Injury Lawyer Larry H. Parker Dies At 75

Above, Larry H. Parker in an early advertisement.

Here's a blast from the past of my days in Los Angeles.

Injury attorney Larry H. Parker of Los Angeles has passed away at age 75.

He was well-known in Los Angeles for his television advertisements and billboards for his personal injury law firm.

According to the L.A. Daily News:

Attorney Larry H. Parker, a decades-long Southern California legal fixture whose television ads and billboards made him almost a household name, has died at age 75, it was reported Friday.

TMZ reported Parker’s death, citing his law partner Ron Beck and Parker’s daughter-in-law. No details about the circumstances or timing of his death were immediately available.

The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker has been in operation for nearly 50 years, now boasting more than 125 attorneys, primarily handling accident and personal injury cases. The firm’s television ads, which are almost unavoidable for Southern California viewers, boast that its attorneys are “successful in 95% of our cases.”

I dealt with his law firm on a number of occasions over the years when I was a casualty claims adjuster. In actuality, the law firm was easy to deal with. His phone number in the ads was easy to remember with its "0000".

In New Mexico, the accident law firm with billboards and television ads similar to Parker's that immediately come to mind is Keller & Keller. 

To read more, go here.

Should You Cancel Your RV’s Insurance While Storing It?

Above, with snow on the ground, my RV is tucked away in its barn. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Having insurance on one's RV is important and, in most cases these days, legally required (particularly liability insurance). 

The question arises, should one cancel their insurance coverage while storing the RV during the winter months?

That is the topic of an article by Gail Marsh at RV Travel. 

She begins with:

We all agree that having RV insurance is a good idea. You never know what dangers await when traveling down the road. A tire suddenly goes flat. You hit a giant pothole. Another car attempts to cut in front of you and, just like that, you’re calling your insurance company! Honestly, who could relax if they traveled without insurance? Not me!

So, you bring the rig home. You winterize it and take it to storage. Then you get out your checkbook and get ready to pay monthly fees on an RV you don’t even use. Should you keep paying for RV insurance on a rig that simply sits for months at a time? Does that make financial sense? Maybe you store your camper in your own backyard. Is it safe to drop insurance if the rig sits there, unused, for up to half the year? These are questions many RVers wonder about – especially as the summer camping season comes to an end.

To read further, go here. 

Hurricane Hilary: Catastrophe For Insurers?

Hurricane Hilary (or rather, Tropical Storm Hilary) has made its way through Southern California. 

Reuters reported:

LOS ANGELES, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The first tropical storm to hit Los Angeles in more than 80 years unleashed floods across parts of Southern California more accustomed to drought, as officials urged the public to stay safe as they began to count the cost of damage.

The National Weather Service downgraded the hurricane to a tropical depression but not before California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for much of Southern California, with flash flood warnings until at least 3 a.m. (1000 GMT) on Monday.

I would not be at all surprised if the insurance claims industry assigns a catastrophe status to this event, along with a catastrophe code number, in the days ahead or have done so already. Major events such as this usually are assigned catastrophe status for anticipated high damage claims. Insurers will be hiring additional claims staff to handle the increased numbers of claims. I served on several catastrophes, the last being the Northridge Earthquake in 1994.

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) defines a catastrophe as an event that causes. $24 million or more in insured property losses and affects a significant number of. property/casualty policyholders and insurers.

It is possible that retired property adjusters, such as myself, are called up to join catastrophe teams. Good money is made in joining catastrophe claim teams.

To read more, go here.

Reminds Me of the Mortgage Meltdown

Above, at Monument Valley last October. I am better off during these
 uncertain times than I was 16 years ago during the Mortgage Meltdown.

The bank collapse, inflation and financial uncertainty in recent weeks (actually in recent years, at least since Biden started occupying the White House) is reminding me more and more of the mortgage meltdown of 2008.

It affected me in a couple of ways. First, I was working for David Morse & Associates, a third-party insurance claims administrator, for a number of non-standard insurers. We handled claims for several of them. 

Trouble started in late 2007. We were getting plenty of claims work, but like a Chinese water torture, co-workers were getting laid off over several weeks. Finally, it was my turn. It was explained to me that the company got a percentage of the premium monies the insurers received as payment for administering their claims. But as the mortgage meltdown started, fewer polices were being underwritten by those insurers. Therefore, our company's income became less and less. So they had to lay off workers.

Next, I had a 401k retirement account. When the meltdown got worse, I started losing money in my account. 

While I was working for the third-party administrator, my supervisor wondered why I would do my periodic shoots to maintain my security gun permit. I told him that it was my hedge in case of job loss in insurance and one gets better pay in security if they have a gun permit. When I got laid off, he then fully understood.

After the lay-off, I worked in security mainly for the medical benefits. I also worked for an independent adjuster, but that job had no benefits. (This was just prior to ObamaCare, which really screwed things up.)

I worked the adjusting job during the day and wrote my reports while at my security posts in the evening or during the graveyard shifts.

In 2015, I decided to retire at age 62. I was financially secure with the work I was doing and from farm income I was receiving (that I inherited in 2010 after my mother passed away). Social Security benefits kicked in during the spring of 2016. 

Now that I am retired and own my own home, I don't have to worry about getting laid off. The house has no mortgage and I am getting my Social Security payments, which covers my monthly living expenses just fine since I don't have rent or house payments to make. I am in full control of my investments, so I have no worries there (I recently made some adjustments to protect them).

On the current situation, Forbes wrote:

Layoffs, return-to-office mandates, hiring freezes and reduced compensation will be results of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse,

It looks like the country might be in or a wild ride...again!

How Likely Will Your RV Be Stolen?

Above, The Beast at the Meteor City Trading Post in Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Insurance covering all kinds of recreational vehicles is relatively cheap in comparison to regular auto insurance. The theory is that one does not drive an RV quite as often as a passenger car, thus reducing risks to the vehicle.

One part of RV insurance, like regular auto insurance, is theft coverage. RVs do on occasion get stolen. Even though a stolen RV is covered by insurance, it is a pain to have to deal with the red tape in the claims process.

RV Travel posted an article on how likely it is that one's RV will be stolen. It is interesting to read as it also tells of the kinds of RVs preferred by thieves and where it will most likely be stolen. 

They begin with:

Every week, RVtravel.com publishes news of stolen RVs in its Sunday newsletter. The hope is, with your help, we may be able to reunite a stolen RV with its owner. It got us thinking: Just how likely is it that a given type of RV will be stolen? And where are the most likely places for an RV to be stolen?

To read the full article, go here. 

42 Years Ago

It is hard to imagine sometimes on how time flies.

Two things of note occurred on this date 42 years ago.

Above, former President Richard Nixon and Duke.

It was on June 11, 1979 that I started my career in insurance claims with United Pacific/Reliance Insurance Companies in Los Angeles on Shatto Street. The building is now occupied by the Chinese consulate.

It was also on June 11, 1979 that screen legend John Wayne passed away from stomach cancer at the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood. No sooner than when I stepped inside the front door at home, my mom flatly said, "Wayne died." 

It was not unexpected, but sad news nonetheless. 

Good Sam Denies Medical Emergency Air Ambulance Claim

Above, the air ambulance helicopter that took me to Twin Falls. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

This is a story I can relate to somewhat.

When I had my heart attack in Wells, Nevada last July, I was in no condition to make any medical or any other kinds of decisions. Luckily, my friend Mitch Geriminsky took charge. He was told that there's a hospital in Elko, Nevada and a better facility in Twin Falls, Idaho. He opted for Twin Falls. Soon, I was airlifted by helicopter to Twin Falls.

Fortunately, since this was a medical emergency, it was all covered.

Some people aren't so lucky with their insurers.

From the Los Angeles Times:

Of the many dubious reasons insurers use for denying claims, one of the most bizarre is telling a patient they neglected to obtain prior approval for treatment in the midst of a medical emergency. 

Because, of course, the first thing most people think of in a life-or-death situation is phoning some insurance company’s call center and jumping through bureaucratic hoops. 

Kathy Mutchler faced this Catch-22 recently — and found herself saddled with a $71,000 air ambulance bill — after being diagnosed with a severe kidney infection in Mammoth Lakes, where she was staying with her wife in an RV park. 

Mutchler, 64, who these days calls the open road home, is a member of the Good Sam Club, the world’s largest organization of recreational vehicle owners. You’ve probably seen the stickers on the backs of RVs and campers. 

Mutchler pays $89.99 annually for the service’s TravelAssist program, which, among other things, says it covers medical evacuations if suitable care isn’t available locally, as well as any costs involved in returning to your RV. 

Mutchler’s wife, Kathy O’Hara, 60, joined her for the trip and contacted Good Sam as soon as they landed in Nevada to let the organization know what was happening. She was given a case number by a service rep. 

Mutchler was hospitalized for three nights. Her condition gradually improved, she was released from the Reno medical center, and she and O’Hara rented a car for the return to Mammoth Lakes — an expense they believed that, like the air ambulance, would be covered by the Good Sam coverage. 

It was on the drive home that a Good Sam rep called. Mutchler’s claim had been denied. She’d be responsible for the air ambulance and rental car costs.

To read more, go here.

Rebecca Schaeffer's Murder Relived By Mom In Show

Above, the apartment building where Rebecca Schaeffer lived and died. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A few years ago, my daughter treated me to a tour of the seamy side of Hollywood called "The Dearly Departed Tour". 

The tour consisted of stops at places in and around Hollywood where deaths (murder and otherwise) of celebrites took place along with a stop at the Westwood Cemetery.

One of the stops was at the apartment where actress Rebecca Schaeffer was murdered. I remember this case well.

Above, the doorway where Robert John Bardo shot Rebecca Schaeffer. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Fox News has reported that Schaeffer's mother had put on a one-woman show on her daughter's murder.

They wrote:

Danna Schaeffer received the worst phone call of her life on July 18, 1989. 

Her daughter, 21-year-old actress Rebecca Schaeffer, was fatally shot in the heart by Robert John Bardo in the doorway of her apartment. The crazed stalker, a 19-year-old, had paid a private investigator to obtain Schaeffer's home address in West Hollywood.

Last year, Danna was compelled to bring her family’s tragic tale to the stage with a one-woman show, titled “You in Midair.” 

Danna told Fox News she wouldn’t exactly call the writing process therapeutic, but she was ready to finally share her story.

Bardo was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

There's another reason this case stands out in my mind. I was a liability/casualty insurance adjuster at the time, the resulting California law, the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, which prevents the Department of Motor Vehicles from releasing private addresses, somewhat hindered our ability to run license plates on vehicles in auto claims.

To read more, go here.

If only...

Above, Hurricane Irma. NASA photo.

...during the past few years I had worked homeowners insurance claims, this email would be enticing. My most recent claims work involved total loss auto, liability, property damage and bodily injury claims. I haven't worked homeowners property claims (the field I first got into insurance claims with) in about 25 years.

This is the email from an insurance claims adjuster recruiter:

Armand, 

Our client, a Top 5 Property Insured, is currently adding 75 Field Homeowner Property Adjusters. These Adjusters will be responsible for handling Catastrophe Property losses throughout the state of Florida, however, you will have a specific territory assigned to you while on assignment. Our client has modified their Fee Schedule specifically for Hurricane Irma. Please click here to see the updated Fee Schedule.

*Referral Bonus up to $500 for any adjuster you refer! Your referral must close at least 25 claims in order for you to receive the bonus*
Deployment Incentives: 

- Paid WEEKLY for claims turned in that week!
- XXXXXXX is contracted with ScheduleIT and you will have access to utilize the service free of charge!
- This will dramatically increase your ability to handle more claims
- Our client is estimating 28,000 to 40,000 claims

I last took part in a catastrophe team in 1994, following the Northridge Earthquake. Adjusters on catastrophe teams can make a lot of money.

Maybe if they have catastrophe teams of auto claims adjusters (a lot of vehicles were damaged and destroyed due to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma), I might be interested.

Whatever You Do, Document Everything

As a retired claims adjuster, I've pretty much seen it all.

I have seen many instances of insurance fraud and have obtained convictions against the perpetrators. The main reason why I have obtained those convictions (and have received cash bonuses for them from grateful employers) was because I thoroughly documented my files. While many plaintiffs are stupid, it is also surprising to see almost as many stupid and dishonest attorneys who try to game the legal system.

I could easily spot false statements because I was armed with the "ammunition" to shoot them all down in my claims files. They ran the gamut from phony police reports to court filings.

I have also seen false accusations made in court filing documents. The most stupid thing someone can do is to make false statements or accusations when the "other side" has the documented proof that those statements are false. I have recently read one by a person who filed a Petition filled with fabrications. (I enjoy reading court cases such as these that are posted online or published by lawyer associations. We used to get them regularly at the insurance companies I worked at.) Many of the fabrications were so ridiculous that they were laughable. One has to wonder, "Why do they even bother?" The motivation by the petitioner was likely vindictive retaliation over a complaint.

The respondent, luckily for him, had the proof that those false statements made by the petitioner to successfully refute them in court.

It really doesn't pay to take legal action unless "one has all his ducks in a row" and are true. It could also lead to perjury charges in many instances. That is why I am so opposed to frivolous lawsuits. They are one of the reasons why the courts are over-burdened with an enormous backlog of pending cases. Many of them are just bogus. It is a waste of time and resources to have to shoot them down.

As such, it has always been my policy to press for prosecution for fraud.

I have never lost a Small Claims lawsuit, personally or professionally, because I documented everything. I even beat the Southern California Edison Company for property damages caused by a power surge from their equipment. The jaws of the representatives for Edison practically hit the floor when the judge ruled in my favor as they were in such shock.

So, keep all this in mind. It just may save you a mess of trouble.

I Should Get One Of These

Even though I'm retired, I should get myself one of these. This was my last job title at Crittenden Claim Services.

Sticker Shock, Etc.

My employer for my security "parachute job" says we're to receive paperwork for medical insurance coverage around the first of November. I'll believe it when I see it.

Here's why:

A large security company bought out the accounts my former employer had in the San Fernando Valley. We had a big general meeting in which transferring employees had to complete our employment and benefits paperwork, including medical coverage.

Since then, I noticed in my paycheck stubs that nothing was being deducted for medical insurance, so I contacted the company's medical benefits director to find out what was going on and she said that even though I, and may others, signed up, there were "problems" and we weren't given coverage. She wouldn't/couldn't say why. She said that we should be receiving medical insurance coverage information around the first of November.

Funny how nobody with the company bothered to notify us that we were not covered medically, even though we signed up.

Ticked off, I said to her, "It was a good thing that I didn't have [a medical] need for it, otherwise the company would be in legal hot water." I am going to pursue this like a German Shepard come November. I don't take crap from anybody.

For the heck of it, I checked a website handling California's ObamaCare Exchanges and this is the lowest monthly rate I could find (I had to give them my age, weight, etc.):

ObamaCare's official name is the "Affordable Care Act". My medical insurance coverage with my immediate past employer was around $20/paycheck, so this rate is neither affordable or caring. Talk about sticker shock! Unless I get a better deal from my employer, I just might forego getting medical insurance coverage and just eat the penalty. It would be a lot cheaper over the long run (about 1% of gross annual income) than premium rates such as this one.

However, at least this day is ending on a positive note. Some insurance claim work came in this morning (work completed by early this afternoon) and some sales over at Amazon.com's Kindle Store for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan also came in.

Year Almost Half Over Already?!

Above, the TA truckstop at the Grapevine.  I'll be stopping there Friday.

It seems like only yesterday that it was New Year's and now we're fast approaching Memorial Day weekend.  Time flies when you're having fun (or being busy as hell).  So far, no plans as yet.  I may go out to Riverside National Cemetery to put flowers on my parents' grave.  

Thus far, it has been a good year in sales of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.  Sales are up over at ComiXpress.com and the current pre-vacation season sale (through me) has brought in many orders.  A thank-you to all.

Claims work is picking up again.  I have to be in Bakersfield this coming Friday morning for a settlement conference.

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I saw an article at FoxNews.com about extra fees some airlines are planning to charge people for aisle or window seats (or to just sit with family members or traveling companions).  This is getting ridiculous.  The traveling public is already getting gouged in baggage and fuel fees already.  Frankly, I wouldn't fly with an airline who would charge extra for an aisle (my preference) or window seat.   I don't like being boxed in.

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I read the transcript of Sean Hannity's interview with Gen. Colin Powell.  Very disappointing.  Hannity just tossed softballs and didn't really go after Powell over his 2008 endorsement of Barack Obama as he should have.

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The New York Times is reporting that Obama is using video from the bin Laden raid in new campaign ad.  Shameless!

From Burbank To Bakersfield

It has been interesting to see the venom from left wing bloggers and other sites directed at Andrew Breitbart, who passed away suddenly yesterday morning shortly after midnight. Interesting, but not surprising. It only shows what a bunch of classless bums they are. Breitbart was a happy warrior who championed truth that the mainstream media refused to cover, and for freedom.

It was a treat to listen to a local radio talk show tonight featuring actors Ed Ames, Clint Howard and Morgan Brittany, with Ann Coulter on the phone. Each praised the work of Breitbart.

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Today is a busy one for me. It began with working in my "parachute" job patrolling the Burbank Hills on the graveyard shift. Following that, I will be immediately heading north to Bakersfield for a late-morning mandatory settlement conference on an insurance claim as the representative for the insurer.

I haven't been to Bakersfield for quite a long time (I can't even remember the last time I was there). It'll be interesting to see any changes to it and along Highway 99.

Thankfully, I will be well-compensated for my drive time as well as the mileage put on my car. Good thing I recently had the engine rebuilt. It should be fun. The car loves the open highway.

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This should be a good month with insurance work coming in along with the sales of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. To cap off today's activities, I will come home to another great meal prepared by my roomie.

In Zuma Beach

Above, Zuma Beach at dusk. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Busy day.

First up, I had a Mandatory Settlement Conference in Chatsworth this morning on an insurance claim in my insurance adjusting job. Fortunately, we settled with the claimant so the expense of a trial has been avoided.

Next, I am working my second job in Zuma Beach (Malibu) covering for someone. I can't complain about the scenery. I'll be there the next several nights (except Saturday, which is my birthday).

What's up with the pink(!) jeans or sweat shirts Malibu high school boys are wearing?

Luckily, there's a couple of movie stars where I'm at and we'll occasionally talk movies.

November Off To A Good Start

Above, Miki Hayashi with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

November is off to a good start.

First, corn crop in Nebraska was harvested last week. The check is en route. It'll be nice to have a big nest egg in the bank again.

Second, claim assignments are coming in. I attended to one this morning in Koreatown in Los Angeles.

Third, the first sale of the month came in yesterday at ComiXpress for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. Others have come in directly to me (I have a supply on hand for faster service, go to the link in this paragraph for more details).

My roomie and I took a jaunt yesterday to Pasadena to see the culinary school facilities of Le Cordon Bleu. She is thinking about taking their (one-year) course. We were very impressed with their program and their cooking classroom facilities. They also have cooking programs for consumers who may want to take specialized cooking classes. The prices for these were so reasonable that I am even considering taking some for the fun of it!

And, the second rainstorm within the past seven days rolled in this morning. The local mountains have a nice dusting of snow. And, I got a free car wash out of the deal!

Before we know it, the holidays will be here. Actually, we stopped off at Macy's in Sherman Oaks on the way back from Pasadena and did some shopping. The place was packed with shoppers! We got some good deals on some items. The Christmas decorations were all out in full force.

Crittenden Claim Services Opens Website

Above, Gabrielle Crittenden, the boss.

The claim adjusting company I work for, Crittenden Claim Services, now has its own website!

Crittenden Claim Services is "your eyes and ears in the field" for multi-line insurance claims handling. The new website gives details on our claim services, service areas and contact information.

To view Crittenden Claim Services website, go here.

Checking Voice Mail Pays Off (Sometimes)

Sometimes it's worth it to immediately listen to one's voice mail messages.

I received a voice mail message this morning and it turned out to be potential business for the insurance claims adjusting company I work for, Crittenen Claim Services. I immediately responded and passed the information to the boss.

She negotiated getting some business out of them. I was originally going to handle the initial assignment (getting statements from four drivers involved in an accident). The only fly in the ointment was that the company (based in Dallas, Texas) requires digital recordings.

Thinking I should have this minor "problem" licked, I went to the local Radio Shack for digital telephonic recording equipment (I currently have analog telephonic recording equipment). $80 later, I found the equipment was not compatible with my phone set-up. I returned the stuff to Radio Shack. Oh, well.

Fortunately, the boss has digital recording equipment and is able to handle the work.

At least I got some business for the boss and received a new claim assignment today. Saturday morning, I head out to Acton to handle it.

Life is good!

As I mentioned a few days ago, August is off to a good start. The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is selling, despite the worsening economy and the lingering problems of the Japanese travel industry in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.







I received news from my Nebraska farm tenant on this year's corn crop:

Crops look okay, not a bumper yield, but price will offset yield loss. Can't seem to get a rain, haven't had any since first of July.

Thank goodness we've a good on-site well for plenty of irrigation water!

Also, two claim assignments have come in since the first of the month. That's good sign! The latest one is to do a scene investigation on a sheriff vehicle vs. a big rig collision. We're still down in claim file count for the year (so far), but any work that comes in is welcome.

A quick note on last night's GOP presidential debate. I think Romney did well and didn't do anything that would endanger his "front-runner" status. Pawlenty came off like a petulant high school kid. I was most impressed by Bachmann.

On the home front, my "roomie" made a great middle-eastern dish that was delicious last night for dinner. It is great to have more regular home-cooked meals and a fully-stocked refrigerator and a woman in the house again.

Life is good!

How Timely!

Last night was very windy and I think the wind caused a power problem with my old computer. I was using it last night when I heard a noise and the computer shut down. As I was about to go to bed anyway, I just didn't bother trying to re-start it.

This morning, I tried to start it up but it seems to be not getting any power. The monitor is fine, but the computer is dead.

Although I mainly use my laptop, I used the old one for claims work-related stuff and printing. Now since the computer is down, so is the printer. I have no idea where the CD that came with the printer went to. I've had the computer and printer for 11 years.

As providence would have it (that's what I meant by "how timely"), I received a new claim assignment late this morning. It is to make a cold call on the president of a trucking company in San Pedro. Well, it appears that it's my luck this assignment came in so I can use the money to have the computer repaired (if it is repairable).

I went down to San Pedro and nobody was around, so I left a note and card at the door. The traffic coming back was terrible and the air temperature was in the eighties outside. It took me more than a half hour to get from Washington Blvd. to Sunset Blvd. (usually a 5 minute drive) on the San Diego (I-405) Freeway.

I shouldn't complain, my drive time and mileage are compensated. Plus, this also means I get to go back to San Pedro again.