Flimsy Bumpers Cause Damage

A report from the LA Times is fascinating to me. Flimsy bumpers on cars are causing an awful lot of damage in 3mph accidents. Apparently, design issues are part of the problem.

The Insurance Insitute for Highway Safety, an auto insurance industry group, says that the study shows just how badly new cars are performing in what should be minor collisions. According to Joe Nolan, senior VP of the Institute, bumpers cannot handle 3 to 6 mph collisions without causing collateral damage.

The fascinating part, in my opinion, is that the insurance industry likes to talk about how these "minor collisions" can't cause any injury. They talk about cars sustaining under $1,500 in damage as being minimum impacts. Well, a Lexus sustained over $4,000 in damage in a 3 mph collision. So, how exactly does one correlate property damage and speed in collision now? And how does that correlate to injuries? Simple answer: there is no correlation and this is more insurance industry nonsense.

Even if you have been in a collision that the insurance company tells you is minor, you may be injured. If you are, go see your doctor and talk to an attorney about your case.