I recently had a conversation with my auto insurance agent and decided to take the time to get a breakdown on the different aspects of my policy. Now, I’d like to pass on that information to you in case you’ve ever wondered just what you are paying for every month.

The purpose of auto insurance is to ensure that you can cover a financial  loss should you cause an accident. There are several components to your automobile policy:

• Bodily Injury: covers medical bills for a person injured in an accident you cause. In many cases, this coverage will extend to an individual driving your car with your permission.
• Property Damage Liability: covers damage done to property in an accident that you cause. This can include damage to another person’s car, buildings, fences, lamp posts, or any other property that you may hit.
• Collision: protects your vehicle from damage done in an accident. The insurance company will either cover the costs of repairs, or the value of your car if your car is deemed to be totaled. You will likely have to pay a deductible and any other fees allotted by your insurance company.
• Personal Injury Protection: covers injuries you receive during an accident when you are travelling in your car. This insurance covers you whether you are the driver or passenger. Policies often vary but some will cover rehabilitation services, lost wages, and funeral expenses.
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage: protects you if you are ever in an accident with an individual who does not have insurance, or who does not have enough insurance to cover the cost of your property damage or medical expenses.

In Texas, the current state minimum requires that drivers carry $25,000 in  bodily injury coverage with a maximum payout of $50,000 per accident. Drivers are also required to carry $25,000 in property damage coverage. On January 1, 2011, these minimum requirements will increase to $30/60/25.

It is against the law to drive without the minimum state requirements. In many cities, uninsured drivers risk getting their car impounded if caught driving without proof of insurance.

For more information on automobile coverage, additional ways to adhere to the financial responsibility laws, or the new state limits feel free to call the State of Texas Consumer Help Line at: 800-252-3439. You can also review Automobile Insurance Made Easy, a publication issued by the Texas Department of Insurance.

Traditionally, it was expected that citizens called for jury duty would follow the basic rules given by the Judge:

• Listen to all the evidence presented;
• Disregard any evidence deemed inadmissible;
• Reserve making judgment until the end of the trial;
• Deliberate in secret;
• Reserve discussing the case until discharged from duty.

In these current times, where virtually any and everyone can communicate with the world in “real time,” attorneys and court staff have to adapt the way they treat jurors. During the voir dire process (selection of the jury), attorneys may find it necessary to question potential jury members on their internet usage and how likely they are to refrain from using Facebook throughout the trial. Once the trial begins, it is not uncommon for attorneys to monitor the social media accounts of the jury members to see what is being posted. Additionally, Judges often over-stress the instruction that jurors are not to communicate about the trial to anyone, including through postings on websites.

Some of you may be asking, why does it even matter? Well it all boils down to the 6th Amendment right that affords all of us a right to trial by an impartial jury. Based on the current trend, it’s the “mpartial” requirement that is giving the judicial system so much grief. Noncompliant jury members are also finding that their actions during trial could cost them a lot of money.

In a Michigan case last month, a juror posted that ,”it’s going to be fun to tell the defendant he’s GUILTY” before the trial concluded. Defense attorneys brought the posting to the Judge’s attention and the Judge dimissed the juror, fined him $250, and made him write a 5-page essay on the Constitutional right to a fair trial. In February 2010, a New York juror sent a Facebook “friend” request to a key witness in the criminal trial, clearly violating the Court’s instruction which prevents jurors from communicating with individuals involved in the trial. In March 2009, 9 Florida jurors admitted to the Judge that they conducted their own internet research in the case, causing the Judge to declare a mistrial after eight weeks of evidence had been presented.

The examples are endless. Jury misconduct can, and often does, cost a lot of time and money. Citizens serving on juries must remember why they are sitting in that jury box and refrain from actions that compromise the trial. After all, it’s not just the defendant’s rights that are being preserved, but the rights that we all enjoy. We owe it to ourselves as citizens to act in a way that preserves our Constitutional rights, not threatens them.

This blog post topic is a summary of the internet article posted by Harry Valetk.

For more on this topic, visit the internet article posted by Joel Cohen & Susan Helm.