#77 September/October 2005
The Washington Free Press Washington's Independent Journal of News, Ideas & Culture
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TOP STORIES

Dentist Gone Native: The prophetic nutritional research of Dr. Weston Price, DDS
by Dr. Stephen Byrnes

TOWARD A TOXIC-FREE FUTURE from Washington Toxics Coalition
Diazinon ban sends homeowners looking for other insecticides;Washington Lakes Get a Break from Pesticides
articles by Philip Dickey and Erika Schreder

What About the Rank and File? Labor leaders are still ignoring Labor's biggest asset: volunteer members
opinion by Brian King, part 1

MEDIA

MEDIA BEAT by Norman Solomon
Bush's Option to Escalate the War in Iraq: Mainstream media and Democratic leaders are complicit

The Value of a Non-Commercial Newspaper: Do you see it, too?
from the editor

Contributing writer David Bacon again wins national 'Censored' honors; Articles in the Washington Free Press which have won Project Censored 'top 25' rankings
by Doug Collins

FREE THOUGHTS

READER MAIL
Seeking WWI history; Democratic Pary Co-opted; American Christianity: the Jihad Within

WORKPLACE
Breast Perspective: A breastfeeding mom bares feelings about bare breasts
by Tera Schreiber

IMMIGRATION

Virtual Americans: Guilty parents, innocent children
by Domenico Maceri

Undocumented migrants face bigger obstacles, but still come: Arizona Borderlands Report
by Marie & Phil Heft

HEALTH

EPA Unions Call for Nationwide Moratorium on Fluoridation
from US Environmental Protection Agency's National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Chapter 280

Is Your Water Fluoridated?
by Doug Collins

CULTURE

The Canoe Race
anonymous progressive joke

Stock Market Seppuku; Carrizo Plain; White Male Adult, 2001
Three Poems by Robert Pavlik

Unfortunately/Fortunately
humor by Styx Mundstock

The Wanderings and Thoughts of Kip Kellogg, #2
by Vincent Spada

POLITICS

Who's Behind the State Initiatives?
by John Merriam

Reforming Supreme Court Appointments: It's helpful to look at appointment processes in other countries
by Steven Hill

ENVIRONMENT

TRASH TALK by Dave and Lillian Brummet
Water Conservation in the Kitchen; Lawn Mowing
also
"Trash Talk" Authors Win BC Recycling Award

CONTEST
Send us a conservation tip and enter to win a copy of the book "Trash Talk"

NW FORESTS

Trees win in court, but still lose ground
Judge Upholds Protections for Old-Growth Forests;Logging Plan Halted in Old-Growth Reserve
from Cascadia Rising! and Conservation Northwest

State of Cascadia: Dire Straits in Paradise
by Alicia Balassa Clark

How I Spent My Bank of America Officially Sponsored Summer Vacation
by John Doe, Jr., and Glenn Reed

CONTACTS/ACTIVISM

NORTHWEST NEIGHBORS
contact list of subscribers who like to talk with you

DO SOMETHING! CALENDAR
Northwest activist events

WAR & PEACE

Phony terror charges threaten free speech in international anti-war movement
by Guerry Hoddersen, Freedom Socialist Party

Are Americans Immune from Empathy?
opinion by Don Torrence

MISCELLANEOUS

BOB'S RANDOM LEGAL WISDOM by Bob Anderton
Rental Car Insurance: Rip-Off or Necessity?

BOOK NOTICES
"Sprawl Kills: How Blandburbs Steal Your Time, Health and Money" by Joel S. Hirschhorn; "Rational Simplicity" by Tim Covell
from the publishers

New Orleans and the Rubber Ducky Dilemma
by Doug Collins

name of regular

by Bob Anderton

Rental Car Insurance: Rip-Off or Necessity?

Editor's note--Car rentals can certainly be a good method by which people who have decided to "go car-less" can get some occasionally needed wheels. In that light, it's good for everyone to know the ins and outs of dealing with related insurance.

Whenever you rent a car, you will likely be offered a "collision damage waiver" which sounds nice, but often almost doubles the rental cost. This insurance pays for damage to the rental car, even if it's your fault.

Is it worth it? Like many legal questions, the answer is, it depends. For many people, the response should be a strong "no thank you," no matter how hard the sell. Here are a few quick questions to determine whether you should pay for the collision damage waiver:

1) Do you have car insurance? The answer may be more difficult than you think. If you simply have the minimum required liability coverage for Washington State, you do not have "comprehensive" or "collision" coverage. Without these, you do not have coverage for damage to your rental car. To be sure you have coverage, check with your car insurance company.

2) Do you have a credit card? If you pay for your rental car on a credit card, often your credit card will provide this coverage. Check with your credit card company. Some cards provide more coverage than others. Ask what the limits are and consider what the rental car is worth. If you need to make a claim, make sure you file one quickly. Some credit card companies have short filing deadlines.

3) Are you renting outside the USA? Even if you have car insurance, most policies do not cover vehicles outside the USA and Canada. Your credit card may or may not provide coverage. Even if it does, it's a good idea to get something in writing showing that you really are covered.

These questions only answer whether you should pay for the collision damage waiver. Every driver should have liability coverage. Proof of liability insurance is often mandatory. If you have any car insurance, you likely already have liability coverage. However, if you are traveling abroad, it probably won't apply. In this case, purchasing separate liability coverage isn't just a good idea, it may keep you out of jail.

A final word to the wise: even if you pay for a "collision damage waiver," don't think that you need to use it. As amusing as it might be to say, "it's a rental," as you back into a parked car, making a claim may make buying insurance difficult or impossible in the future.

While you may not always get what you pay for, you'll certainly pay for what you get. If you understand the coverage, you don't need to pay for what you don't need.

Bob Anderton represents bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers who have been injured in collisions. He occasionally represents people who have been injured in unsafe places or those whose insurance companies have acted in bad faith. He is also a court-appointed settlement guardian ad litem. Bob can be reached at (206) 262-9290 or bob@andertonlaw.com.


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