From: utzoo!decvax!cca!hplabs!hp-pcd!jay
Newsgroups: net.auto
Title: Re: Air Bags and other devices - (nf)
Article-I.D.: hp-pcd.277
Posted: Thu Aug 19 12:00:29 1982
Received: Sat Aug 21 02:17:05 1982

#R:hao:-27500:hp-pcd:2400001:000:986
hp-pcd!jay    Aug 19 08:22:00 1982

	While the idea of an insurance company paying only if you are
wearing restraints sounds good on the surface, there is a potential problem
with it.  Suppose in a major accident ( in this case a major accident is defined
as one in which one or more persons are seriously injured) one of the injured
persons was not wearing their seat belt.  Based on the previously mentioned
idea, this person would not receive any compensation from either insurance
company.  Since the injuries are serious, the person will quickly exhaust
all personal funds as hospital care is not inexpensive.  At this point they
aren't going to kick the person out in the streets, but instead somebody
(most likely some arm of the government) will pick up the tab.  This means
that you and I end up paying anyway.

	One possible solution would be a halfway measure.  The insurance
company would pay any required medical expenses, but would pay no punitive
or compensatory monies.

	What do people think about this?