Financial responsibility is required on any vehicle operated or parked on California roadways.
You must carry evidence of financial responsibility in your vehicle at all times.
What Are the Minimum Liability Insurance Requirements for Private Passenger Vehicles?
- $15,000 for injury/death to one person.
- $30,000 for injury/death to more than one person.
- $5,000 for damage to property.
While the minimum requirements are the law, most vehicles today are worth more than $5,000 and medical costs far exceed the minimum as well. Raising your liability limits is not only wise, but the cost is very reasonable. Also, did you know that by having the other policies you need for home and life insurance can give you a discount on your
car insurance? Scurich Insurance Services can help you make the best decision for your circumstances. Contact them today! 800-320-3666
Read more
Three teenagers were arrested yesterday for their parts in a residential burglary on the 200 block of Brennan Street.
Watsonville police were dispatched to the house at 1:07 p.m. after a witness reported seeing one male acting as a lookout while two other males had entered through the backyard of the residence, Sgt. Mike McKinley said.
Both the lookout and the two boys inside were quickly detained and arrested.
Officers determined that the duo in the house entered through an unlocked kitchen window. They were unable to steal anything before police arrived, McKinley said.
The suspects, (14, 14, and 15-years-old) were arrested for burglary and conspiracy to commit a crime. The 15-year-old was on probation and also charged with probation violation.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to call the Watsonville Police Department Investigation Division at 768-3350 or the Watsonville Police Tipline at 768-3544.
Scurich Insurance Services did not create this content. This article was taken from www.watsonville.patch.com written by Jacob Bourne.
Read more
A new report on teen driver safety by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and State Farm shows encouraging trends among teen passengers.
From 2008 to 2011, risky behaviors of teen passengers (ages 15 to 19 years) declined: the number of teen passengers killed in crashes not wearing seat belts decreased 23 percent; the number of teen passengers driven by a peer who had been drinking declined 14 percent; and 30 percent fewer teen passengers were killed in crashes involving a teen driver.
Overall, the report measured a 47 percent decline in teen driver-related fatalities over the past six years.
Still, as recent high-profile multi-fatality crashes with teen drivers illustrate, crashes remain the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.
In 2011 more than half of teen passengers (54 percent) reported “always” buckling up.
“When most people think about those affected by teen driver crashes, they think of teens behind the wheel. This report includes encouraging news about teen passengers, who are often left out of the teen driver safety picture,” says Dennis Durbin, M.D., M.S.C.E., co-scientific director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at CHOP, and lead author of the report. “When you see the needle move, as we have in this report, it’s time to apply the gas on programs that encourage safe teen passenger behaviors, as well as those that address what causes teens to crash.”
Based on recent research which identified specific behaviors or factors associated with teen driver crashes, Dr. Durbin said there are key areas he thinks have the greatest potential to further drive down the teen crash rate: reduce distraction from passengers and technology, increase skills in scanning, hazard detection, and speed management, and increase seat belt use to improve a teen’s chance of survival in a crash.
For more information on your Auto Insurance, contact us today at Scurich Insurance Services.
This article was taken from www.insurancejournal.com, Scurich Insurance did not create this material.
Read more
As most of you know, the Affordable Care Act, or what most of you know it as Obamacare, will take effect in 2014. When this bill takes effect, it will become mandatory that you purchase some sort of health insurance, and if you don’t you will end up finding yourself being penalized by the federal government. But, what are these penalties and how will the effect you.
According to MSN Money, “The actual individual mandate penalties under the Affordable Care Act are perhaps the easiest part of the program to understand:
- In 2014, the annual penalty will be $95 per adult and $47.50 per child, up to a family maximum of $285 or 1% of family income, whichever is greater.
- In 2015, the penalty will be $325 per adult and $162.50 per child, up to a family maximum of $975 or 2% of family income, whichever is greater.
- In 2016, the penalty will be $695 per adult and $347.50 per child, up to a family maximum of $2,085 or 2.5% of family income, whichever is greater.
“Most people think of it as an annual penalty,” notes Larry Levitt, a senior vice president at Kaiser. “But it is in fact a monthly thing, and you would pay a penalty for any month that you are uncovered.” However, a person may be without coverage for up to three months without triggering the penalty.” (1)
So don’t be caught without insurance. Contact Scurich Insurance Services located in Watsonville, California. at 831-722-3541 and let us shop the health insurance market for you so that you can get the best health insurance plan out there.
(1) http://money.msn.com/health-and-life-insurance/how-obamacare-penalty-will-work
Read more
Engineers, firefighters, lawyers, teachers, and police officers all have one thing in common: they qualify for Auto insurance discounts with some insurers who have found that people in certain fields tend to be less risky drivers than those in other occupations.
A number of insurance companies offer discounts to those in a variety of professions everything from architects, CPAs, and college professors through librarians, military personnel, and pilots, to physicians, registered nurses, and scientists.
Here’s why: although practicing architecture or flying a plane doesn’t necessarily make a driver more responsible, insurance underwriters don’t have to prove cause and effect when setting rates. They need only show a relationship between these rating factors and risk.
A variety of factors can come into play in determining discounts. One Auto insurance company offers up to a 5 % discount to first responders, such as firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians and paramedics. Because these people tend to work in the communities where they live, they probably don’t commute long distances. First responders might speed down the road in emergencies, but not in their own vehicles, and they tend not to work from 9 to 5 “which means that they’re at lower risk for accidents.”
Discounts vary by occupation, insurance company, and state. Some companies offer discounts for a long list of occupations and professions, while others provide them to only a few, or none at all. Some jobs receive larger discounts than others.
Rules for discounts also vary by field. To qualify for one company’s discount, health care providers must have a license to practice, as well as a degree. However, policyholders who have earned at least a bachelor in engineering, math, or science qualify for an 18% discount, even if they work in other fields.
Your occupation or profession might well entitle you to a substantial discount on your Auto insurance even if you’re retired.
Read more
Although gun control remains a controversial issue, when it comes to insuring firearms, Homeowners coverage offers some clear guidelines.
If you have rifles and pistols in your home, your policy will insure them against fire damage or theft, usually up to $2,500. Although a Homeowners application might not ask specifically about firearms, the higher liability risk that guns present means that failing to inform your agent or insurance company in advance about them could result in denial of a claim for loss or damage to them.
Because of this greater liability exposure, your insurer might require you to show that you’ve taken such sensible precautions as installing trigger locks, securing firearms properly in locked gun cases, and keeping them away from children. If you have a collection of guns that’s particularly valuable (for example, antique sidearms), you might need to buy a policy rider that ensures their replacement or reimbursement — much as with other big-ticket items, such as jewelry and fine art.
If you shoot someone else or yourself accidentally while in the home, your policy might pay for some or all of the damages, (medical bills, property damage, liability claims, and so forth), depending on the amount of coverage. However, to guarantee full protection, you would need additional policy riders, such as “Sporting Firearm insurance,” “Collector’s Firearm insurance,” or “Gun Club Liability insurance.”
To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is important to work with a professional in this area. Additional questions? Ask us, we’re here to help! For additional information about our insurance products, no-cost advice or for your free, no-obligation insurance quote, please contact the professionals at Scurich Insurance Services today at 800-320-3666 and we will be more than happy to assist you.
Read more
