http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=476&PageID=901&mode=2&contentid=http://pubcontent.state.pa.us/publishedcontent/publish/cop_hhs/insurance/news_and_media/news___media/articles/june_23__2010.html

June 23 Marks Anniversary of Deadly Tornado Outbreak in PA

Harrisburg – On the 66^th anniversary of a huge tornado outbreak that killed more than 150 people in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and one day after severe storms hammered south-central Pennsylvania, Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario today reminded consumers that the Insurance Department is ready to assist with their insurance questions and needs after disaster strikes.

On June 22, fast-moving storms caused widespread destruction in Dauphin, Lancaster and Lebanon counties, damaging homes, uprooting trees and leveling farm buildings.

“People may feel overwhelmed or confused as they try to pick up the pieces in the wake of a severe storm,” Ario said. “The department is here to help with insurance-related questions and to offer tips to help get through the claims process.”

The department offers tips to help homeowners affected by severe weather: 

• If you suffer property loss in your home or vehicle, contact your agent or insurance company as soon as possible to arrange a visit from an adjuster.
• Before doing any repairs to your house, photograph and make a list of the damage.  Be sure to photograph or video the damaged area. Pull out any inventory lists you keep of your home’s contents.
• Protect your home from further damage by making temporary repairs until your insurance company is able to advise you. Save any receipts for materials purchased for repairs. Do not throw away damaged property until the claims adjuster advises you to do so.
• Do not have permanent repairs made until your insurance company has inspected the property and you have reached an agreement on the cost of repairs. If you do make permanent repairs before the adjuster has seen the damage, your claim could be denied. 
• Most damage resulting from fallen trees is covered by your homeowner’s policy. Check with your agent or company before calling the tree removal service as removal costs may also be covered. Also, you may find yourself responsible if one of your trees has fallen on a neighbor’s property. Again, check with your agent or company.
• Remember, no homeowners policy covers flooding. The only way to protect your property from flood losses is to purchase flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program. Policies must be in place for 30 days before coverage takes effect. Contact your agent for more information.
• If your claim is denied, review the terms of your policy for what is or is not covered. You may also file an appeal to your insurance company’s claim manager. If questions remain, feel free to contact the Insurance Department.
• Be careful – there are a lot of good people and repair firms out there who want to help you and can. But there are others who may take advantage when you are most in need. Guard yourself against home repair con artists. Make sure you are working with a credible firm by checking to see if the contractor is registered with the state Attorney General at http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/hiccon.aspx?id=4502.  

 “Consumers need to be prepared so they are not taken advantage of by unscrupulous businesses or people,” Ario added. “Examine your options, get more than one estimate for your loss, ask for and check references and, most importantly, get everything in writing.”

 To learn about other tips when dealing with weather-related disasters, log onto www.insurance.pa.gov and choose “types of coverage”, then “homeowners insurance” on the left navigation bar. Consumers can also call the toll-free automated consumer hotline at 1-877-881-6388 or call the department’s Bureau of Consumer Services at 717-787-2317 (Harrisburg office) or 215-560-2630 (Philadelphia office).

 According to the National Weather Service, tornadoes have been reported in all 67 Pennsylvania counties since recordkeeping began. Although tornadoes can occur at any time of year, the majority of severe tornadoes strike during the months of May, June and July. To learn more about tornado preparedness, visit the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency online at www.pema.state.pa.us.

Media contact: Rosanne Placey or Melissa Fox, 717-787-3289

By Kelly Waters Published: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 Updated: Thursday, March 25, 2010

http://www.stroudcourier.com/opinion/teen-texting-reaches-all-time-high-1.1279187

The advancements in technology have allowed us to experience great accessories such as iPods, laptops and cell phones. Cell phones have even advanced themselves with iPhones that include many applications to keep a person busy.

One of the perks of cell phones is the ability to text, which is continuously growing in popularity. Teenagers are diving right into the texting frenzy. According to researchers at the Nielsen Company, teens send an average of 10 texts per hour.

Roger Entner, senior vice president of research and insights, said, “Kids text in the morning before they brush their teeth and continue late into the night with the last text messages (also called SMS) sneaked under the covers right before they close their eyes to sleep. Until now, there has been very little firm data available about how pervasive texting has actually become among the under aged.”

With texting as popular as it is, walking around a college campus is no different than seeing teens in a high school. Whether it is in the café, walking to and from class, in the hallway, in the bathroom and even in classes, students can be seen using their phones. Texting has become so widely used that people even text while driving.

Many people are trying to enact cell phone usage restrictions while driving. According to an On Your Side survey given by Nationwide Insurance, eight in ten drivers support some type of cell phone usage restriction. The company website also said that 80% of respondents support a ban on text messaging while driving.

Edgar Snyder & Associates, a law firm representing injured people, came out with data regarding car accidents involving the use of cell phones and/or texting. The information stated that it is still unclear how greatly cell phone calls and texting contribute to car accidents.

However, the law firm also states, “Driving inattention is the leading cause of car accidents, and phone calls and texting while driving lead to more distractions.”

States are also trying to enforce their own laws about cell phone use and texting behind the wheel. In June of 2009, the Pennsylvania state senate approved a bill for banning texting while driving with a 44-3 vote. If passed, it would make PA the 10th state to enforce that law. The legislatures’ proposal worked.

According to http://handsfreeinfo.com, the House approved a ban on handheld cell phone use and text messaging for all drivers. Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Erie and Allentown have all banned cell phone use by drivers unless a hands-free attachment is in use.

Other areas in Pennsylvania have started following suit with their own ordinances. Carbondale outlawed handheld cell phone use and texting by drivers in 2007, and Hazleton is considering a ban on using handheld phones and texting with a fine of $75, to name a few.

What is with the push to ban cell phone use and texting while driving? According to Edgar Snyder & Associates, driving distractions such as calls and texting contributed to nearly 1,000 crashes involving 16 and 17-year-old drivers in 2007.

Each year, 21 percent of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between 16 and 19 involved cell phone use. That rate is expected to increase by 4% every year.

The law firm also said that in 2008, almost 6,000 were killed and a half-million more were injured in crashes concerning driver distraction. Roughly four out of every five accidents (80 percent) are caused by distractions. To give a comparison, “Drunk driving only accounts for 1 out of every 3 accidents (33 percent) nationally.” This means that texting is six times more likely to result in an accident than driving under the influence.

Still planning on texting behind the wheel? Texting while on the road gives drivers a 23% increase of getting into a car accident. In 2002, the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis found that 2,600 people die each year as a result of cell phone use while driving.
The report put out by Edgar Snyder & Associates says, “For every 6 seconds of drive time, a driver sending or receiving a text message spends 4.6 of those seconds with their eyes off the road. This makes texting the most distracting of all cell phone related tasks.”

The law firm included some statistics based on PA alone. It said that in 2008, there were 1,298 cell phone related accidents, nine of which resulted in death. From 2003 to 2006, car accidents led to 50 deaths across the state.

Between those same years, accidents relating to cell phones increased to 43% in the western part of the state. PennDOT noted that there were 5,715 car accidents in 2002 to 2006 caused from none other than the use of cell phones. They also reported that 367 accidents resulted in the same period involving hands-free cell phones.

Texting may be fun and can take up a lot of time in a day, but some places are simply better than others to text in. While texting will continue to grow, so will the rates of accidents related to the use of cell phones while driving.

Next time you get into your car and drive off, think twice before taking out that cell phone to say “hey” to a friend.

email Kelly at: kmw9963@esu.edu

03/16/10 5:07 pm   |   reporter: Dennis Buterbaugh   producer: Myles Snyder

http://www.whtm.com/news/stories/0310/716646.html

Harrisburg, Pa. - Even though the national media seems to focus only on Toyota, there are lots of recalls for other car makers too.

"I got a recall for my GMC, for the windshield wipers, for malfunctioning. Usually it's for a safety issue or something like that," said Ed Stup of Enola, who took his vehicle to the dealer right away.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department said that's exactly what you should do. If you're in a crash that's tied to a safety recall you ignored, your insurance premium could go up or your coverage could be canceled.

"If you failed to respond to a recall notice and you're involved in an auto accident as a result of a damaged or recalled part, your insurance company could take that into consideration," department spokesperson Rosanne Placey said.

For example, Ford last year issued a recall due to a cruise control switch that could cause fires in rare instances. If you ignored the recall and then had a fire claim, the insurance company could use that to raise your rates or cancel coverage.

What insurance companies are not allowed to do is deny claims because you drive a car that's been involved in a recent safety recall. "Insurance companies cannot and should not cancel your coverage or deny claims because you have a vehicle that's part of an auto recall," Placey said.

Drivers who have had their vehicle recalled said most dealers make it easy to correct. "You just mention to them that you got the recall and they take your information and they schedule to get you in," said Michelle Mock of Pottsville. "I've never had any problems."

To check on any possible recalls for your vehicle, visit the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at www.nhtsa.gov.