owners for the loss and damage sustained in such incidents.
Business Use Exclusion in Motorist Insurance
Some motorist insurance policies exclude coverage for injuries and damages if they occur while a vehicle is being used for a business purpose. For example, if a driver is using his or her personal van to make deliveries for the driver's home-based business and causes a collision with another vehicle, the driver's insurance company would refuse to pay for the damage caused to the other vehicle and for any injuries to those riding in it. In effect, the exclusion causes a vehicle to drive in and out of insurance coverage depending on its driver's particular mission.
Effect of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards on Automotive Products Liability Cases
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, commonly known as NHTSA, an agency of the United States Department of Transportation, enacted an initial set of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, or FMVSS, in the late 1960s. NHTSA has amended and updated the FMVSS, and has added new standards to the original group of FMVSS, since that time. Every new motor vehicle sold in the United States is required to comply with all of the FMVSS that are applicable to that type of vehicle. (Due to differences in the configurations of passenger cars and trucks, certain of the FMVSS are limited in their application to one type of vehicle or the other.) In an automotive products liability case, a legal action in which a plaintiff seeks to recover damages from the manufacturer or seller of a motor vehicle for death, personal injury, or property damage caused by an alleged defect in the design or manufacture of the vehicle or by the failure to warn of a danger inherent in its use and operation, the FMVSS sometimes play a role in determining the outcome of the dispute between the parties.
Role of Auto Accident Reconstruction Experts
Automobile accidents can be very messy. In order to determine what led to an accident, an automobile accident reconstruction expert can be employed. The expert will try to determine the most probable reason for the accident. Automobile accident reconstruction experts use information from the accident scene, witnesses, the damaged vehicles, and other sources to make conclusions about how the accident happened and, sometimes, why it happened. The expert can be called to testify at a trial on his or her conclusions in an effort to help the jury.
Underinsured/Uninsured Motorists Mandatory Coverage
Requirements for providing or offering underinsured motorist coverage and uninsured motorist coverage are not uniform. In some states, it is mandatory for insurers to provide a specified amount of underinsured motorist and uninsured motorist coverage; the amounts that are specified may coincide with the minimum required liability insurance coverage in the state. In other states, insurers are merely required to make such coverage available to the purchasers of auto insurance policies. In yet other states, the subject of underinsured motorist and uninsured motorist coverage is considered to be a voluntary matter between the insurer and the insured.
