It was a year ago when Preston Newby, a young youth pastor from Fairview, Oregon, pulled off the interstate to help passengers in a car that had just collided with an elk. He looked in the stricken car, noted injured passengers, then rushed back to his car to tell his wife Tara what he had seen and that he was going to help. As he turned and ran back to the scene of the accident, Newby was struck by a car that swerved to avoid the accident. Preston died moments later in his wife's arms.
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"This tragedy should never have happened," notes Farmers Insurance Fairview agent Jerry Braun. "You never expect someone so young, Preston was 24, to suffer an untimely death, but it did happen, and Tara was left to look after two young sons, Jacob, 2, and Micah, born in April."
Fortunately, two years earlier, while Tara and Preston were looking to purchase renter's and auto insurance, they visited with agent Braun. "I knew that the Newbys were expecting their first child and I talked to them about life insurance. Preston decided he wanted to be certain his family would be taken care of in the event of his death and made the decision to purchase life insurance. I explained that the coverage would ensure that his wife, Tara, would be able to stay home to care for the children and Tara has been able to use the insurance money to do just that. She paid off her debts and has been able to stay home with her two young children."
"With so much to stress about while raising two children, it's a blessing not to have to worry about finances," says Tara. "I feel like it was Preston's last gift to us."
The nonprofit LIFE shared the Tara Newby and Jerry Braun story as part of its fourteenth annual realLIFEstories Client Service Awards. The program recognizes insurance professionals for their outstanding service to a family or individual, while the personal experiences of those who benefited from life, long-term care, disability and health insurance are used to encourage Americans to examine their insurance needs.
This year's award recipients were featured in a special section of the Sept. 14, 2009 issue of Newsweek magazine. Additionally, they were honored alongside their clients at LIFE's realLIFEstories Client Service Awards Banquet, held on September 13, 2009 during the annual convention of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) in Orlando, Fla.
"This year's realLIFEstories underscore how important insurance is in a financial plan, and the vital role insurance advisors play in helping families to address and determine their insurance needs," said Marvin H. Feldman, CLU, ChFC, RFC, president and CEO of the LIFE Foundation. "Having adequate insurance protection is often what determines whether a family will have a financially secure future or face a lifetime of financial struggles."
To be considered for the realLIFEstories Client Service Award, insurance professionals submitted an application and essay describing how insurance benefited one of their clients at a time of great financial need. After an initial screening process that determined the top finalists, an independent panel of judges chose this year's four award recipients.
About LIFE
The Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE) was founded in 1994 in response to the public's growing need for information and education on life, health, disability and long-term care insurance. LIFE also seeks to remind people of the important role insurance professionals perform in helping families and businesses safeguard their financial futures. To learn more about these topics, please visit www.lifehappens.org.
About Farmers
Farmers is a trade name and may refer to Farmers Group, Inc. or the Farmers Exchanges, as the case may be. Farmers Group, Inc., a management and holding company, along with its subsidiaries, is wholly owned by the Zurich Financial Services Group. The Farmers Exchanges are three reciprocal insurers (Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Truck Insurance Exchange), including their subsidiaries and affiliates, owned by their policyholders, and managed by Farmers Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information about Farmers, visit our Web site at www.farmers.com.
Contact: Jerry Davies
213-400-4459
Jerry.davies@farmersinsurance.com
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