Why Insurance Agents Worry About Their Clients..Road Trips!

As the holiday season approaches more and more individuals and families will be hitting the highway traveling to visit family and friends.  We want to make sure you take every precaution to stay safe while traveling near and far. 

There is some basic maintenance that should be done to your vehicle to be sure it gets you to and from where you need to be.  Like checking your battery, oil, coolant and other fluid levels.  Check your tire pressure, air filter, and be sure you have a spare tire. Most importantly, get those repairs done if needed. You may think this is silly but when loading in any potential passengers and all the extra belongings you should also check your vehicles load capacity.

There are some things  you need to do to be sure you have everything you need.  Make sure your latest insurance Identification Card contains accurate information and is located in your glove box with a copy of your registration.  We normally give our insurance handy plastic holders to keep these important documents in. It also lists our contact number on the back in case you need to reach us on the road.  You should also make a quick call to be sure you know what coverages you have, like towing, rental reimbursement and in some cases trip interruption.

Lastly there should be some things you should have on hand in the event of an emergency. Buy a road atlas or map, GPS or cell phone technology is great when they work.  Have a backup plan just in case.  Be sure your electronic devices are fully charged, like your GPS or cell phone.  A GPS may help so that you are aware of any detours.  Buy snacks, bottled water and a first aid kit, including any regular medications.  You should also have a blanket during this time of year.

Here is an infographic for easy visual reference about the things I mentioned an a pre-filled list for easy packing!  Have a safe trip, a fun holiday and most importantly feel free to contact us with questions.

What May or May Not be Covered on a Standard Homeowner Policy

Did you know that the following may not be covered on a standard homeowner policy?

All insurance policies are limited as to the coverage that they provide, if they did not we would all be paying much higher premiums.  Among the things that are not covered, we have identified some coverage options you may want to add to your standard homeowner policy.  

• Sump Pump Failure, sewer and drain backup
  
• Any at home business including daycare
  
• Any collections, jewelry, guns, furs, silverware, antiques, money, & cold all have very limited coverage
  
• Earthquake coverage
  
• Sinkhole collapse
  
• Watercraft Coverage including their trailers
  
• Trailers and campers
  
• Ordinance or law - if at the time of a loss a building code requires you to rebuild to comply with the ordinance - this coverage provides the extra expense to do this.
  
• Trees, Shrubs, Plants & Lawns

To find out more information or to find out if your policy covers any or all of the above please feel free to visit us on the web or contact us at one of our three locations.  

We also offer FREE insurance reviews even if you are not our customer. Contact us and we will go over your current policy and point out any coverage gaps.

Teens Behind The Wheel

Tanner Insurance Agency, Inc. cares about you and your family.  With a new teenage driver in the household, we would like you to consider some important facts so you can help your teenager become a safe driver.

The Statistics:

Young drivers, in the age group 16-20, have one of the highest fatality rates of all drivers.  In fact, motor vehicle related injuries are by far the leading public health problem among teenager today.  In 2005 in the US 5,288 teenagers died from crash related injuries, and 61% of teenage passenger deaths occurred in crashes which another teen was driving.

Five Principal Reasons Contributing to Teen Driving Problems:

1. Distraction
2. Speeding
3. Drinking
4. Seat Belts
5. Weather

What’s A Parent To Do?

• Choose vehicles for safety,  not image.  Ensure the car has airbags and anti-lock brakes

• Provide new drivers with plenty of supervised driving practice, even after they have their license. Including night driving and hazardous road conditions

• Mandate safety belt usage

• Restrict number of passengers.  Crash rates increase sharply when a teen has passengers especially other teens.

• Emphasize that safe driving requires your teen’s full attention. Distractions like text messaging will greatly increase their risk of motor vehicle related injury

• Discuss and reinforce responsible driving behavior with teenagers.

Download our FREE Parent - Teen Driving Contract - Click Here

Visit us at www.tiains.com  or contact us at one of our three locations.

How Safe Is Your Heating?

The right way to use alternative heating sources when fending off old man winter….

The best defense may be maintenance of your home’s heating system. But, if you decide to give alternative heating a try, make safety a top priority.  The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) suggests: 

• Look for products tested by Underwriters Laboratory (UL).
• Buy models with automatic shut-off features and heat element guards
• Maintain a 36-inch clearance between the heater and combustible materials, such as bedding, furniture, wall coverings or other flammable items. 
• Do not leave a heater unattended.
• Check every electrical cord for fraying and cracking.  If one looks worn, replace it before using.
• Install carbon monoxide detectors in several parts of the house.
• Replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at least twice a year and make sure to test them as well.

Other safety suggestions:

•  Never use a kerosene heater indoors.
• Never use electric or gas stoves (ovens) to heat the home.  They are not intended for that purpose and can cause fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.
• If using a wood fireplace, have inspected annually by a professional chimney sweep 
• When using a gas fireplace, keep the glowing embers and logs clean; inspect and clean the air circulation passages and fan; avoid obstructing the vents.

Visit us online at www.tiains.com or contact us at one of our three locations for more information.

Strange Claims

Anything can happen to anyone at anytime and here’s proof.  Here are what we think the top 5 strangest claims:

1.)    A property owner in Spain, rented his home to vacationers.  In this particular case it was a group of young people in their 20’s for two weeks.  When he returned to the property he found sand and water emulating the sea inside his home.  The young people gave the explanation that the beach “hadn’t lived up to their expectations”.  If this had been in NY and insured on a landlord policy, this most likely would have been an excluded claim.  When you rent your property to others it is considered the cost of doing business in most cases and would not be covered.  Our advice, screen your tenants and collect a security deposit.  This along with strange holiday home claims can be found here: http://www.yourmoney.com/your-money/news/2270071/top-ten-weirdest-holiday-home-insurance-claims

2.)    A man was driving around in his pickup truck and had his shotgun riding, well, shotgun. Arriving at his destination, the man grabbed his gun and hopped out of the cab. Unfortunately, he lost his grip and the gun discharged. The man wasn't sure if he'd fired the gun while grabbing for it or if it went off by itself as it hit the ground.  The gun was loaded (with buckshot - which spreads into lots of little bb type bullets) and luckily, the man was uninjured, the truck's interior wasn't as fortunate. The entire cab of the truck suffered extensive damage. In order for an event such as this to be covered you need comprehensive coverage (also called OTC, or Other Than Collision). This and several other Weird Auto Insurance Claims can be found here: http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/auto-insurance/5-weird-auto-insurance-claims.htm#page=4]

3.)    This one is really hard to understand how anyone would actually submit a claim for this, but in the UK a man was using the flashlight function on his cell phone while assisting his cow during calving.  Yup, you guessed it, the phone somehow disappeared!  It did however eventually turn up later but was damaged beyond repair.  I heard the mobile phone insurance company paid in full for this claim.  You may want to confirm whether the misplacing of your phone is a covered peril.  Read about this and more mobile insurance claims here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/10/25/top-10-bizarre-mobile-phone-insurance-claims-revealed_n_2015370.html

4.)    I have read that this next one is a really common complaint.  A woman was traveling and relaxing under a coconut tree when a coconut fell and hit her on the head and she needed to go to the hospital for treatment of the injury.  This actually ended up being very costly. There were CAT scans, blood work, monitoring etc. Luckily for her the insurance company paid the hospital fees but no out of pocket expenses.  Read this and more weird travel insurance claims here:     http://worldtravelbuzz.com/top-10-strangest-travel-insurance-claims/

5.)    Crime doesn’t pay … A customer tried to sue a Virginia Cracker Barrel Restaurant for $500,000 settlement after ‘discovering’ a mouse in her soup.  The chain and its insurance carriers investigated the claim and found the mouse could not have been droned & cooked in the soup because it had no soup in its lungs.  The court case actually went to trial and the jury believed the only way the mouse could have gotten there was if the person deliberately put it there!  The woman was arrested for fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion and was sentenced to a year in prison. Read this and more at: http://listverse.com/2013/01/06/top-10-bizarre-insurance-claims/

If you want to know if your insurance would cover any of these particular instances please give us a call to discuss or check us out on the web www.tiains.com.

Fire Prevention Week 2013

This is national fire prevention week.  There was actually a presidential proclamation declaring this week in 2013.

Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires with heating related fires close behind.  Here are some tips to help prevent and put out fires:

1) Make sure you have a smoke detector in every room of your home, but not in the kitchen
2) Unplug appliances when not in use
3) Don't use metal in the microwave, beware dinnerware sometimes has metal paint on the trim
4) Keep your stove & oven clean and in good repair
5) Be extra careful when cooking with oil or grease - be sure you don't over heat or over fill
     NEVER pour water on a grease fire, use sand, baking soda or a fire extinguisher.
6) Be sure all flammables are kept away from the stove & oven - like pot holders, dish & paper towels
7) Around the holiday, if you have a real tree, water daily and keep several feet from heaters.
8) Be sure your chimney was cleaned before the start of the heating season
9) Have your existing furnace inspected and maintained by a professional regularly

Follow this CHAIN:

CALL 911 for help
HAVE a fire plan in place - arrange meeting place away from the home - and have fire drills
ASK your local fire department for window stickers to alert there are children or elderly in the home
INSPECT your portable fire extinguisher & keep in an easily accessible spot - Every home should have one.
NFPA the National Fire Protection Association has many more tips visit them & make a plan.

We also have more information direct from many of the fire insurance companies we work with.  They want to help you prevent fires.  Visit us on the web at http://www.tiains.com , stop in to one of our three locations or give us a call for more info or to get a free quote for fire insurance.

Disaster Preparedness

I recently came across the reality show Doomsday Preppers on the National Geographic Channel.  I have to admit I was hooked well for a hour or so.   Some people take this to the extreme - or so it seems anyway. However, It made me stop and think.  I thought about what I would have or do if I suddenly had no power for more than a few hours.  I would have no water, no can opener, no stove, no microwave. I have a family and just to be safe I started taking a few simple precautions.  Not building an underground shelter but setting a side a few simple supplies in case my family and I should need them.

Travelers Insurance has a wealth of helpful information on their website and anyone with an internet connection can access it.  There are several other sites available...some perhaps not so reputable.  I would stick to Insurance companies, and government sites like the CDC  and of course the Department of Homeland Security  and lastly FEMA .

If you don't want to read up, here are a few simple things you can do:

1) Get a couple of gallon jugs of spring water at your next trip to the store.  They are usually less than $1 each.  They suggest a gallon of water per person per day.  

2) Stock up on extra can goods (already cooked) like beans, soup, raviolis, fruit, etc.  The best way is to purchase them with the pull tab tops.

3) Non-electric can opener

4) Portable battery operated radio

5) Batteries

6) Blanket (ideally one for every person in the household)

7) Matches in a zip lock bag

8) First aid kit

9) Flashlight (rechargeable that do not need batteries is best)

10) Dust masks, these are really inexpensive and can be purchased at even the dollar store

11) Baby wipes, garbage bags and twist ties

12) Infant formula, diapers, baby food

13) Prescription medications, vitamins, and glasses

14) Some basic tools, wrench or pliers, screwdriver, hammer, utility knife

Of course there are lots of variations on this and you can find them by checking out the links I provided.

I gathered as much as I could and threw it in a backpack.  Hopefully I will never need to use this in my lifetime, but I am prepared at least for a couple days.

If you have questions or need more information go to www.tiains.com or stop into one of our three locations. We would be happy to print you out a checklist to help you be prepared.