How far will people go to stage an accident for financial gain?  An Idaho Falls man took it pretty far when he tried to stage a motorcycle accident in return for the insurance payout.  Not only did he smash up his bike, he even had his girlfriend drag him behind his pickup truck in some sort of half-baked attempt at tattering his clothing.  That should get him a few points for style, but not so much for intelligence.

According to Idaho Falls’ News 8 station, Jason Preston, 31, will serve 20 days in jail for insurance fraud and damaging insured property. Altogether, when he was sentenced on May 1^st, he received one to four years in prison –which was suspended, 20 days in the county jail, 100 hours of community service and four years of probation. The judge on the case, Sixth District Judge Joel Tingey, also ordered Preston to pay a $750 fine plus court costs.

Preston pleaded guilty to both charges last March.

Back in July, Preston told the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office that his motorcycle was damaged when he tried to avoid running into an animal. On the other hand however, the Idaho Attorney General’s Office noted how far Preston actually went for this scam. They stated:

Preston had placed the motorcycle in the back of his pickup truck and had gone to a rural road outside Idaho Falls. While his girlfriend drove the truck at 40 to 50 mph, Preston pushed the motorcycle onto the road. He then made his girlfriend drag him down the road behind the truck to make his clothing look like it had been damaged in a motorcycle accident.

His girlfriend then left the scene, after which Preston called 911 to report the accident. He then went on to make false statements about the event to his insurance company.

The case was investigated by the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho Department of Insurance. At the request of the Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney, the Attorney General’s Insurance Crimes Unit acted as special prosecutor.

The girlfriend, who cooperated as the state’s witness, was not prosecuted. And we would assume that she will soon be the ex-girlfriend, unless she is going to hang in there and for another round of dragging him behind the truck.  You never can tell.

via Man Gets Jail Time For Faking Motorcycle Accident

Watch for Kemper bills and other policy documents

If you pay monthly, watch your mail for your next billing statement from Kemper Specialty. You’ll continue to enjoy the same convenient payment options: Pay online, by phone, mail or at your agency.

If you paid in full, just watch your mail for your next renewal bill from Kemper Specialty.

If you enjoy the convenience of EZ Pay, your automatic monthly payments will continue on schedule. The description on credit card statements will remain unchanged; bank statements will now show KemperAutoInsPayment.

via Unitrin Specialty now Kemper Specialty

Students from all over the state converge today at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue for the DECA State Career Development Conference having qualified earlier this year locally. According to the website:

Competitive events provide student members the opportunity for hands-on learning through competition in business and marketing applications.

In January, students compete within Washington DECA’s eleven geographic areas. The top place winners per event from each area earn the privilege of competing at the Washington DECA State Career Development Conference. In 2011, Washington DECA had more than 3,400 students and advisors in attendance. Over 500 volunteers from the business community donated their time and talent to judge these students, determining who qualified to move on to the International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Mid-Columbia Insurance wishes all the competitors best of luck!

via Good Luck at DECA, Champions!

Some drunk driving statistics:
• There is an alcohol-impaired traffic fatality every 51 minutes
• 10,228 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2010
• In 2010 alcohol-impaired crash fatalities accounted for 31 percent of all crash fatalities
• An estimated 1.5 million DUI arrests were made in 2008. Works out to one arrest for every 141 licensed U.S. drivers
• Women arrested for DUI increased by nearly 30 percent between from 1998 to 2007 while decreasing 7.5 percent for men

Have you received a DUI? Mid-Columbia Insurance is the local expert on SR-22s so you can get your license back. We have offices in Kennewick & Richland, Pasco, Sunnyside, and Yakima

The full Insurance Information Institute Report on Drunk Driving is available on their website and has much more detail.

via Drunk Driving

The Office of Washington Insurance Commissioner, Mike Kreidler, has published information on dealing with storm-related insurance claims. We hear a lot of these questions, and here are some great answers, from trees to TVs.

Here are some tips and frequently-asked questions about insurance claims:

Will filing a claim make my insurance premiums go up?
It may. So it’s a good idea to first weigh the cost of the repair, your deductible, and the possibility that you’ll pay higher insurance rates in the future before deciding whether to file a claim.

My neighbor’s tree fell on my house. Whose insurance pays?
Your homeowners will often pay for the damage, even if it was your neighbor’s tree. And you’ll be responsible for the deductible. Sometimes your insurer can get the neighbor’s insurance to pay, if it can be shown that the neighbor was at fault. But that can be hard to prove.

My car was damaged. Can I choose which repair shop to take it to?
Yes, you can generally choose which shop to take the car to. But the shop and insurer must agree on price. If they can’t agree, you could be stuck paying the difference.

A tree fell on my car. Am I covered?
Yes, as long as you have comprehensive auto coverage.

We lost power and my freezer thawed. Am I covered?
Yes, most homeowners policies cover this. But it may not be worth filing a claim, especially if you have a high deductible.

Trees and branches fell in my yard. Will my homeowners insurance pay for cleanup?
Probably not. Standard homeowners policies don’t cover tree removal and cleanup unless the tree fell on the home, car, garage, etc.

A tree fell on my carport. Will my insurance cover that?
Yes, homeowners coverage will usually cover that kind of damage.

I’m worried about flooding. Does my homeowners policy cover flooding.
No. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flooding. Flood coverage typically requires a separate policy. Many homeowners get this coverage through the federally run National Flood Insurance Program.

My television was ruined by a power surge when the electricity came back on. Will my insurance cover that?
Most homeowners policies do cover appliances and electronics ruined by a power surge. But consider your deductible. In some cases – particularly for low-cost or old equipment – it may not be worth filing a claim.

The Insurance Commissioner’s Office encourages people to contact their agent or insurer about any claim and reminds the consumer that the Insurance Consumer Hotline is available at 1-800-562-6900 if their claim is denied or delayed or if the policy language is confusing.

Source: Washington Insurance Commissioner’s Office

via Tips and Help on Dealing with Storm-Related Insurance Claims

Schools closed. Snow. Hanford Closed. Freezing Rain.

Our office had a busy day yesterday and today is off to a similar start. We had a record day yesterday for starting new policies. If you are going to be driving in this mess, best to have some insurance!

I had to drive around quite a bit yesterday, acting as chauffer to my kids (who I didn’t want driving), delivering Pizza to our offices, and other everyday business. My little Toyota Solara did pretty well in the snow, but then again it has studs all the way around and front-wheel drive. I would say it also has a lot to do with my driving ability, but probably more to do with my passive-aggressive nature.

I thought about stopping and taking a picture but decided that a 4th car did not need to be added to the mess

Drive careful out there. Better yet, don’t drive at all if you don’t have to.

via Be Careful Out There!

And because many renters mistakenly believe their personal property is covered by their landlord’s policy, a fire can be very costly for those without renters coverage.

Here’s why Safeco^® Renters insurance is strong:

• Safeco’s renter’s policy is a great value that’s easy and fast to get started with your Mid-Columbia Insurance agent.
• Safeco’s Full Value Contents™ protection offers full replacement-cost coverage of items stolen, without deduction for depreciation, up to the limits and deductibles the customer selects.
• Safeco’s policy protects against property-damage claims by the property owner.
• Renters may be eligible for discounts for having burglar alarms, and could also receive discounts if they have multiple policies with Safeco.
• Additional coverages are available, including Personal Umbrella (with a qualifying Auto policy) for broader protection, as well as endorsements to schedule special possessions such as jewelry, art, antiques or collectibles.

If you would like to get a policy started or have some questions, call Mid-Columbia Insurance today in Kennewick, Pasco, Sunnyside, or Yakima

Source: Safeco Insurance

via Renters Insurance Essential During Winter Months

According to the Tri-City Herald, 161 DUI arrests were made by Washington State Patrol (WSP) troopers during the Christmas holiday weekend. In contrast, only 28 DUI arrests were made by Oregon State Police (OSP) troopers for this same period. WSP also reported three fatal collisions during the holiday weekend, whereas the OSP only reported one fatal accident.

Washington has about twice the number of drivers as Oregon, but we had 5 times as many arrests. Are Washington drivers more likely to drink while drive or just more likely to get caught? It would be interesting to also be able to add in the number of arrests by local law enforcement to get a more comprehensive number.

A DUI will probably mean you will lose your drivers license for anywhere from 90 days to 4 years, based on prior offenses and your blood alcohol level. When it is time to get your license back, Mid-Columbia Insurance can help with the required insurance and SR-22 filing. Call us in Kennewick, Pasco, Sunnyside, or Yakima

via 161 DUI arrests by Washington State Patrol during holiday

SplashData, a password management application provider, recently compiled this list of the 25 worst passwords from the millions of stolen passwords that are available online. According to SplashData, having secure, tough-to-guess passwords may not deter a sophisticated and determined hacker but it will make it much more difficult for amateur cyber thieves to breach online accounts.

What is the ‘worst’ password you have seen?

1. password  2. 123456  3. 12345678  4. qwerty  5. abc123

6. monkey  7. 1234567  8. letmein  9. trustno1 10. dragon

11. baseball 12. 111111 13. iloveyou 14. master 15. sunshine

16. ashley 17. bailey 18. passw0rd 19. shadow 20. 123123

21. 654321 22. superman 23. qazwsx 24. michael 25. football

via 25 Worst Passwords of 2011 – Avoid Being Popular!

1. The average automobile consists of more than 2,500 ft. of electrical wiring.
2. On average, half an ounce of gas is used to start an automobile.
3. The average fuel economy for a vehicle on the road was 14 miles per gallon in 1923.
4. From a fuel economy perspective, it’s better to turn the air off at low speeds and open the windows. At highway speeds it’s more economical to use the air conditioning.
5. US 20 is the longest road in the United States, spanning 3,365 miles from Boston, MA to Newport, OR.
6. Windshield wipers were invented by a woman named Mary Anderson. She patented them in 1903.
7. The nitromethane fuel used to power Top Fuel Dragsters costs $16 per gallon.
8. The fastest known time for replacing a car engine is 42 seconds. Gareth Lloyd did so in 1985.
9. Many vehicles have an arrow on the fuel gauge that points to which side of the vehicle the gas cap is on. Take a look!
10. In Youngstown, OH, running out of gas is against the law. It’s considered a “Minor Misdemeanor.”

via 10 Car & Driving Facts You May Not Know…