Advance Auto Zone

Contrary to popular belief, other people besides soccer moms own minivans. As a matter of fact, minivans are becoming increasingly popular as the family car. Sales numbers have shown that the minivan is quickly gaining ground on the SUV. Why wouldn’t it? They are cheaper cost wise, cheaper insurance wise, and are more fuel efficient.

Finding a minivan that’s right for you can be a challenging task. There are an unbelievable array of choices and options such as fold down seats, swinging doors, and safety features. You need a van that fits all of your needs which isn’t an easy thing to do. It’s going to take some homework.

If you’re in the market to buy a new minivan this year, you’ll definitely want to do your homework and research which one will work best for you and your family’s needs. You’ll want to see which gets the best gas mileage, which has the most options, and which has the best pricing. Here is a review by Car and Driver Magazine of 2007’s best minivans:

Chrysler Town and Country – Redesigned from the previous 2005 model, this one is a smooth driver with class-competitive steering and handling, but it isn’t very fast. Whether you’re using it as a work van or a Romper Room on wheels, this one is for you. High Points: 250 possible seat configurations, full set of standard and optional safety equipment. Low Points: Its basic chassis hasn’t been updated for a while, lags behind others in its class in modernity and refinement.

Honda Odyssey – This one is five-time Trucks trophy winner in the van category. It’s a quiet, refined, and roomy vehicle, with quality materials and exemplary ergonomics. It abounds with safety features, and from the driver’s seat it’s the best van on the market. Highs: Smooth singing V-6, fold-into-the-floor third-row seat, comfortable ride, precise steering and handling, spacious interior, useful nooks and crannies. Lows: No all-wheel-drive option, with iffy fuel economy.

Hyundai Entourage - The latest version of this minivan is a credible effort to take on the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. Unlike its predecessor, this is a full-size mini with much more power. Roomy and versatile, it has a flip-and-fold second row and a third row that disappears right into the floor. Highs: A sweet combination of size, power, safety features, and value allows this van to play with the big boys. Lows: It takes some muscle to flip the second-row seats, and some of the interior trim is rather cheap-looking.

Mazda 5 - This sporty van has the ride of a sedan, the convenience of a hatchback, the easy access of a minivan, and the utility of a small SUV. Inside, three rows of seating offer great flexibility, with a double-fold mechanism for the second row and a flat-floor design for maximum legroom. Highs: With the high price of gasoline, this may be the ideal compromise. It is a little big car. Lows: Small for a minivan, this is more of a cross between an old-time station wagon and a hatchback.

Nissan Quest – Now we switch over to the largest of the minivans. Its long wheelbase allows for the widest-opening sliding doors in the segment, and its wide track and arching roofline make for a distinctive if whale-like appearance. Inside there are easy-folding second and third rows for up to seven or lots of cargo. Highs: Myriad features to please and entertain, including the spectacular SkyView glass-paneled roof. Lows: Style trumps function in the case of hard-to-see instruments in the outer-space central console.

Toyota Sienna - This version of Toyota’s ultra-practical, Camry-based Sienna was introduced as a 2004 model and was voted one of the 5Best Trucks that year. The Sienna’s interior is rife with hooks, grab bars, storage spaces, and power sockets. All-wheel drive is available on all but the base CE model. Highs: Everything a minivan should be; it’s roomy, versatile and well built. Lows: The steering is slightly isolated and it isn’t very sexy. It’s a minivan. What were you expecting?

Any one of these cars on this list is available at a dealership near you and sold for a reasonable price.

For further information on any of these trucks listed above be sure to check Car and Driver Magazine available for purchase at Magsforless at magsforless.com www.magsforless.com. They sell over 75 different automotive magsforless.com cheap magazines and hundreds of other magsforless.com magazine subscriptions to choose from.

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Some time ago I wrote an article for the absolutely sensational ARTICLE CITY regarding the handling of your personal injury claim regarding how one should proceed to collect for their LOST WAGES.

Since then I’ve been asked so many questions about that subject matter I’ve decided to go into even greater depth regarding this highly complicated subject matter. So, here we go:

GENERALLY SPEAKING: If you’re claiming five weeks of lost wages, and your Medical Record shows you were discharged in three, you’re in deep “stuff“! You’re chances of collecting for those additional two weeks is probably minus-zip.

No matter who says what you must make sure that the Final Medical Report, is handed to you - - only you - - nobody else !

Why ? So you’ll have a chance to read it before you hand it to Adjuster Henry Hard-Nose employed by Rock Solid Insurance Corporation.

In the event that the report doesn’t have everything in it that it should (which I’ve expressed in detail below) you have every right to return it to Medical Doctor or Chiropractor who wrote it and ask that it be rewritten in clear language, detailing and explaining the pain, discomfort and suffering they observed you experienced.

It if isn’t executed correctly Rock Solid Insurance and Hard-Nose will absolutely swoon with joy because the value of your claim will have done a nose dive into the nearest sewer. Why? Because your Final Medical Report has been executed in a sloppy manner and they know, in their secret heart’s, that even though you went through a tremendous period of “Pain and Suffering” if it’s not adequately spelled out your claim suddenly has much less value !

Assuming your Final Medical Report has been written accurately that’s money in the bank! But, far too often they’re dashed off in haste by a “Busy-Busy” Attending Physician or Chiropractor. Don’t let that happen to you because, if it does, that hot, slick tongue you feel on you’re lips, and sliding into your throat, is the result of the kiss of death that’s being given to you moments before your seduction.

SICK LEAVE OR VACATION TIME:

If you had to take sick leave, or vacation time, during the time you missed from work, it’s absolutely part of your claim. Never forget you would have been entitled to use that sick leave and/or vacation time, - - later on down the road - - when you needed or wanted it.

NEVER FORGET: If you’re forced to take either (because of a motor vehicle accident) it’s the same as losing the pay itself. Don’t let Hard-Nose attempt to pull his usual “Con Job” and tell you any differently!

LOSS OF PAY VS. TRIPS TO YOUR ATTENDING PHYSICIAN:

If your Lost Wage Document, which was executed by the company you work for, states that you didn’t work during the same period you were being treated by your attending physician, that’s all the proof you need to be compensated for your “lost earnings”.

HOWEVER: If your doctor didn’t treat you any longer after a certain date (even though stated and detailed in your Lost Wage Document) than your chances of recovery for your lost wages, after that particular date, are minus zip!

BACK TO WORK BUT STILL TREATING:

If you’ve returned to work, but you’re still being treated by your attending physician, that Lost Wage Document should clearly state the date and hours you missed when you had to leave work and make that day trip to see your doctor and/or receive treatment.

BACK TO WORK HOWEVER NOT BACK AT YOUR USUAL, NORMAL, ROUTINE ASSIGNMENT:

During my almost 40 years in the business of insurance claims I often ran into a situation where the claimant insisted they were unable to return to their old job and this caused them to have a lesser income. However, there were many times when the only proof of this was their verbal contention and that was unacceptable .

That’s why it’s so important (should this apply to you and your work/income situation) that this is clearly spelled out , by the company where you’re employed, in their Lost Wage Report. An official notation on the bottom of the document, stating this to be true, can save you a lot of grief, and a earn you a ton of money!

LOSS OF OVERTIME PAY:

The overtime you lost is a legit claim. Get a letter from your employer spelling out the amount of money you lost in overtime. They can do this by taking a look at last years income, during the same period you were laid up, then figuring out the overtime income you lost, for that identical space in time. Once this has been determined THIS TOO should written into your Lost Wage Report.

ONE LAST WARNING

The inside claims people at Rock Solid Insurance Corporation and adjusters like Henry Hard-Nose are buried alive with hundreds (sometimes thousands!) of claimants who are going through a great deal of “Pain and Suffering”, and they just don’t have the time to properly consider the seriousness of what you‘ve had to deal with, no matter how legitimate it may be.

You ask, “How can Dan be so sure about that” ? The answer is very simple, “Because I’ve been there and done that”.

HOWEVER: If you follow what I’ve laid out above, you’ll stay ahead of them, win the ball game and be awarded all the lost wage damage’s that are owed to you - - PLUS increase that additional payment for your “Pain and Suffering” !

DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this article MORE ON LOST WAGES is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Neither Dan Baldyga, Peter Go nor ARTICLE CITY make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever; NOR do they purport to engage in rendering any professional or legal service, to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, or claims consultant, or the like. Where such professional help is desired it is the INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.

All of the information necessary for you to deal with and handle the above issues are spelled out within the contents of Dan Baldyga’s latest book Auto Accident Personal Injury Insurance Claim (How To Evaluate and Settle Your Loss) be found on the internet at caraccidentclaims.com” target=”_new caraccidentclaims.com or autoaccidentclaims.com” target=”_new autoaccidentclaims.com. This book also contains BASE (The Baldyga Auto Accident Settlement Evaluation Formula). THE BASE FORMULA will tell you exactly how many dollars the “Pain and Suffering” you endured because of your accident - - are worth!

Copyright 2004 by Daniel G. Baldyga All Rights Reserved

About The Author

Dan Baldyga is now retired and spends his time writing articles to assist those who are involved in motor vehicle accident claims so they won’t be taken advantage of: mailto:dbpaw@comcast.net dbpaw@comcast.net.

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Many trucking associations are being run by former employees and executives of larger trucking companies now. What is happening is that they are working very tightly with government regulators at the DOT, at the State and Federal levels to promote the Large trucking company agenda. This is killing small businesses or the Independent Trucker or small trucking companies, who are already being stressed to the max from higher insurance rates, government fees, over regulation and intense fuel prices.

By limiting the abilities of the smaller companies to compete, the trucking associations are systematically helping larger companies by killing their competition. If the Trucking Associations are funded by big business and they fund the politicians and have time to sit in committees and make rules and regulations with bureaucrats then the Independent Truck Driver who provides a nice level of competition, competency and customer service to the shippers, will be completely wiped out, as the rules benefit the larger companies. What happened to “De-regulation” one has to ask?

One trucking association that we found to be problematic with their power base was the Illinois Trucking Association, but it is not alone nor to be singled out, in fact there are seven in all that we found to be abusing their power all under the auspice of safety or national security. Yet in reality many of the larger trucking companies are paying extremely low wages and they are hiring folks fresh out of prison and drivers with zero-experience, they train them to get their CDL in two weeks.

If our nation allows this to continue we will go back to a regulated trucking industry as before and this will cause artificial inflation on everything the consumers buys, because everything must be shipped, all so a few companies can get rich in an industry void of competition. The regulators and DOT claims that they have cut down on accidents thru their regulations, that is not so, as they have allowed independent truck drivers with years of experience to go out of business and newbie drivers and criminals with no experience to fill the ranks.

America, we have a problem in trucking and we need to look at the heart of the problem, not blame it on the independent truck drivers or use scare tactics in the media to incite further rule making guaranteeing the law of unintended consequences. Think on it.

L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entreprenuer worldthinktank.net worldthinktank.net . Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by Calling-Plans.com Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

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