Nearly half of American high school juniors and seniors believe New Year’s Eve is the most dangerous time of year to drive. And it’s no wonder. New Year’s Eve also is the occasion when they most frequently drive after drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

A survey by Liberty Mutual and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) of nearly 2,300 students in 11th and 12th grade found that 10 percent had driven on New Year’s Eve after drinking alcohol or taking drugs. That compares with:

• 8 percent on Fourth of July.
• 6 percent each on prom night, at homecoming and around high school football games.
• 5 percent at school dances and other events.
• 4 percent around graduation.

The news is not all bad, though.

At least nine of every 10 teen drivers say they’d stop driving after drinking booze or smoking marijuana if a passenger asked them. Girls were more likely to make that request than boys.

“New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate both the past year and the possibilities of the year to come, yet far too often poor decisions by teens result in tragic injuries and deaths,” Stephen Wallace, senior adviser at SADD, says in a news release. “To avoid a fatal start to the New Year, teen passengers need to use their voices if they have concerns about their friends’ behaviors. They will be heard.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 31 percent of drivers age 15 to 20 who were killed in car crashes in 2008 had been drinking alcohol.

It’s estimated that in the five years after a drunken driving conviction, an offender’s car insurance bill can jump by $5,000 to $10,000. With teens already coughing up more money for car insurance that older drivers are because of their inexperience behind the wheel, the price is even steeper when you add a DWI to the mix.

The language of car insurance can be pretty dry. So can the language of the courts. A judge in Pennsylvania has managed to spice up both.

Bard of the Bench: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin.

In what you might call a case of poetic justice, Justice J. Michael Eakin of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court authored an opinion about a car insurance fraud conviction entirely in rhyming fashion.

In a six-page ruling issued Dec. 21, Eakin overturned the fraud conviction of Daniel Goodson III, but not without a heavy dose of literary flair. Eakin is known for waxing poetic in court opinions — something that has drawn criticism from other judges.

The court ruled 4-2 in Goodson’s favor. By the way, the dissenting opinion didn’t rhyme.

The How Appealing blog first alerted the world to Eakin’s latest poetic performance. WSJ.com’s Law Blog and the ABA Journal’s Law News Now blog also have chimed in, along with The TortsProf Blog and The Associated Press.

Eakin’s car insurance fraud opinion reads as if it came right out of a British Literature 101 course. Here’s an example:

In January, 2001, appellant’s car was in a collision.
His insurer totaled the aging New Yorker, then made a just division
of the value of the insurance claim, sending $6,289 to the lender;
the balance of $135, to appellant they made tender.
And thus the matter terminated, or so one might have thought,
but that was not to be, when Goodson’s later schemes were caught.

Dissatisfied with his monetary settlement from the crash, Goodson forged a $6,289 check that was made to look like it was from State Farm.

Eakin picks up the story from there:

Of course the crime soon came to light, as agents of State Farm
refused to pay the check he’d forged, which forestalled further harm:
“It’s not from us, there is no claim, the check we cannot honor!”
And appellant’s scheme was thus undone — he knew he was a goner.
When braced, he paid the money back, a mitigating solution,
but despite this act, the Commonwealth commenced its prosecution.

Convicted of the forgery, insurance fraud, and theft,
he admits the first and last, but denies the charge that’s left.
He claims the sentence for insurance fraud is most certainly amiss —
he says “I may be guilty, but I’m just not guilty of this.
My sentence is inappropriate — undo the wrongful conviction.”
And in the end, seeks this relief from our appellate jurisdiction.

Here, Eakin explains why the court threw out the insurance fraud conviction:

Because he made no insurance claim, nor a proffer to an insurer,
he didn’t commit insurance fraud, and neither judge nor juror
can to the contrary rightly find, even if they’d like to.
Two crimes are strikes, but not the third — the count is but strike two,
and while those strikes are such that he’s not going to walk,
on this last pitch we have no choice but to call a figurative balk.
Sentenced on the other crimes, he surely won’t go free,
but we find he can’t be guilty of this final felony.

You’ve got wonder whether Goodson, the man who appealed the fraud conviction, appreciates the language of the Bard of the Bench. Perhaps Goodson simply wanted a ruling in plain English (or, in the case of the courts, plain legalese). But in the end, the man got what he sought and maybe learned a literary lesson in the process.

Here’s Eakin’s final word(s) on the Goodson case:

Convictions for the forgery and theft are approbated —
the sentence for insurance fraud, however, is vacated.
The case must be remanded for resentencing, we find,
so the trial judge may impose the result he originally had in mind.
What Goodson did is serious, but doesn’t comprise this crime —
there’s simply no rhyme nor reason for it, for these reasons (and in rhyme).

Take care when driving to Grandma’s house this holiday season. A fender-bender could occur when you’re going over the river or through the woods.

The nonprofit Consumer Federation of America estimates that more than 325,000 car crashes will happen from Dec. 23, 2011, to Jan. 2, 2012. AAA estimates 27 percent of Americans will travel by car at least 50 miles during that period.

The consumer group predicts those holiday crashes will trigger 200,000 to 225,000 car insurance claims.

Mark Romano, the federation’s director of insurance claims projects, has written a guide called “Navigating the Auto Claims Maze: Getting the Settlement You Deserve” to help motorists file successful car insurance claims and collect fair settlements.

“It is our hope that this report will make the auto claims process a lot less intimidating and confusing for drivers who are unfortunate enough to be in an accident during the holiday season,” Romano says.

The guide can be downloaded at www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/Auto-Insurance-Navigating-Auto-Claims-Guide-12-14-11.pdf.

When a car insurance company declares your car a complete loss, it’s “totaled.” But can a dog injured by a vehicle be “totaled” as well?

In the case of one Colorado woman, the answer is yes. Marcia Pinkstaff now owns a “totaled” dog.

Pinkstaff told Denver TV station KMGH that her 9-year-old Lab mix, Sasha, was struck by a minivan recently in Parker, Colo., southeast of Denver. Sasha’s injuries include damage to her lungs, liver and diaphragm.

A car insurance company has “totaled” Sasha, a 9-year-old dog injured by a minivan in Parker, Colo. Photo credit: KMGH-TV

The driver’s car insurance company, Farmers Insurance, said it would pay for one or two trips to the veterinarian for Sasha, then would “total out” Pinkstaff’s dog. The company even offered to pay for a “replacement” dog.

“I don’t see how you could total out a family pet,” Pinkstaff told the TV station.

“I was horrified,” Pinkstaff said. “They said they were totaling out my dog. It broke my heart because she is like a child to me.”

Unlike people, dogs are considered property in the eyes of a car insurance company and are covered under the property damage portion of a car insurance policy.

“I’d never heard of anybody totaling out a dog before,” Pinkstaff said. “I think it’s horrible.”

Jerry Davies, a spokesman for Farmers, said “totaling out” is industry jargon referring to property damage.

“I’m very sorry about the circumstances,” Davies told KMGH. “I have a dog, too.”

“We have issued reimbursement of payment for the initial expenses,” Davies added, “and will continue to work with her on payment of those bills.”

Pinkstaff said she’s grateful that Sasha survived.

“I would like to see the driver’s insurance company take care of the bills,” she said. “And if the insurance won’t, I would like the driver to take care of it.”

Good news for GEICO car insurance customers in California.

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has approved GEICO car insurance rates that will reduce premiums for California policyholders by 10.7 percent. In all, more than 717,000 GEICO policyholders in California will save $91 million a year, according to Jones.

The average GEICO car insurance policyholder in California will save $127 a year, according to Jones. In the Los Angeles area, the average customer will save $238 a year. In the San Diego area, average savings will be $163 a year.

Jones says: “It is good news when consumers pay less for premiums and are able to keep more of their earnings.”

The rate decrease takes effect Aug. 15.

GEICO is California’s seventh largest car insurer.

One of the perks of being the quarterback who led his team to a Super Bowl championship is that lucrative endorsement deals tend to come at you faster than a defensive lineman.

Since quarterbacking the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl XLV victory in February over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Aaron Rodgers has signed a few endorsement deals, including ones with Milwaukee’s Associated Bank and ESPN Milwaukee. He also plugged Disney in a post-Super Bowl commercial. (For his on-the-field success, Rodgers just picked up the 2011 “Best NFL Player” honor at ESPN’s ESPY awards program.)

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers appears in an ad for a personal injury law firm in Milwaukee.

But in an unintentional nod to all of the Packers “Cheeseheads” — fans of the NFL team who don gigantic hats shaped like a wedge of cheddar cheese — Rodgers is appearing in some cheesy TV ads for Gruber Law Offices LLC, a Milwaukee law firm that handles car accidents and other personal injury cases. In one of the TV spots, Rodgers and personal injury attorney David Gruber team up to teach viewers about car insurance.

‘Hi, I’m Aaron Rodgers’

“Hi, I’m Aaron Rodgers,” the ad begins. “David Gruber and I have been discussing what protections auto insurance provides if you’re in an accident. There are four types of coverage, right David?”

“Right,” Gruber responds.

(Before we go any further, are we really supposed to believe that Rodgers and Gruber have been gabbing about car insurance? You’d think they would have been dishing about the NFL lockout or reliving the Packers’ Super Bowl glory.)

Gruber then ticks off the types of car insurance you can buy:

• “Liability coverage protects you if you cause an accident.”
• “Medical payments coverage helps cover medical bills.”
• “Uninsured coverage protects you if the other driver does not have insurance.”
• “Underinsured coverage protects if you if the other driver doesn’t have enough.”

Back to Aaron…

“Speak with your agent to make sure you’re fully protected,” Rodgers says.

(Actually, Aaron, we think that’s good advice.)

Finally, back to David …

“Gruber Law Offices. One call, that’s all.”

In the car insurance commercial, Rodgers and Gruber (both wearing dark suits) are seated in generic dark chairs that are placed in front of a polished-wood office table. Behind them is a blue background. Rodgers’ Super Bowl ring is clearly visible on his right hand.

‘Exceptional role model’

What, you say, prompted Rodgers to do ads for a personal injury attorney? Well, we can figure out the basic reason: Money.

In a posting on its website, A.V. Club Milwaukee offers further insight: “We can only speculate as to what favors Gruber called in to nab Rodgers for these commercials, or just how listless and frightfully available the ongoing NFL lockout has rendered the Super Bowl MVP.”

Gruber tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he met Rodgers last year at a fundraising event.

“I believe Aaron serves as an exceptional role model for others, most importantly the youth of our society,” Gruber says in an email to the Journal Sentinel. “Aaron is young, aggressive and believes in doing the right thing for others, as I do. He carries himself with class at all times. Aaron is an inspiration to others with his work ethic, passion and leadership, both on and off the field. ”

Gruber adds: “I would like to believe that Gruber Law Offices shows the same competitive spirit and passion for our clients and the community. We are truly honored that Aaron has chosen to partner with us.”

By the way, we’re pretty sure Rodgers’ passionless on-air performance in the Gruber ads won’t win him any MVP awards.

If you’re already covered, it’s usually not necessary to purchase rental insurance. If you have car insurance already, the coverage you have on your own vehicle will simply be switched over to your rental during your vacation. Many rental companies will try to sell you liability insurance and personal accident insurance, but these are types of coverage that would be included in your existing car insurance policy. In addition, certain credit card companies such as American Express offer rental car insurance as part of their services, depending on the type of card you have.

The collision damage waiver shifts liability to the insurance company. Although quite expensive, this type of coverage may be worth considering. If you are in a collision, the costs are assumed by the rental company, not your insurance provider. This can increase the likelihood that you will be able to secure cheap insurance quotes in the future.

Your best bet is to plan ahead. You don’t want to get caught without adequate coverage, but you shouldn’t get stuck paying for duplicate coverage either. The best strategy is to contact your car insurance provider before your trip to find out exactly what types of coverage you have and what you should consider purchasing. Taking the time to do this will protect you and help you get cheap insurance quotes in the future because it will ensure you are complying with all standards and regulations.

Financial Stability – Would you consider investing in a sinking ship? Obviously, your answer would be a ‘no,’ which is why you need to examine the financial stability of an insurance company. Are you wondering how to conduct such checks? Don’t worry about the checking process too much. You can read reviews online, search financial and business related sites and evaluate an insurer’s financial stability.

First-Hand Experiences – Nothing creates a lasting impression like first hand experiences. You can judge an insurance company’s credibility simply by talking to other insurance policy holders. Find out how their experience has been with the company and its insurance representatives. Ask whether they were cooperative when the policyholders filed their claims.

Customer Service – An organization’s vision is realized only when its customer service is impeccable. In this era of economic uncertainty, it is important to check how effective the company’s customer service strategies have been.

Compare Websites – Comparing one product to another is essential to understand the best option. To know which insurance company is reliable and trustworthy, visit websites that rate car insurance companies on the basis of reported data on customer satisfaction, quality of service and policy terms and conditions that are offered. Highly rated insurance companies are considered the safest alternative..

Bills and Payment Options – Evaluate the terms and conditions attached with the monthly, semi-annual or annual payment of insurance premiums. Most car insurance providers charge a fee for extending a monthly payment scheme. In addition, some companies may require advance payment for a month.

Online Presence – Check the insurer’s virtual presence and visibility. Quality car insurance companies have an impressive online presence to facilitate automatic generation of quotes.

Selecting the right car insurance company requires considerable thought and evaluation. That is why CarInsuranceQuotes.com partners with a number of insurance companies to provide the best car insurance quotes available within your state. Our quotes, tips and up-to-date information are just a click away. So, visit our easy-to-use site and get your car insurance quote without delay.

If you currently have cheap auto insurance and you declare bankruptcy, your premium will not suddenly skyrocket. The auto insurance company will be unaware of your bankruptcy, unless you request a review of your policy or if you buy a new car. So, you obviously don’t want to volunteer the information to your auto insurance company, or give them any reason to review your policy. You should wait as long as possible before purchasing a new car or requesting a policy review, so your rates don’t go up sooner than they have to.

The only way the bankruptcy will affect your rates is when you actually do shop for auto insurance quotes. The bankruptcy will appear on your credit report, and therefore result in a higher auto insurance quote than if you had good credit.

But, good credit is not the only determining factor when getting an auto insurance quote. Other factors such as driving history, type of car, where you live, etc. weigh just as heavily. So, while the bankruptcy will have an affect, it will not be the only variable. Its also important to note that car insurance companies are also not allowed to deny you insurance because of a bankruptcy.

The best advice is to hold on to your old car and continue with your current policy as long as possible.