Insurance | Allen Flatt Ballidis & Leslie Blog
Rising Insurance Rates & What You Can Do

If you are like most people, you’ve probably noticed insurance rates are at an all-time high. Most carriers have increased their rates by an average of 18-20% per year for auto insurance—and an average 25-30% increase for homeowners’ insurance. To this end, we thought it might be valuable to take a moment and explore some of reasons for these recent escalations and offer our support during these inflationary times.
Investigator, Brian Lew, Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Allen Flatt Ballidis & Leslie

Congratulations to our firm’s investigator, Brian Lew, as we celebrate his 30th anniversary with Allen Flatt Ballidis & Leslie!
Brian’s work is crucial, and for over three decades he has been providing valuable information to help our clients achieve the very best outcomes. Brian interviews witnesses, reviews evidence, interacts with law enforcement agencies, adjusts property damage claims, and negotiates with insurance carriers. He is typically the first to interact with potential new clients, and Brian is consistently described as an excellent listener and a very patient person. When he’s not helping fight for our clients, he’s enjoying family time and traveling to his son’s basketball games. Happy 30th anniversary Brian!
To learn more about Allen Flatt Ballidis & Leslie and our team, visit www.allenflatt.com/team.
Why Giving a Recorded Statement After an Accident Is Not Such a Good Idea!

Have you ever been involved in a car, motorcycle, bicycle, or other vehicle accident, and when you’re calling to report the accident with your insurance company, an insurance adjustor asks you for a recorded statement? We genuinely hope you are never a victim of personal injury, but if you are someday…
Here are some strong reasons why giving the insurance company a recorded statement is bad idea.
If Another Driver Hit You, Here’s How to Get Their Insurance Information

Following a car accident, every driver involved is required to make sure the other drivers are safe, contact the police, and share their driver’s license information with each other. However, California law does not require drivers to share insurance information, which is vital if any of them wish to file an auto accident claim against the other.
Am I Covered for That? Incidents Your Insurance Policy Will Cover

Most of us carry various types of insurance including auto, health, life, homeowners, and some more unusual polices for GAP that covers the balance of a loan when your vehicle is declared a total loss. Or if you are Jennifer Lopez, you can actually insure your ASSets!
Other Types of Insurance Coverage You May Want to Consider

As we explained in the blog “Uninsured and Underinsured Automobile Insurance: Why You Need It,” if you drive in California, you are required to carry liability insurance. Liability insurance is intended to protect other drivers should you cause an accident. The blog also explained why it’s a good idea to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. But there are other types of auto insurance coverage available that you may want to consider adding to your policy. Let’s examine them:
Uninsured and Underinsured Automobile Insurance: Why You Need It

Auto insurance is mandatory in California and most other states. But people don’t like to spend a lot of money on something they may never need or use. That type of mindset often causes drivers to opt for the minimum coverage allowed by the state, or to buy discount insurance they see advertised on TV. But as your grandmother may have said to you when you were a kid, there’s such a thing as being “penny wise and pound foolish.”
The Importance Of Gap Insurance For Southern California Drivers

Do you have Gap Insurance for your vehicle? Many times consumers have no idea what Gap Insurance is or why they may need to purchase this important coverage when buying a vehicle.
Essentially, Gap Insurance covers the difference (the gap) between what your vehicle is worth and how much you owe on the car. Gap Insurance comes into play if your car is stolen or totaled (damaged to the point that repair would cost more than the car is worth) and the loan balance exceeds the value of the car.
Concerns About General Motors Rental Ride-Share Service
Maven, a car sharing platform run by General Motors Company, is a new service to let owners of its cars rent them out and earn money, as the automaker makes an effort to move into selling rides as a service instead of just building vehicles.
The idea is to let GM customers put their cars into Maven's fleet, using its app the same way Airbnb Inc. enables people to rent out their homes. Maven rents cars out for hours or days at a time the same way as other rental car companies would. If this way to do business becomes successful, Maven will get more cars to rent out without carrying assets on its books, while GM customers have a way to earn some extra cash.
Do You Need An Umbrella Policy?
For most families it would be financially devastating to experience a lawsuit following an automobile accident. If you’d like to protect your assets, an umbrella policy could provide the extra coverage that you need. What does an umbrella policy cover?
An umbrella policy provides additional liability protection. If somebody sues you, this policy picks up where your homeowner’s or a car insurance coverage leaves off. Coverage may include everything from legal fees to the settlement amounts associated with a lawsuit.
Even if you aren't sure you have a case, give us a call at (888) 752-7474, or fill out our Free Case Review below.
We are here to help.