Insurance Insights ~ April 1997

Maximum Weekly Workers' Compensation Benefit Increased

Based upon Pennsylvania's average weekly wage, as determined by the Department of Labor and Industry for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1996, the maximum compensation payable for lost wages under the Workers' Compensation Act, under Article 1 subsections 105.1 and 105.2, is $542 per week for injuries occurring on or after January 1, 1997. For purposes of calculating the update to payments for medical treatment rendered on or after January 1, 1997, the percentage increase in the Statewide Average Weekly Wage is 2.8 percent.

Before You Dig...

Spring has sprung! Along with the welcome change in the weather, we'll all be able to enjoy the extra daylight hours. Some of us will be able to use this additional time outside with our family and friends enjoying sports and other leisure activities, while others of us may be taking advantage of those extra hours for additional outdoor work. This is certainly the time of year many contractors find themselves putting in much longer days.

What better time to introduce (or re-introduce) a service that should be used by every contractor who will be digging, drilling, trenching, or otherwise breaking ground with any type of powered equipment?

The Pennsylvania One Call System is a non-profit Pennsylvania corporation providing underground utility notification service under Pennsylvania Act 38 of 1991 to its members in all 67 counties. It has been in operation since 1972. Membership in a one call system is mandatory for all underground line owners and/or operators. However, responsibilities certainly extend to many others, and are specifically addressed in Act 38 for all parties involved, from designers to contractors.

Section 5 of the Act specifically states the responsibility of the contractor to call the toll free number three (3) working days prior to disturbing the earth with any type of powered equipment. In Section 4, designers are directed to call not less than ten (10) working days, but not more than ninety (90) working days before final design is to be completed.

Why call PA One Call System before you dig??

• SAFETY! Use it to protect yourself, your employees, the public, the utility services we all share, and the environment.
• PA LAW! Use of a One Call System is in compliance with the law for both contractors and designers.
• OSHA! To satisfy OSHA guidelines.
• REASSURANCE! All calls are recorded and archived for legal record as proof of your notice.

We would caution you on some rather substantial fines and penalties for non-compliance. Therefore, we encourage you to use this service, even if you are unsure if you are required to or not. For further information, our agency has an ample supply of brochures we would be happy to send you. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, please call our commercial lines department at (215) 257-9171, or e-mail your request to us at info@gcwinsure.com.

It's not just a good idea -- it's the law!! Call 1-800-242-1776. Your phone call is the first step in assuring your own personal safety!!

Driving and Cellular Phones

We see it more and more often on the roads. As drivers pass by, they have one hand on the steering wheel, while the other is holding a cellular phone to their ear. It seems as though everyone from business people to homemakers are getting in on this explosion of modern convenience, and the market is expected to continue to grow in the coming years!

With cellular phones fast becoming standard equipment in the American car, we need to ask if driving and talking are really a hazardous combination. The answer is a resounding YES!

Studies have shown that phone users need more time to react to traffic situations, and their inattentive behavior while talking is increasingly contributing to traffic accidents. Another recent study about distractions and driving concluded that drivers using cellular phones are 34 percent more likely to be involved in a traffic accident.

To share the road safely, the Insurance Information Institute has developed some recommendations for drivers with cellular phones. By following these tips, you can reduce your chances of being involved in a traffic accident. They offer the following suggestions:

• use a hands-free cellular phone
• place the phone where it allows the driver to easily see the traffic conditions before placing a call
• pull safely off the road to make a telephone call
• use a phone with memory dial to minimize dialing
• let voice mail handle incoming calls if traffic is heavy
• AVOID INTENSE CONVERSATIONS

Air Bags

With the controversy surrounding the air bag issue, we at the Weimer Insurance Agency would like to provide some tips that can help provide you with a prescription for safety.

In general, air bags have been successful. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, air bags have saved more than 1,500 lives since the 1980's. If used correctly, air bags have prevented many serious injuries. But for some unrestrained or improperly restrained children and adults, they can cause deadly side effects.

By properly positioning yourself and your passengers, and using the safety restraints correctly, you can increase your chance of escaping a serious injury by up to 59 percent.

• Slide your seat as far back as comfortable, so the bag has room to inflate.
• It is best to keep your hands in the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions.
• Have your passenger sit back in the seat, not on the edge.
• Children ages 12 and under should be restrained in the back seat, toward the middle.
• Infants in rear-facing safety seats should NEVER be placed in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with a passenger side air bag.

Get involved. Be sure to read the instructions for your child's safety seat and the information provided by your automobile manufacturer in the owner's manual, and, in newer vehicles, on the sun visor.

Contact our agency via e-mail at info@gcwinsure.com for a free copy of the following brochures, published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute:

• Kids and Air Bags
• Shopping For A Safer Car -- 1997
• Injury, Collision, and Theft Losses

Or you may visit the following web sites for additional information:

• US Department of Transportation -- (800) 424-9393 -- publishes results of full-front crash tests.
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety -- (703) 247-1500 -- publishes lists of recent model cars on the basis of occupant deaths per registered vehicle.
• Highway Loss Data Institute -- (703) 247-1500 -- publishes insurance injury, collision, and theft results for recent model passenger vehicles.

INSURANCE INSIGHTS is an electronic newsletter published monthly by G. C. Weimer Associates, Inc. Information contained herein is accurate to the best of our knowledge and belief as of 4/1/97. If you have a topic of interest for a future issue, e-mail us at info@gcwinsure.com.

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To contact G.C. Weimer Insurance Agencies, e-mail info@gcwinsure.com.