friends working together in shop

[David Merrill]

As I recall, a $1M umbrella policy supplement to your homeowners insurance is not all that expensive. Talk to your insurance agent.

David Merrill

[dpb]

...

All the above is true and I've no disagreement at all.

The only other comment I would make is that even someone you've known long time can become very different person in the event of serious accident and injury.

I don't do other than you're outlining above, but I am pretty stiff in the "who" doesn't stay at a distance.

I have the potential issues of employees, of course, but as farm rather than industrial there's a fair amount of leeway as opposed to some of the guys here who are actually running commercial shops.

--

[dpb]

... Typically not much, agreed. I forget the exact kicker but it's in the noise as compared to the total.

--

[Chris Friesen]

It may not be up to you...if you are seriously injured and file an insurance claim the insurance company may sue them to recover what they spent on you.

Chris

[nailshooter41]

You bet. I couldn't agree more.

Robert

[Upscale]

The problem isn't that everyone is ready to sue at the drop of a hat, it's because people like your McD's coffee spill woman sue and actually win. After that happens, the incentive is there for everybody to sue. When the system decides it's easier to pay off someone than spend the money on lawyers for court proceedings, than it's exactly the same has hanging out a sign that says "Free Money".

[Keith Nuttle]

I believe the largest cost of health care is the insurance for liability protection that doctors, hospitals, manufacturers, etc. must carry to protect themselves from frivolous law suits. While people like to believe medicine is an exact science, all of the testing done to show the safety and effects of a medicine is based on statistics. While the statistic can define the general trends of the medication, any conclusions on one individual based on those statistical conclusions are not valid as each person is different.

If obama wants to reform health care they will place a cap on medical liability lawsuits. They also need to define what should be considered medical malpractice. An bandage left in the patient would be malpractice, a drug not responding as expected would not.

[HeyBub]

You are too harsh. It's only 95% of the lawyers that give the rest of them a bad name.

[nhurst]

It won't help. Florida did that in 2003, even though insurance companies said that capping lawsuit damages won't affect their rates.

(a random link gotten by Googling: florida malpractice cap, insurance).

Here's another article in which an actual malpractice insurer says caps don't help:

problem with the insurance companies is that they're being hit as hard as the rest of us in economic downturns. They're answer to maintain profitability is to raise rates.

-Nathan