There are certain things you should do if you get in a car accident with someone without insurance. You can check out our guide here to learn more.

6 million Americans get into a car accident every year.

And while it is required that drivers do have insurance, not everyone follows this rule. So, what happens if you get into a car accident with someone without insurance? Who pays for your car to get fixed and any medical bills you might accrue on top of it?

In this blog post, we’ll talk about what to do in that situation, and what your rights are.

Read on for crucial information on what to do should you find yourself in this position.

If You’re in a Car Accident with Someone Without Insurance, Look at Your Own Insurance Policy

Because the other driver doesn’t have insurance, there’s typically no one to bill to cover the cost of repair or medical bills. That’s where your own insurance comes in.

Some states require that you have uninsured motorist coverage or UIM. Washington, however, is not one of them. You can see what’s required by state in this article.

While not all states require you have UIM coverage, all states are required to offer it to you when you take out a policy. If you have the coverage, you can claim up to your total liability coverage per accident, but not more.

So, if you find out the other party has no coverage, your first port of call will be your own insurance.

Score! They Have Insurance….But Is It Enough?

Just because the other party has insurance doesn’t mean they have enough insurance. What does this mean?

In some states, there’s only a bare minimum insurance required for a driver to get on the road. If this is your state, that means that just because the person you got in a collision with has insurance, it doesn’t mean they have enough to cover the accident.

As such, you’ll need to speak to the other party or their insurance company immediately to figure out if you’ll be covered. If not, you can use your own UIM insurance coverage.

But, you’ll need to be sure that you make the claim in a timely manner. Not all insurance companies allow you to make a claim after a certain amount of time, typically 30 days. Because of this, you’ll need to follow up as soon as possible, and not let the time roll by.

If You Live in a No-Fault State

In no-fault states, your insurance will still have to pay some of your bills no matter what happened. They will still be responsible for a portion of things like car repair and lost earnings.

You can view a list of no-fault states here. Washington isn’t one of them, though. If you don’t live in a no-fault state, the person who is at fault for the accident will be responsible for paying for most of the repair work and lost wages.

Can I File a Lawsuit Against an Uninsured Driver?

You’ve probably heard a lot about car accident lawsuits, especially if you watch a lot of day time TV. And while suing someone is an option, there are some reasons why it may not be the best idea in this case.

In no-fault states, lawsuits are very difficult to carry out. This is because by law, neither party is actually at fault for the accident. As such, a judge can’t really decide who to hold responsible in court.

If you sustained very serious injuries and require help with medical bills, or someone died in the accident, there may be recourse. Otherwise, it’s not the best plan of action.

Additionally, when you sue someone for a car accident, you’re typically suing the other person’s insurance. When someone doesn’t have insurance, you’re simply suing the other person. Most people don’t have access to huge amounts of money.

Therefore, if you sue someone for $300,000 in medical bills, you made find yourself unable to collect even if you win. If they don’t have the money, they don’t have it.

What to Do If You’re in a Car Accident

Read more now about some of the most common car accidents in Los Angeles to help you avoid a car accident in the first place and stay alert.

But, if you are in a car accident, you should immediately stop the car, get out and call the police. Do not apologize, as this can be used as an admission of guilt.

Take as many photos of the accident, injuries and damage to the car as possible.

Get as many details as you can, including the model and make of the car, as well as the other car’s driver’s license. You should also exchange details with the other driver. Even if they don’t have insurance, you should still get their phone number and other contact information.

Lastly, never accept money from someone after an accident. Because you won’t know how much everything will cost, you don’t want to accept money that doesn’t cover everything you need.

Getting Into an Accident with an Uninsured Driver

Getting into a car accident with someone without insurance is extremely stressful. But, thankfully, you do have some recourse and you can get your bills paid. Make sure you work with your own insurance company and make your claims as fast as possible to avoid being denied for being too late.

Are you interested in more content about living in and around the Seattle area? If so, have a look at the rest of our lifestyle content.

If it seems no matter where you look, stress follows you, and then it’s time to face it and be proactive. Stress affects everyone differently, so the method to treating your anxiety, nerves, or feeling of impending doom may be different than what you’ve learned.

Most people bottle up their stresses and never speak about them, which is a mistake. Talking about what’s going on and getting out of your head are the two best ways to alleviate stress and get help.

In this article, we talk about some different ways to manage and completely eliminate stress from your life.

Remember: “Stress is Inevitable, Distress is Not”

What’s bothering you? Can you say what it is out loud? Be clear when you speak and assert your needs. This is an important step to realizing what’s going on within our bodies and minds. Otherwise, you may push things to the backburner or ignore what’s bothering you, which only adds more stress.

Pause and Escape to a Quiet Place

When you are stressed, any type of distraction makes it difficult to address what’s bothering you. Most people are addicted to their phones, social media, and screens, so take a break from it all and head to the park. A quick change of scenery and a true self-exploration may be necessary to understand what’s going on in your mind.

Schedule Time for What You Love

You may not think there is any time left in your schedule for things that just make you happy, but this is an important step forward to managing stress. Your mind and body need a break from the constant pressures of life, so make time for your favorite show, go to a painting class, or take a dance class. You are not defined by your stress. It’s what you do and love about your life that makes it your own.

Get Healthy from the Inside Out

Did you know that deficiencies can stress our body and mind? If you feel tired, fatigued, foggy, or just depressed, there are a few vitamins that you can take to help boost your moods, such as B-vitamin supplements, vitamin D, vitamin A, iron, and zinc. In addition, you may want to try CBD gummies for a daily boost to your overall health and wellbeing.

The Cognitive Restructuring Technique

Dr. Albert Ellis developed a new technique for handling stress, and it’s a key factor in cognitive behavioral therapy. It’s all about challenging negative emotions and correcting the negative beliefs that make these emotions seem more important than anything else.

The truth is we are strong and can take on a number of challenges throughout our lifetime; so in essence, you can reduce stress by taking a moment to yourself, analyzing your thoughts, identifying negative “automatic thoughts,” and thinking about the evidence to support or disprove those beliefs. You also have to be fair to yourself and forgive shortcomings; otherwise, the stress can hold you back in other aspects of life.

Have You Felt Stressed Lately?

Before allowing the stress to take over, you should monitor your present mood and remember how anxiety, stress, and depression work. These emotions and thoughts want you to feel pressure to stay down and helpless, but if you tackle these moods head-on, you can push past it and manage your stress like an expert.

If you’re like many Americans, you may feel a bit pressed for cash towards the end of each month. It seems like there’s never enough money to go around. And it doesn’t help that you have hefty car payments, rent, and other bills.

You’re not alone. Did you know 78 percent of American workers are living paycheck to paycheck? However, just because financial stress is common, it doesn’t mean you’re destined to live with it forever.

What if there was a way to alleviate some of this financial strain by refinancing your car?

But how does refinancing a car work? When should you do it? And are there reasons why you shouldn’t refinance?

Keep reading our car refinancing guide for the answers.

How Does Refinancing a Car Work?

Refinancing a car means implementing discipline. For example, the better your credit score is, the better the rate you’ll receive for your new car loan. However, this can take time, and in most cases, requires sacrifice.

However, you can learn how to boost your credit score later. Right now, let’s talk about how to refinance your car.

How to Refinance a Car

To refinance your car, you essentially need to reapply for the loan. You can do this with the same lender who currently holds the loan or seek financing from other agencies. We recommend shopping around for the best rates.

However, the answer to “How does refinancing a car work?” may depend on your situation. For example, you won’t be able to refinance a car if it’s estimated value is lower than the requested loan amount. This can be due to damages or depreciation. 

You can also fail to be approved if you have a poor credit score, a history of missed payments on the original loan, or a high debt-to-income ratio. 

When and Why to Refinance a Car

Let’s talk about the right time to refinance a car loan. There are several situations that indicate a good time or reason to refinance, for example:

• If interest rates are substantially lower 
• If your financial situation has improved (you could obtain a loan with much more attractive rates)
• If you got a less-than-favorable deal on the original loan
• If your car payments are high and causing financial strain
• If you want a new loan under your primary bank

Keep in mind, if you’re wondering “How does refinancing a car work?” in terms of qualifying, most lenders will want to see at least six months or more of car payments on the original loan before they’ll approve you for a refinance. They want to make sure you’re responsible when it comes to paying bills. 

Bad Reasons to Refinance a Car

Finally, you need to recognize when refinancing a car is a bad idea. Here are some of the top reasons why you shouldn’t refinance:

• The car loan is nearing its end
• Your credit is worse than when you took out the original loan
• You owe more on the car than it’s estimated value
• The original loan carries early payoff fees or penalties
• You plan on applying for a home loan in the near future

Looking for More Great Advice?

We hope we provided adequate answers for “How does refinancing a car work?” If you can use our advice to get approved for a refinance, it could significantly improve your loan rates, lower your monthly payments, and save you tons of money in the long run.

However, if you still have other questions about finances, love & relationships, or health and wellness, be sure to check out some of our other articles before you go. Good luck!

Divorce and remarriage with children from past and present relationships brings with it many challenges relating to adjustment. The relief of emerging out of a stressful relationship and settling down with a new partner is a joyous event full of expectations. However, the situation is quite different from the kid’s viewpoint. Parents have to realize that it is extremely difficult for the kids to accept the new partner of their biological parent. They are suddenly uprooted from their natural environment and made to step into a new household.

They feel uncertain and have concern about getting along with new siblings, whom they may not like at all. Children often throw tantrums and show disobedience, which may cause frustration to the parent.  The process of creating a new blended family is never easy, but with understanding, love and a great deal of patience it can be a rewarding experience. The whole family can also play table games in order to keep the family together.

These guidelines can help you bond with your stepchildren and deal with common stepfamily issues.

Adjustment Issues

Children of different age and gender differ in the process of adjustment.

• Young children below 10 years adjust more easily as they are more adaptive to changes.  They are more dependent on parental care as they have more daily needs than older children. However, they demand a lot of attention and may consider their stepsibling or their step parent a rival. Hence, both the parent and the step parent to reassure the child that they are bonded as a family. 
• Adolescents in the age group of 10 to14 years undergo the most difficult time in the process of blending with a new family.  They are resistant to accept orders from a stepparent. It is difficult to gauge their feelings, as they may not express it openly but need love, affection and discipline at the same time.
• Teenagers, who are 15 and above are generally not attached to the household of a step family. They prefer to live in their own world. However, they need to feel important and secure.
• Difference in gender also has different issues.  While boys tend to bond quickly with the stepfather, girls are rather slow. Both boys and girls are uncomfortable with physical show of affection. 

Setting up Ground Rules

Keeping in mind the various issues a set of new ground rules must be set up.  While setting up the rules, the parents must be aware that children may require time to adjust with the new rules as the two different households may have separate set of rules. As such, in order to make the rules effective they should consider every member’s points of view and concern. The rules should be firm and clear and address the expectations of the children and their consequences.

• The partners of the new family must realize they are starting life afresh. As such, they must concentrate on creating a new bond between the children and themselves. They should not live in the past and avoid any discussions on related topics, particularly in front of children.
• Both partners must agree on the disciplinary measures and when to execute them. Thereafter, one must to stick it and avoid conflicts. It should be borne in mind that natural parent must take up the role of the disciplinarian. Children may be hostile if they feel that the stepparent is trying to replace one of their natural parents. It is, therefore, important that the child is made to feel that the stepparent is not a replacement but an addition.
• Favoritism towards the biological child must be avoided like taboo. On the other hand, it is also not a good idea to show too much affection for the stepchild. All children in the household, whether natural or step must treated with equal amount of fairness.
• Communicate with your natural child often to explain that moving out of relationship does not mean that the parents do not love their children any more. Remember that children will always expect that their own parents will come together at some point time. 
• It is necessary for all members to understand that the bonded family is a team. Dining together, spending quality time together, sharing experiences, concerns and preferences can quickly forge a happy relationship.
• In any household privacy is an important matter and must be included in the house rules. Children must keep to their own rooms and should intrude upon their stepsiblings’ room unless specifically invited. 
• Sometime we tend to forget the sensitivity of our children and we publicly discipline them. Whatever be the matter, the child must be taken aside and told that what he/she has done is not right. This installs a feeling of self-importance in the child and makes him follow the rules better next time.
• Children should be allowed to behave as children. The parents should understand that the games they play might not match with your idea of maintaining the house. However, the rule is that the child should be told to clean up any mess they create. Children should also be made to understand that they are not supposed to vent the effects of their mood swings upon their stepsiblings. They must learn to manage their emotions or share them with their parents.
• Sometime the children like to talk about the other parent in a negative manner. This should never be allowed, as the children often subconsciously want to find a crack in the relationship between the parent and the stepparent. 
• At times you may observe that your partner is treating your child unfairly. In such cases, never support your partner or be a silent spectator. You must take a positive role and defend your child in a manner, which neither shows any lack of respect for your partner, nor let the child feel left out. This goes a long away to win the trust of your child and assures him/her of your continuous love and affection. 

There can be an endless list of do’s and don’ts to ensure in an attempt to plug all loopholes in creating a well-bonded stepfamily, but the stakeholders must note that nothing can replace Love and Kindness.

As the world is getting gripped with violence in some form or the other, visual image of the same being displayed on the television and in the social media platforms is on the rise. In some cases, the live stream of the incident is also being telecasted on television and also on the social media. With every passing day, social media is fast becoming an alternate source of news platform. Such violent videos and images are shared and reposted on the platforms for regular and further viewing.

Young adolescent minds are greatly affected by viewing these types of violent imaging. Since brains are found to be developing at that stage, they found to process the information to be quite troublesome. When the young adolescent brain gets some information, it is still puzzled on how to process the information and which part of the story needs to be highlighted in their memory is still a work in progress mode. The young brains do not know how to conceptualise these information and remains in a puzzled state. In the adult brain, such information processing method has already been set. So, the impact of such information on the adult brain is less.

During the past few years, it has been observed that social media is spreading its wings faster than expected and the young adolescents are falling prey to it. The matter further worsened with the advent of Smartphone as every adolescent in the modern world is expected to have a Smartphone in his hand. Due to this, his mind is always found to be immersed in social media accounts. He or she makes it a point to see every image that is shared in their social media accounts.

The issue of the impact of violent images or videos on the developing male or female adolescent brain is not a new topic. The issue was also raised by the scientists after the Second World War when the violent images of the war were telecasted and viewed on television. Now young minds in their adolescence are more involved in playing violent mobile games in good online casinos like Luckyniki. As the popularity of the mobile games is increasing, such reputed online casinos are coming up with lucrative offers which are attracting such young minds. Violent imagery through violent mobile games is also influencing the mind of these adolescents.

It was observed in various researches that exposure of young adolescent minds to such violent imagery creates a feeling of fear or aggression in them. In most of the cases, a tendency of aggression in every matter is observed which leads to shooting the classmates or killing people in a church. But the outcome of seeing such violent imagery also leads to development of fear and that is mostly found in relatively younger male and female adolescents. There is a tendency of checking the locks regularly or not willing to sleep separately without parents. But the problem of aggression needs to be addressed first as this nature may have a tremendous impact on the family and social system. Sometimes, too much aggressive nature may create family problems leading to an increase in family violence.

It has been observed that the basis of formation of teenage behaviour is following the peer norms. Regular view of the violent imagery may lead the young mind to believe that these norms are a part of social context. Hence it can be concluded that sharing of violence through social media gives a feeling of tacit approval or encouraging the act of tremendous aggressive behavior. Expert psychiatrists are suggesting the minimum exposure of young adolescent minds to social media. They are also urging social media companies to show lesser streaming of violence, but to what extent such recommendations will be heard remains a matter to be seen in the coming days.

Reputed psychiatrists have also given some recommendations to the parents to follow so that the impact of such violent imagery can be minimized. The expression of excessive aggression and fear can be minimized by following some rules which has been mentioned below –

1. When you are seeing the violent imagery scene on the television, do not keep quiet. Speak to your children about the incident and the imagery and try to present the situation in your own sympathetic way. But not in the violent way in which television is explaining and showing the telecast to you. If you avoid any conversation at that point of time and remain silent, the young mind will have a feeling that you do not have any objection and is endorsing these acts of depiction. After a few months, his or her behaviour will start changing and turn into aggression if as a parent, timely intervention is not done. So, do not let your children see these acts of violence alone on the television.
2. While seeing the scene of violence try to engage your children by involving him into a set of questions. Always focus to improve their empathetic side by making him observe the incident from different points of view. Try to explain the incident to him from the victim’s angle so that a feeling of empathy is developed in his mind. By explaining the incident from the victim’s point of view, ask him his opinion about the incident at the end of your conversation. Do not ignite any feeling of revenge in his mindset as that may lead to aggression in the future.

Teachers in the school can also take a proactive role in convincing the young minds about the spread of fake news in the TV channels and also on the social media. Time is now ideal for the respective authorities to act or else, otherwise, we may produce not humans, but violent animals in the near future. Seeing such violent imagery is affecting such young adolescent minds to a great extent. Some also get influenced under fear and become unable to lead a normal life when they enter college to make a promising career.

What’s your daily routine? Most people’s routine will often involve waking up, make the bed, have a coffee, some breakfast and popping to the washroom to starting the day. Incorporating yoga into a routine whether its daily, two sessions a week or on a weekly basis, could really benefit your quality of life. Yoga routines and this greek website have shot up in popularity recently, many people from all walks of life are trying and partaking in yoga.  In this article we have 7 scientifically proven benefits of yoga that might convince you to try it out.

Increase Strength 

Holding your own body weight in different positions will help increase strength. Holding positions where the acting load of weight wouldn’t normally be will cause your body to adapt to this increase of stress in that position. Now stress doesn’t mean it’s going to be too hard for you to perform the position. There are varying levels and options to make it easier for you when you start. Begin with a few moves that can be done comfortably and then build on these as they become easier. There are multiple studies that confirm this. You can head over to 889 Yoga to know some more about it.

Improved Flexibility 

Practising yoga for just 15-30 minutes a day will improve flexibility in targeted areas. Again, this is where you realise that the body is made for adapting. Studies show that holding a stretch and repeating this over time will allow your body to become comfortable with it meaning you will be able to stretch a little further. This has been demonstrated in studies of adults of all ages, ranging from collage adults to pensioners in studies that compare yoga to other activity’s such as calisthenics (a type of body weight exercise).

Better Brain Health

Studies that used Hatha yoga showed an increase of better mental function based on the increase of grey matter in the brain particularly with an aging sample. This study also showed more cortical thickness in regular yoga practitioners, cortical thickness is associated with higher intelligence. Hatha yoga is focused on the connection of breathing and movement as well as meditation.

Decrease Stress 

A group of women who perceived themselves as emotionally distressed were used for a study where they measured their levels or cortisol. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone secreted by the body. After 3 months they had significantly less cortisol and other mental benefits, this effect has been demonstrated in an array of studies focusing primarily on yoga.

Corrects Irregular heart beats 

According to a journal published by the American College of Cardiology in 2013, Atrial Fibrillation experiences reported by patients dropped drastically among patients who engaged in regular yoga sessions to half the number they had at the beginning of treatment. AFib is a condition characterized by abnormal heart rhythm. Because of the irregular beating of the heart, this condition is responsible for stroke and other significant heart conditions.

May Help Fight Depression 

There are some studies that show yoga could have anti-depressant effect which could help decrease symptoms of depression. This could be as yoga can help decrease the amount or cortisol a stress hormone that influences levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter often associated with depression. It also helps with social interaction which can help benefit you if you suffer with depression alone or with traditional methods. 

Improves Problem Solving and Memory

When we are stressed and facing pressures from work and home life, we can find that we lose the ability to think rationally and solve basic problems. Studies conducted in the USA shows that practicing Yoga twice a week could help the synapses in the brain create new pathways. It is this creation of new pathways that can help us with problem solving, this coupled with the reduction of the stress hormone, cortisol, can help us think more rationally. Furthermore, practicing yoga was also shown to help increase memory, it is not understood how this works yet, but it is thought that chanting involved in some practices helps promote memory function and recovery.

Final Thoughts

Yoga can be a satisfying and toughly enjoyable pastime that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. Morning or evening, setting aside time and making room in your day to fit a 15-30 minute yoga routine is quite achievable. It doesn’t have to be everyday it can be just once or twice a week and you could soon be reaping the benefits for yoga. There are many different types of yoga available, so you will be able to find one that suits your needs. Some types have a combination of different positions and emphasis on breathing, meditation and stretching. You will be able to find a type that can help you work on certain areas that you want to improve. Try yoga and see if you can take advantage of the benefits as proven by science.