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Re: Re: [RC] re: Helmets - Lif StrandAt 09:24 AM 9/21/2009, scswag@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:But that's the problem isn't it..."just want to be left alone to do their thing" their own thing effects all of us.. it causes insurance rates to increase because they don't wear helmet or the inability to ride in parks because of lawsuits. Just talk to any riding facility and ask them how much their liability insurance has increased over the past 10 years. Even when the person signs a waiver any lawyer will find a loophole. All of this is not because of lack of helmets but it's a portion. The overall rate of claims due to not wearing a helmet is small compared to all potential claims (including non-horse related). All insurance rates have gone up everywhere - ask any non-horse business and you'll get the same answer. Insurance companies will raise rates for any reason and no reason if they can "prove" it. In fact, relatively speaking, there are so few claims that can be clearly connected to not wearing a helmet when riding that insurance companies could easily cover them without changing any rates and without their shareholders (and executive officers) suffering a reduction in income. The problem is the high number of overall lawsuits in this country - the lawsuits that are brought about because no one wants to take responsibility for anything, everyone wants someone else to pay. You pay for medical insurance, but your medical insurance company doesn't want to pay for your bills, so they sue someone else. What medical insurance - and every other kind of insurance - has come down to is paying for attorneys and the loser pays instead of the insurance company. I believe that getting hurt while not wearing a helmet doesn't affect "all of us" at all. And blaming non-helmet wearers is just plain unfair, because they aren't the problem. If anyone wants to rant and rave about insurance increases, do something pro-active that will make a difference. Believe me, getting 100% of riders to wear helmets isn't going to impact insurance rates one iota. Just talk to any riding facility and ask them how much their liability insurance has gone down because they had 100% helmet use. None, I expect. _____________________________________ Lif C. Strand Local Economic Development Catron County, New Mexico USA www.critterwalls.com life sized wild animal wall stickers check out the 4 ft. wide horse murals! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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