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The Ford Motor Company, along with rival General Motors, has been going through a time of severe testing due to concerns about product quality and relevancy, profits, and long term viability. The net result is that Ford is planning on closing numerous plants and will lay off as many as 30,000 employees, a historic cutback that may only be the tip of the iceberg. Is Ford finished or will the company be able to regain strength and compete successfully in the years ahead?

Ford has certainly taken its lumps and for good reason. Profits in the North American market are nonexistent with losses actually in the multibillion dollar range. Despite the red ink, all is not lost for the blue oval as the company remains very profitable overseas. In addition, its three U.S. divisions have much to offer if some serious changes are incorporated. Here are my suggestions for change:

Ford -- The strongest division for the automaker is the one that bears its name. Fords strength is in its line of pick up trucks and SUVs. Select car models including the Mustang and Fusion are also strong sellers. Fords weakness can be found with its small car line, the Focus, and with dated models including the Crown Victoria. Better for Ford to scrap their small car lines altogether and import cars from Mexico or overseas. In addition, the company should concentrate on overhauling the Crown Victoria and introducing an all new Ranger compact pick up truck. Finally, Ford is getting out of the minivan business as crossover vehicles, such as the all new Edge, will replace that category. This latter retreat is wise as the category is saturated and the expense of developing a successful new minivan can be diverted to concentrate on shoring up other product lines.

Mercury -- Many have been predicting that Ford would scrap its Mercury division altogether. However, among the many management decisions announced recently indicate that Mercury will stay. Together with Lincoln, the two brands are weak and are in need of much assistance. Mercury cars for decades have been nothing more than reworked Ford models therefore its brand identity has been diluted. It is time for Ford to help Mercury come up with a clearer personality and a line of vehicles that are inspiring, not boring. A good start would be to develop a car all Mercurys own, such as a retro Cougar coupe.

Lincoln -- There was a day when Lincoln and Cadillac battled for preeminence for sales leadership in the American luxury car category. Lincoln long ago ceded the fight to Cadillac, a GM division with new and exciting products. Currently, Cadillac outsells Lincoln by more than 2 to 1 and does battle with the likes of Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes. For Lincoln, a new Town Car is needed plus a decision must be made regarding just how much the division should rely on trucks and SUVs to identify the brand. Currently, Lincoln line up includes more truck models than cars. Reviving a historic model, such as the Continental, could be a smart choice and putting some money into the LS is another. Curiously, the make is changing the name of its newest model, the Zephyr, to the MKZ after only one model year.

Ford is floundering and it is particularly noticeable in two divisions, Mercury and Lincoln. Its Mazda connection, which has yielded several models including the Escape and Fusion, has been a success. Tapping its Volvo association to help with larger cars and with engineering would be wise and Ford should work closer with its Jaguar division to produce additional vehicle lines. The current LS, derived from the Jaguar S Type is an example of an earlier collaboration that wasnt utilized to its fullest extent.

All hope isnt lost for Ford, but the companys image has been tarnished. The seed of greatness remains, but the company must act quickly in order to regain consumer confidence and stop the ever deepening erosion of its sales base to foreign makes.

In January of 2005 it was written (and found within the confines of The Insurance Journal), In 2003 more than 25% of automobile accidents resulted in bodily injury claim.

PLUS: In a 2004 study (executed via Trends In Auto Injury Claims) it was stated, Personal injury claims remain high.

Records indicate that many people involved in automobile accidents, are embarrassed to seek medical attention because of what theyve determine to be bumps and bruises, and they didnt seem serious enough or because the onset of the symptoms did not immediately occur.

HOWEVER: Just as soon as possible, after an accident, an initial evaluation at a local Emergency Room is positively recommended!

THE REASON FOR THAT IS: X-rays can be performed which will generally rule out broken bones or factures. PLUS: Muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory medications can immediately be prescribed so as to address muscle strains and/or pulls.

If the onset of a serious injury is delayed, the failure to have a medical complaint recorded will affect your physical recovery. Back and neck injuries (like a herniated disc) are not always immediately determinable. They are often initially diagnosed as Soft Tissue injuries before an MRI or a CT Scan reveals a disc injury. Normal x-ray film - - cannot diagnose a disc injury!

HERES SOME FACTS OF INSURANCE CLAIM LIFE BY THE AUTHOR OF THIS ARTICLE - - WHO WAS INVOLVED IN SUCH MATTERS FOR OVER THREE DECADES! If the adjuster can prove it (and then attempt to hang his hat on the reason Why hes refusing to pay a personal injury claim) hell often take the position of, Its because theres been a long and serious delay in receiving treatment. Or, Too many time-gaps in the treatment have occurred. Ending either one of those conclusions with, So therefore its clear that the impact had absolutely nothing to do what the claimant was later complaining of and being treated for.

WHIPLASH: Whiplash hurls your head backward (causing Hyper-Extension) and forward (causing Hyper-Flexion) the both of which will absolutely injure your neck. Whiplash has been determined to be the most common injury resulting from a car accident. It can cause injury to joints, discs, ligaments, cervical muscles and nerves.

A Whiplash can be short term or long life, because it can leave your neck forever vulnerable to injury. It leads to a long-term disability in 10% of those 1,000,000 people who have been Whip-Lashed (because of a motor vehicle accident in the United States) every year ! Records indicate that nearly 25% of those cases result in chronic pain and disability for an individuals lifetime.

After a Whiplash injury your necks natural curve may be reversed, which can unevenly distribute the weight of your head and may furthermore misalign the vertebra. This can lead to arthritic degeneration and recurring pain. Its a proven fact that 1 in 7 whiplash victims will still have significant pain more than 3 years after the accident!

According to research published in late 2004 MOST CAR SEATS FAIL THE WHIPLASH TEST, it was determined that almost two thirds (of what are advertised as Normal car seats) left motorists vulnerable to painful whiplash injuries. Of all the models tested 18 were rated as Good, 27 were rated as Acceptable however all of the others were rated either Marginal or Poor.

In a 2004 edition the National Association Of Mutual Insurance Companies stated that, From 1980 to 2003, the Bodily Injury Claim rate increased by 19%. They went on to say, There were 1.05 Personal Injury claims per 100 insured cars.

YOU MUST WATCH OUT FOR THE OTHER DRIVERS ADJUSTER

Youve got to be wary of the insurance adjuster contacting you, requesting a statement so he can, Settle your claim.

In most instances the only reason the adjuster from the other insurance company wants your statement is so to determine if he can build a defense against your claim or make his payment to you, as low as possible. More often than not adjusters contact you (under the pretext of helping you to settle your claim) and then attempt to use the information theyve obtained - - to minimize or deny your claim.

Unless the Police Report clearly places the fault on the other driver you must be very careful how you Handle and/or Deal with the adjuster assigned to your case because the adjuster is paid, and moved up the claims ladder, partly because of what he knows, and learned on-the-job, about insurance claims, but mostly because of how profoundly hes capable of taking advantage of those who have a legitimate one.

DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this article AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT CLAIMS is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Dan Baldyga does not make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever; NOR does he purport to engage in rendering any professional or legal service; NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance consultant, or the like. Where such professional help is desired it is the INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.

Dan Baldygas third insurance claim book AUTO ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIM (How To Evaluate And Settle Your Loss) can be found on the internet at http://www.caraccidentclaims.com or http://www.autoaccidentclaims.com. This book reveals How To successfully handle your motor vehicle accident claim so you wont be taken advantage of. It also goes into detail regarding the revolutionary BASE (The Baldyga Auto Accident Settlement Evaluation Formula). THE BASE FORMULA explains how to determine the value of the Pain and Suffering you endured - - because of your personal injury!

Copyright (c) 2005 By Daniel G. Baldyga. All Rights Reserved.

If you have been in an auto accident then you will likely have to file an auto accident insurance claim. This can prove to be quite a task dealing with insurance adjusters and the things that come with it. When filing an auto accident insurance claim there are some things you should know that will prove to be essential to you.

Contact your insurance company very soon after the accident. This is the first one to call in case of injury also. Take time to read what pertains to your auto accident insurance claim when you first receive your insurance policy this will help clear up any misunderstandings before accidents happen and will give you an idea of what your auto accident insurance claim entitles you to instead of having to worry about it while your going through the trauma of an accident.

When you writing your statement include as much details of the auto accident as possible. You can reinforce your claim by taking pictures of the vehicle and any injuries that may have been sustained due to the auto accident. Take down names and numbers of any witnesses that may be able to help in proving your auto accident insurance claim when the time comes. Remember to take notes on any other persons or vehicles that were involved in this accident because this is very important to your claim.

Keep all records pertaining to your claim. Write down when you have a conversation with the insurance officer, agents or anyone else that is involved with this auto accident insurance claim. Remember to keep all the bills and receipts that you may incur during this time. It is important to be honest with your insurance company because if you are not you could be disqualified due to fraudulent reasons. An auto insurance claim has been turned down many times on these same bases.

Another important thing to remember is that you may make more than one auto accident insurance claim, so check any other policies you may be holding to verify this. Take time out to review all your policies. You may be entitled to file more that one auto insurance claim, so make sure you claim for all that you are able to claim for.

When making an auto accident insurance claim there are some things that you must remember to do. Make sure you do them all and keep records.