Connecticut Boat Accident Lawyer

ANALYSIS: Cost of health coverage leaves working folks further and further behind

If you haven’t gotten much of a raise lately, it’s probably because the extra money that might have been put in your paycheck instead went to your health insurer if you are enrolled in an employer-sponsored plan.

Many Americans haven’t seen a pay increase of any kind because their employers can’t both increase their wages and also continue offering decent health care coverage. It has become an either-or for people like Zeke Zalaski, a factory worker in Bristol, Connecticut, who hasn’t had a raise in years.

I met Zalaski during a stop at the state capitol in Hartford last year. He wasn’t there lobbying for legislation that would create a state-run “public option, ” as many others were that day. Unlike those citizen lobbyists, Zalaski was actually able to vote for the public option.  

Zalaski is a rarity in U.S. politics. He’s not a lawyer or small business owner or career politician. He’s a blue-collar worker who is also a Democratic state legislator, serving his fourth term. When he’s not in the capitol, he’s working as a “power-press setup guy” at a plant producing precision-engineered springs.

Zalaski, who is also president of his union, shocked me in revealing he hadn’t received a raise in five years. In fact, because he and his fellow workers are now paying a greater share of premiums and more out of their own pockets for coverage because of higher deductibles, they are actually taking home less today than they were in 2006.And they are far from alone. Most U.S. workers are in the same boat, even if they have been receiving modest pay increases.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, American families have been losing ground financially over the last decade. The median household income in the U.S. in 2009 was $49,777. While that is 22.3 percent more than median of $40,696 in 1999, after adjusting for inflation the median is actually 5.3 percent lower than it was a decade before.  

Meanwhile, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the cost of coverage for a family of four has climbed 131 percent from 1999 to 2010. The average annual premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance in 2010 was $5,049 for single coverage and $13,770 for family coverage. It is little wonder why more and more businesses are no longer offering coverage and why more and more employees of companies that do still offer it are saying, “thanks but no thanks.”

Although most Americans with private insurance still get it through the workplace, our employer-based system of health insurance is failing more and more of us every year.

Algonquin man dies in weekend boating accident - Accident attorneys

Algonquin, Illinois – A man was killed on Sunday morning after being involved in a boating accident in the Fox River near Algonquin.

Authorities report finding the body of a man in the water of the Fox River. At 4:20 a.m. the Algonquin Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District received a call to investigate an overturned boat. Personnel were sent to 10350 N. River Rd. to investigate an upside down 21-foot Cutty Cabin boat that was stranded on a pier.

When help arrived, the boat was upside down on the pier and the victim, who was identified by officials as Michael Cherbak, 45, of Algonquin was found in the water roughly ten feet from the boat.

No other victims or survivors were found in the water or neighboring areas. Police don’t yet know what caused the accident but are investigating the incident.

Fatal accidents such as this one happen more often than one might think. Sometimes accidents happen due to mechanical failure, human error or negligence. If you have suffered any injuries or lost the life of someone you love in an accident, help is available to you right away. Contact the offices of a top accident lawyer to discuss your options and file a claim.

No matter what kind of accident you were involved in or the extent of the injuries, you can rest assured that you and your loved ones will obtain justice. As an accident victim, you may be entitled to thousands or possibly millions of dollars in compensation. Your accident attorney will work hard to get you the money damages, medical care, lost wages and property damage reimbursement you deserve for your pain and suffering.

Turn to a skilled team of accident lawyers near you if you or a loved one have been involved in a car crash, boating accident, slip and fall, workplace injury, medical malpractice or any other form of accident in which someone has suffered from physical injuries or mental trauma. Your paralegal knows this is a difficult time for you and will ensure that your proceedings run quickly and that the best possible outcome for your case is reached.

Speak to an acclaimed team of accident attorneys right away to procure your rightful compensation. Your paralegal will stand by your side throughout the entire duration of your case, offering superior legal counsel and advice as well as personal support. In the wake of an accident, you may feel as though nothing can be done to make things right, but your accident lawyer will not rest until you and your loved ones are given the full spectrum of benefits that you deserve for your wounds and pain.

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Boat Accident Reconstruction and Litigation

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