Could the early adopters of the automobile envision a mixed up system like we have today for auto insurance? Before there were interstate highways, high speed limits, traffic lights everywhere and so many lanes that is hard to figure out what lane is the correct one to drive on, driving was fun and carefree. The early adopters who bought their first Model T Ford drove that car on dirt roads because we didn't have hundreds of thousands of miles of pavement. Driving was fun and wasn't so complicated. Fast forward a hundred years and now we have a road and highway system that my great grandfather would be overwhelmed if he was alive today to drive on them. Cars aren't just transportation to take you to the store for some milk. Autos of today are nicer than most people's homes. Autos have air conditioning standard. Not all homes have air conditioning. Autos have air bags for protection, seat belts for protection, leather seats, stereos, automatic windshield washers.

Unfortunately the fun of driving like my great granddaddy did in "the day" is far gone. I cannot imagine great grandpa having road rage or driving with the windows down and the air conditioner blasting. He would die if he knew this stuff. Oh, sorry, he's already dead but you get the point.

I wonder who filed the first law suit against a driver for negligence. Was it someone who was a pedestrian and run over by old grandpa? Was it the car that old grandpa hit when he turned left and didn't look? Good thing we have air bags and seat belts or we would have even more auto claims. I cannot imagine anymore since the number now is staggering. The damage to property and/or person by the driver of an automobile in the 21st century is obscene. We've had clients who were really innocent but were charged with responsibility for auto accidents. How about this young man who was driving home one evening: He was not drunk or on drugs. He was not speeding. Before he could stop, he hit a motorcycle and its driver. Was the motorcycle driving along legally and my driver just didn't see him and they hit? No... No... No... The motorcycle and driver were lying face down in the middle of a busy highway. Why lying down, you ask? Because he was drunk. The motorcycle driver was drunk and fell off his motorcycle with no help of anyone except himself. His motorcycle's lights and engine were off. My client said it was too late to stop by the time he saw the drunken motorcycle driver and his motorcycle. Now this seems clear cut. My client couldn't possibly be guilty of anything. WRONG... My client was charged with the accident and his automobile insurance paid the drunken motorcyclist several hundred thousand dollars for injuries sustained.

This comes back to the title of my article: Is There Anything New with Auto Insurance? I can honestly say that there is nothing new in this crazy mixed up world. It's not great granddad's world so we recommend that all clients buy maximum liability limits and umbrella liability policies because you just never know if some drunk will be laying face down in the road.

- Larry Freudenberg