What goes "bang" then "cha-ching"? It's your ordinary auto accident, except with a new twist. Depending on the area, if you are an out of town or out of county resident, or if you are at fault, you may be charged a crash tax for the services of any police, paramedics, or firemen that may show up to provide assistance or treatment. Many municipalities have started charging for these services in an attempt to work around budget and tax cuts.
But isn't that what taxes are for? To ensure that the roads are intact, the firemen show up, and the use of the occasional helicopter for extraordinary situations. It's one thing for a county to charge for damage to a phone pole that an insured ran into, but another to charge for providing basic humanitarian services. Some areas are charging as much as $1,000-2,000 for providing medics, firemen, and ambulance services.
Don't get me wrong, I don't like paying taxes anymore than anyone else, but since I'm paying them, I want the fire truck to come when I need it without charging me extra. States are beginning to ban such fees, as the public outcry is large and vocal. Many people agree with the concept that they are paying taxes, so why should they pay an additional fee for basic services?
Most insurance policies do not provide coverage for such services either, unless there are true medical expenses. But should they? Some states are banning such fees, but not all them. If some states keep pushing to charge drivers these extra fees, should the carriers build in coverage for such fees, or should it be left to the insured?
What do you think?
This blog post is meant to provide insights into insurance coverage issues in general, and does not necessarily account for the differences in law and practice in different venues. As such, the opinions expressed within should not be construed as legal advice for the unique circumstances of any particular claim or suit.
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