Declarations

Insurance Scams

“Sadly, senior citizens are among our most vulnerable targets for insurance and financial fraud.”

—New Jersey Dept. of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Ken Kobylowski’s comment during a consumer awareness meeting with senior citizens in Sayreville, N.J., on Oct. 3. Kobylowski advised seniors to be cautious when considering insurance-related financial products such as annuities. He said that while many of these financial products are legitimate and useful, they can be wrongly directed toward seniors.

No Policy, No Lake Access

“If you don’t have a million dollar liability policy, you are not allowed on a public lake.”

—Todd Thorson, the head of Aberdeen Aqua Addicts ski team in South Dakota. Like other ski groups, the Aqua Addicts have a $1 million liability policy through an organization called USA Water Ski. Every member of the Aberdeen Aqua Addicts has to contribute. Each member pays $50 to $80 a year.

Intervenor Intervention

“When outside intervenors are allowed to come in and charge $675 an hour, of course that drives up rates.”

—Robin Swanson, a campaign spokeswoman for No on Prop 45, pointed out many aspects of an initiative on California’s upcoming ballot to raise the medical malpractice cap on pain and suffering as being cost drivers.

Highest Legal Burden

“It’s one of the highest legal burdens of any state in the country.”

—Joanne Doroshow, executive director of New York Law School’s Center for Justice and Democracy, comments on the difficult odds faced by plaintiffs in Texas who may wish to sue over medical errors, especially if they occurred in the emergency room.

A New Wrinkle

“In Florida this is a new wrinkle, where the state is going after people who haven’t even filed a workers’ comp claim, and is essentially taking enforcement of immigration laws into its own hands.”

—Rebecca Smith, deputy director of the nonprofit National Employment Law Project, comments on a raid on a Florida farm that resulted in the arrest of 100 farm workers.