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Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Recent Fiery Wreck is a Reminder to NASCAR Drivers: Consider Individual Own-Occupation Disability Insurance

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was a contender in the Duck Commander 500 when a wreck knocked him out of the race. After running his car on the grass, Earnhardt lost control of his car and ended up sliding into the wall, causing a tire to blow and his car to catch on fire. According to Dale Jr., he wasn’t able to see how close he was to the grass, causing the driver side wheels to catch. Many may not think this would be a cause for a crash but at the speeds a racecar goes, the change in surface is a big deal.

The accident guaranteed a 43rd-place finish for Earnhardt. He hadn’t finished last in the field since the 2007 fall race at Phoenix, a span of 222 races. The new rules in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship puts increased emphasis on wins, but Earnhardt already has four top-three finishes this season, including a win at Daytona,” (Dale Earnhardt Jr. drives into grass, wrecks at Texas Motor Speedway: ESPN, April 8, 2014).

“Dale Jr. was lucky his encounter with the grass did not end in a serious accident or involve the safety of other drivers,” states Frank N. Darras, top disability insurance lawyer to the pros.“This close call makes us all think about how easy it is to become disabled and lose your source of income at a moment’s notice. Individual own-occupation disability insurance is something I strongly recommend for all NASCAR drivers, especially since their livelihood is at stake if they are seriously injured in a crash.”

NASCAR does their absolute best to make the sport as safe as possible for drivers and fans alike. The roll cage and safety restraints installed in Earnhardt’s car would have protected him in the event his car spun out of control. In this particular case, Earnhardt maintained the majority of control over his car as it veered towards the barriers. As flames licked the car, he was able to safely climb out in his fire-retardant suit, a necessity for all NASCAR drivers (How NASCAR Safety Works, How Stuff Works).

“Even with all the safety measures NASCAR provides,no one is invincible. This goes for any sport and any type of situation. This is why I advocate individual own-occupation insurance I counsel my professional athletes to buy. If Dale Jr.’s wreck had resulted in a serious disability, either short-term or long-term, how would he provide for himself and his family? Own-occupation insurance provides benefits no matter if he could no longer work or if he found another career outside of racing. There are plenty of specialists in own-occupation insurance that would be happy to sit down and discuss options with anyone who is interested. The risk of being disabled is too high to ignore all the benefits of the right individual disability insurance policy,” says Darras.

DarrasLaw is Americas' most honored and decorated disability litigation firm in the country. Mr. Darras has seen more, evaluated more, litigated more, and resolved more individual and group long term disability and long-term care cases than any other lawyer in the United States.

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