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This year, Veterans Day takes on particular historic significance: Nov. 11, 2018, marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First WorldWar. Countries around the world will commemorate the signing of this peace agreement with moments of silence, centennial ceremonies, and historical exhibits. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day is a celebration of life. It’s a day to honor the power of peace and the living veterans across the globe who have served their countries. This November, take a moment to remember the war that helped shape the international community’s dedication to peace and thank the individuals who served to defend it. The Great War By 1914, a world war had been years in the making, but the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by a
Serbian nationalist provided the spark that would eventually burn down much of Europe. A chain reaction of land disputes, pre-emptive attacks, and strategic alliances brought over 30 countries into WorldWar I. The Great War that ravaged Europe resulted in a devastating loss of life, but from those ashes rose a renewed appreciation for the importance of peace and a global effort to ensure its place in the future. The Restoration of Peace In 1918, Germany surrendered unconditionally, and the armistice ended the fighting at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, though the war did not officially end until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles the following July. An estimated 16 million soldiers and civilians died in just four years, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in modern history.
Veterans Day Originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day was first observed on Nov. 11, 1919, to honor the one-year anniversary of the armistice, and it became a U.S. holiday in 1938. Today, Veterans Day celebrates veterans who served their country honorably. The U.K., France, Australia, and Canada also commemorate their veterans in November. If you know a veteran, thank them for their service this month.
Why Underinsured Motorist Coverage Is Often the Most Important Car Insurance You Can Purchase
You already know that, in Indiana, more than 16 percent of people driving have no insurance. That doesn’t take into account the fact that, of all the drivers who are insured, about 20 percent have just the minimum $25,000 of coverage. That means that if you are a victim of a car accident, at least 36 percent of the time, the at-fault driver will have no insurance or will only have minimum coverage. That’s the reason you need underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. An underinsured policy provides coverage for damages caused by a driver who has a policy that is not large enough to cover all of your damages. In essence, your UIM coverage will pay for damages on top of the coverage provided by the other driver. For example, let’s say you are an accident victim and the other driver only has $25,000 of coverage. If you have damages valued at $250,000 and you
have underinsured coverage of $250,000, you should be paid the full value of your claim. You could receive $25,000 from the liability coverage of the at-fault driver and $225,000 from your underinsured coverage, for a total amount of $250,000.
I recently worked on a case for more than a year trying to get a client’s bills and Medicare lien reduced and get him some money in his pocket. He had just retired. He was looking forward to time with grandkids and playing a lot of golf. On the way home, another driver crossed the center line. My client suffered multiple broken bones and needed several surgeries totaling nearly $200,000. The case had a value of well over $1 million, but the other driver only had $50,000 of coverage, and my client only had $50,000 of underinsured motorist coverage. There was no way my client would be compensated fairly for his injuries. The best we could do was get some of his bills and liens waived or reduced. Clearly, it would have been an entirely different ending if the at-fault driver had had better insurance or our client had possessed higher underinsured motorist coverage.
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