Earlier this month, car manufacturer GM hired an additional attorney to assist with their legal woes, this one is a specialist in disaster payouts. A hearing was held to obtain further information regarding the faulty ignition switches that GM allegedly knew of but never resolved. The attorney was hired after chief executive of GM, Mary Barra, announced that the company was considering paying the damages to the surviving families of the victims of deaths related to crashes caused by the defective ignition switches installed on some compact GM models. The disaster payout attorney, Kenneth Feinberg, has handled payouts for several huge cases across the nation, including cases related to 9/11 and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.This is pretty big news due to the fact that GM learned of the issue in 2001 and this is the first time that GM has acknowledged that they may pay damages to the victims’ families.
Surprisingly, chief executive Barra even hinted at the fact that she doesn’t feel GM is responsible for the crashes. She stated, “GM has civic and legal responsibilities, and we are thinking through exactly what those responsibilities are.” She went on to state that “I cannot tell you why it took years for a safety defect to be announced in that program, but I can tell you that we will find out.” She said she is deeply sorry but she still can’t tell anyone why GM failed to resolve the issue years ago. Barra called GM’s actions “unacceptable” and “disturbing.” Basically, Barra used her words to dodge questions related to the actual reason for the hearing: How and why did GM repeatedly fail to fix faulty ignition switches on Cobalts and other compact cars. Barra took over as GM’s chief in January, right before an engineering panel was going to recommend a recall of defective Cobalts and other compact cars. There have now been 13 deaths linked to the faulty ignition switches, which will suddenly cut off power to the engine and deactivate airbags.
Barra had been working with GM for more than 30 years as an executive before she became chief. With all those years of experience and knowledge, she still stated that she had no idea about how serious the ignition switch problem was until the recall was recommended on January 31. In other words, she failed to recognize a serious problem, that lead to numerous untimely deaths, for over a decade. Barra’s expected earnings for the year exceed $14 million.
Barra wasn’t the only person under fire at the hearing; an administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, David Friedman, has also been criticized for failing to detect the defect even though there were reports that something was wrong. Those reports include consumer complaints, early warning data, special crash investigations and manufacturer information. Apparently, since 2001, none of those reports offered sufficient evidence to necessitate a recall. Despite the criticism he faces, however, Friedman vowed to “hold GM accountable” should they fail to provide appropriate and timely information to the regulators. Further hearings are to be scheduled to hopefully get more questions answered. Additionally, hiring Feinberg and establishing a compensation fund could prove impractical and be little help for this case.

After an accident, it is a wise decision to speak with an experienced South Carolina injury lawyer for an evaluation of your accident. Following your free consultation, should the injury attorney find that your case has merit, work will begin immediately on your case so that you may receive the compensation and justice that is deserved for your injury or loss.  The accident lawyers will also fully investigate the incident, visit the scene of the incident and interview witnesses for your case.

Call one of the experienced Myrtle Beach injury lawyers at The Mace Firm for South Carolina legal services. One of The Mace Firm’s personal injury lawyers is ready to speak with you about your case.

When faced with the decision of buying auto insurance, which is legally required of all drivers in South Carolina, many factors must be taken into consideration. Some consumers base their decision on price, others may be more concerned with the insurance company’s level of customer service, or ease in which claims can be made. In addition to those factors, another common reason  consumers find themselves in the market for auto insurance is their interest in finding the best deal possible. In other words, consumers want the best coverage for the least amount of money. These factors have an extremely significant influence on the purchasing behaviors of consumers when buying car insurance in South Carolina.

A study recently posted online explored the link between the car insurance quote you receive and where you reside. One interesting statistic from the study reveals that, in the most expensive territory in South Carolina, a car insurance policy can cost up to 91% more than the same policy in the cheapest territory. However, some insurance companies give quotes that depend less on your location. For instance, one insurance company has a difference of only $87 between the cheapest and most expensive territory. Put simply, some car insurance companies rely more heavily on where you live and others don’t. The only way for the consumer to find out is by asking the insurance company directly.

The study also found some serious differences in the general price of insurance across all the territories in South Carolina. The study collected 920 car insurance quotes, using the same personal information for each quote. The smallest quote they received was $414, and the largest was $1,528. That is a difference, or savings, of $1,114.

Speaking of savings, there are a few ways consumers who are planning to buy car insurance in South Carolina can keep their premiums on the low end. One way to find the cheapest rate is to make phone calls to all your local and/or national insurance agencies. Even if one agency quotes you a rate and tell you its the best deal around, keep searching. Another way to save on auto insurance is to do something called bundling. When the insurance customer combines all their insurable things and pays one premium for everything, they are bundling. For example, a married consumer is shopping for insurance. The consumer and their spouse have a total of two vehicles, one small boat, and they own a home. The consumer may find that, if they insure all those things at one insurance company, they will save an amount they wouldn’t normally save if they have separate policies for each item.

It is likely that many consumers are paying too much for their insurance policy right now. Unfortunately, even with the wide-spread capabilities of the Internet, the only way to obtain accurate quotes for auto insurance is by placing a call to an agent who can verify the information you provide. Quotes can be obtained on the Internet, however, if the consumer is shopping-around, multiple quotes can be obtained quicker by picking up the phone.

When purchasing auto insurance, consumers must also be mindful of the type of coverage they need. The type of coverage selected will alter the price of the policy. Typically, the types of coverage available include liability coverage, collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, personal injury protection and uninsured/under-insured motorist protection. Not all types of coverage are required, and not all types of coverage are available everywhere. The best way to find out what types of coverage you are required to have and which types you can add onto your policy or leave off, is to call or email a local auto insurance agent. Always remember to give each agent you speak to the same information so that your car insurance quotes will be accurate.

Liability insurance covers you if it is determined that the accident was your fault. It is wise to have more liability coverage than your state minimum requires to provide extra protection in case your policy limits are exceeded by the costs of the accident. Liability coverage will keep you from paying large sums of money out-of-pocket to cover claims. Collision coverage is used for the cost to repair damages to your vehicle after an accident. This type of coverage is good for those who have expensive vehicles, and the vehicles with lien-holders. The value of your vehicle will determine if you should have collision coverage in your policy. Comprehensive coverage covers things like weather damage or stolen vehicles. This type of coverage is for damages unrelated to an accident. Comprehensive coverage is great if you can afford it, and it is required if the vehicle has a lien-holder. Personal injury protection, or PIP, will help to cover medical bills no matter who caused the accident. This type of coverage will cover the medical bills of the passenger as well, but it is not available in all states. Uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage offers protection against drivers who do not carry insurance, or drivers who only have liability coverage. Un/under-insured protection is worth the added cost (usually pretty cheap) to the policy premium because some states have a really low requirement for minimum insurance coverage, increasing your chances of needing this coverage.

Choosing an auto insurance policy can be confusing. It is very disheartening to get into an accident, only to eventually learn that you or the other driver do not have enough insurance to cover all your medical bills and to repair or replace your car. After an accident, it is a wise decision to speak with an experienced South Carolina injury lawyer for an evaluation of your accident. Following your free consultation, should the injury attorney find that your case has merit, work will begin immediately on your case so that you may receive the compensation and justice that is deserved for your injury or loss.  The accident lawyers will also fully investigate the incident, visit the scene of the incident and interview witnesses for your case.

Call one of the experienced Myrtle Beach injury lawyers at The Mace Firm for South Carolina legal services. One of The Mace Firm’s personal injury lawyers is ready to speak with you about your case.