The Mike Rock Insurance Difference!
October 1, 2011 | 
Author 
Do you remember the movie Ground Hog Day? The one with the infamous Ned Ryerson character. Whether Ned makes you laugh or wince, or simply makes you want to run the other direction, he represents the stereotype of my chosen profession, the Insurance Agent. You have to love him a bit because he cares so much about selling insurance. But on the other hand he’s a consumer’s nightmare, the sales guy who won’t go away, the one who cares more about making the sale than he cares about the needs of his client.
In addition to the pushy sales person we also have the competition in the form of Flo, Cavemen, and Lizards. What we are at Mike Rock Insurance is real. We take pride in being honest and professional. And isn’t that what you want your insurance agent to be? We strive to work individually with each of our clients to be sure they have the right protection for their situation…and every situation is different!
We will be using this blog to educate you on insurance and things you should think about as you make insurance decisions. Insurance is an important part of our lives. Some of it is mandatory; e.g., auto and home insurance, but many others are not; e.g., life and health. And it’s those others that are as equally important as the mandatory.
Mike Rock
Agency Owner
Posted in 
The Most Common Types of Lawsuits
This is why insurance matters!
Here’s our list of some of the most common types of personal injury lawsuit cases:
Automobile Accident Lawsuits
Automobile accidents are one of the most common personal injury cases. They can involve high medical bills that may make it difficult for you to pay living expenses, keep you from working temporarily or permanently, and often leads to stress both emotional and financial. The lawsuit process for auto accidents is often lengthy, and may take several years.
Injuries to Children
Injuries to children are perhaps one of the hardest types of injury cases in which to receive financial compensation, just because there is much to prove in regards to who was at fault.
While judges and juries have sympathy for children, they also consider that the adults may be pursuing the case only for the money. In addition, insurance companies sometimes contend that an injury to a child is a result of his/her own negligence.
For example, if a child got hit by a car, the insurance company might say the child ran into the street and call it a “pedestrian dart-out” case. On the other hand, personal injury lawyers will normally call this a “pedestrian knock-down” case.
In cases where children have been injured, it is important to take photos of the accident scene and talk to any witnesses. This will typically help strengthen your defense. The younger the child is, however, the weaker your case is for non-negligence in most instances.
Slip and Fall
Slip and fall cases are very common.
In a slip and call case, a common defense is to contend that “comparative negligence” was involved.
What is comparative negligence? It essentially means that the victim might have had an accident because they failed to avoid the hazard when in fact it could have been evaded. When this defense is used, juries will take into account whether the plaintiff’s negligence contributed to the accident.
Slip and fall cases our often complex. For example, a person may have tripped when entering a store. Here, it is important to prove that the store knew that the slippery floor was a hazard, and should have put a floor mat down or otherwise tried to fix it.
Customers are often referred to as “business invitees,” which means businesses are responsible for their safety. There is also “attractive negligence” as well. Even if someone is trespassing, the owner may be held responsible. As such, if a child wanders into an unfenced pool, the owner could be held liable. Read the rest of this entry »
The importance of a Home Inventory
Did you add new items to your home in 2011? New TV? New computer? New jewelry? Take the time to update or create a home inventory.
Replacing our homes after a loss is very important but replacing our contents is one the most important aspects of picking up the pieces and putting our lives back together. Be prepared. We suggest using an online website such as www.knowyourstuff.org to inventory all of your possessions. We also recommend you take digital photos and/or videos and upload them to a secure website such as www.box.net.
And we will be there when you need us. The process of building trust and peace of mind begins the first time you sit down with one of our agents. It’s not about selling you a policy it’s about you knowing what to do and who to turn to for advice and assistance in the event the unthinkable happens.
What is a “Mutual” insurance company?
As a client of the Mike Rock Insurance Agency you more than likely have one or more policies with Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. The word “mutual” has significance. This means that you and the rest of Nationwide’s policyholders have ownership of Nationwide Insurance. Did you know that?
This differs from insurance companies that are owned by shareholders. These are “stock” owned insurance companies.
One major difference between a mutual insurance company and a stock insurance company is that you do not have to own an insurance policy to be a partial owner of a stock insurance company. Acquiring ownership of a stock insurance company is as easy as placing a trade for shares of that company’s stock. On the other hand, if you want to own a portion of a mutual insurance company, you must become a policyholder.
Stock companies are obligated to focus on the wishes and desires of the shareholders, which may not always be in line with what is actually best for the consumers and policyholders of the insurance company.
Each type of company has a Board of Directors. A stock company’s Board of Directors must answer to the shareholders for its actions and decisions. On the contrary, a mutual company’s Board of Directors represents the policyholders. To see who the Nationwide Board of Directors are Click Here.