Not automatically. Not every situation is exactly the same, and the impact of filing a claim may effect you and your policy differently depending on the circumstances. There are some times when filing a claim is an obvious choice; particularly when the amount of damage is very large. And there are times when it is obvious not to file a claim; when the damage is less than the applicable deductible.

But there are many situations where the decision falls into a grey area and a decision needs to be made. This grey area usually resides somewhere just above your deductible to several hundred dollars higher. There are two major considerations to take into account when evaluating this decision:

1. Will this claim also trigger a surcharge to you? If so, you will be out of pocket both your deductible and any additional premium surcharge that will be added to your policy for up to six years. Doing this math, paying out of pocket for damages above your deductible in this case may well be worth it in the long run.
2. Is the amount you would need to pay out of pocket (alone or above your deductible) minor? Insurance carriers keep very good records and pay attention to customer’s claims history. If the insurance policy payout is going to be of minimal help towards resolving the damage in question, we generally advise to forego filing a claim. This way, if a large claim does occur at a later date, your record isn’t ‘tarnished’ with multiple claims and the carriers will look favorably at your policy when rerating and adjusting premiums.

Whatever size, call us if you find yourself in a situation where a claim may be required. We can discuss the details with you so you can make an informed decision about which direction is best for you.

It’s springtime, and if you have a bike you are undoubtedly anxious to get out on the road. Unless you keep your bike registered and insured all year round to take advantage of the occasional warm days, you have to make sure you planned properly at the end of last season to hit the road easily this season.

If you plan to take your motorcycle off the road completely it is important to follow the right steps. First, you need to cancel the plates/registration with the Massachusetts RMV – which can now be done online here. Without this step you could face a $100 reinstatement fee.

Once your plates have been cancelled, call us to voluntarily cancel your insurance policy. Without this second step, you will still get billed for your insurance premium. If you don’t pay these bills, your policy get cancelled for ‘non-payment’. This status on your record will make it much more difficult and expensive to place coverage when you need it again.

A final alternative is somewhere in between. You can renew your registration, but lower your insurance coverages to a bare minimum. This will help lower your insurance premium during those months when the bike isn’t likely to see much use, and therefore less likely to need to call upon your insurance policy.

As always, give us a call if you need any more information or guidance about the best approach for you.

Assessing the proper value to insure a home is a very different process than assessing what it’s market value is. What you paid for your home, or what you anticipate you could sell it for, are heavily influenced by the current real estate market. Assessing the insured value removes this market variability from the process. Instead, house insurance values are based on a standardized evaluation of what it would actually cost to rebuild a specific house.

These evaluations are generated within industry recognized solutions and take into account size, age, style, and location of the home. Another important factor that is market related are current labor rates. These rates along with the type and amount of materials provide a realistic cost to replace your home.

It is this approach that helps the insurance industry successfully ‘insure to value’, and avoid properties from being over- or under-insured due to fluctuations in the real estate market.

With the right information and guidance an affordable renter’s policy is well within reach. Depending on the amount of property you want to cover, a small tenant’s policy can cost as little as $10-25 per month. The best place to start is to do a quick inventory of your possessions. You may be surprised to realize just how quickly these add up, making the idea of replacing them at your own cost much more daunting!

And don’t be misled by the title; renter’s insurance covers these possessions away from your rental property. If you own it, it is covered wherever you go (although certain big-ticket items like jewelry may benefit from additional coverage to insure you are compensated completely in the event of a loss).

Finally, a less publicized benefit of renter’s insurance is that it also contains liability coverage. In the event that you get sued this insurance policy could be there to help protect you and your assets.

Although all homeowner’s and renter’s policies include a large amount of coverage for your personal property (typically 50% of the dwelling’s insured value on a homeowner’s policy), big ticket items may not be fully covered. Items such as jewelry and fine art are subject to a maximum $1,000 value per item. In order to insure these items to be fully replaced they need to be scheduled separately.

In addition to insuring these items to their proper value, scheduling items also extends when the coverage applies. For example, a $10,000 engagement ring lost on vacation would not be covered by the homeowner’s policy alone. If it were scheduled it would be.

Scheduling property is easy, all we need is a formal appraisal, and a small price to pay for peace of mind for your most cherished items.

This ban prohibits the use of any hand-held device while operating a commercial vehicle defined as:

1. a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more used for the transportation of property, or
2. a motor vehicle designed to transport more than 15 passengers including the driver, or
3. a motor vehicle used in the transportation of hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding under the Federal Hazardous Material Transportation Act.

If your vehicle and use do fit in the above description, the penalty if caught is disqualification from operating  a commercial motor vehicle for 60 days with the second offense in 3 years. 120 days for each subsequent offense within 3 years.

Is there any time that I can use my hand-held device?

There are still some ways you can stay connected:

1. If your mobile phone is mounted and easily accessed from the driver’s seat AND can be activated with a single button
2. When you are safely parked, or in an emergency situation
3. Two-way Citizens Band Radio services are not considered a mobile phone under this definition, but mobile telephone does include mobile services which are provided for profit, have inter-connected service, and is available to a substantial portion of the public.

A car accident can be a traumatic event, and it’s often difficult to remember exactly what you’re supposed to do.

First and foremost, if anyone is injured, call 911 and get help on the scene. Otherwise, the question about whether the police should be called is often a point of uncertainty. As a rule, if there is an injury or the damage appears to be in excess of $1,000, a police report should be filed. These two points can also serve as benchmarks for when it may make sense to have an officer at the scene.

Otherwise, the primary thing to do is gather information. The important details needed for filing a claim are:

1. Date
2. Time
3. Location
4. Other vehicle’s make, model, year, and plate number
5. Other driver’s name, address, license number
6. Names and number of passengers in both vehicles
7. Names of any witnesses (if applicable)
8. Pictures – it is a great idea to take pictures of the damage to both vehicles to help clarify any disputes that may arise later in the claim process

Once you have this information call us (or you can contact your carrier directly) to file the claim information. Even if you contact the carrier directly, it is still a good idea to provide us with the details so we have all of this information as the process continues.

Finally, what to do about your damaged vehicle? If your car isn’t safe to drive call the nearest towing service and have your car towed to the auto body of your choice. An insurance adjuster will make arrangements to inspect the car there. If it is safe to drive, take to the nearest drive-in claim center where an adjuster can assess the damage.

In either case, if you have rental coverage, you can rent a car at the rental agency of your choice up to the amount stated on the policy. This can occur on the date of the accident if you car isn’t drivable, or the date that you bring your car to the auto body for repairs if it is drivable. In most cases, providing the agency with your insurance company and policy number will be all that is needed.

After these steps have been taken, a claim representative will be assigned to your case. They will contact you directly and work with you towards reparations and final settlements.

Today there are many ways to go about purchasing insurance. There are many reasons why using an independent agent like us can prove valuable.

As an independent agent, unlike a nameless website, we strive to understand each of our customers personally. It is this knowledge that helps us understand their specific needs and enables us to recommend the best coverage possible.

Also, accidents happen. And when they do you want someone who knows you by your side who understands the environment. The claim process is usually smooth, but when it isn’t having an advocate on your side is priceless.

Flooding is defined as a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area; or of two or more properties from the following:

1. Overflow of inland or tidal waters
2. Unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source
3. Mudflows
4. Collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or other body of water, as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels that result in a flood

What does a Flood Policy cover?

Residential Building Coverage

Building coverage insures a house or dwelling, attached and detached garages, as well as certain permanently installed fixtures such as built-in dishwashers, permanent shelving and cabinetry, furnaces and radiators, hot-water heaters, plumbing fixtures, stoves, ovens and refrigerators.

Residential Contents Coverage

Contents coverage insures most of your personal property and belongings, including:

1. Clothing
2. Furniture, housewares, bedding
3. Decorative items, lamps, and lighting fixtures
4. Books, home electronics
5. Area rugs and draperies
6. Clothes washers and dryers
7. Air conditioners
8. Food freezers and the food in them
9. Portable microwave ovens

Coverage in Basements

Flood insurance covers structural elements, essential equipment and other basic items normally located in a basement, such as:

1. Unfinished drywall for walls and ceilings, including non-flammable insulation
2. Electrical junction and circuit breaker boxes, and required utility connections
3. Central air-conditioning units
4. Furnaces, hot-water heaters, fuel tanks and the fuel inside them, and heat pumps
5. Light fixtures
6. Foundation elements
7. Cleanup

However, flood insurance does not cover basement improvements such as finished walls, floors or ceilings, or personal belongings that may be left in a basement such as furniture and other contents.

Facts

Everyone lives in a flood zone – floods are caused by storms, melting snow, hurricanes, and water backup due to inadequate or overlooked drainage systems, dam or levee failure, etc.

1. Flooding can happen anywhere – about 25% of flood insurance claims come from low to moderate-risk areas
2. Flood damage is NOT covered by homeowner’s policies
3. Flood insurance is affordable
4. Flood insurance is available to homeowners, renters, and business owners
5. There is a 30-day waiting period unless you are purchasing at the same time as you are writing a mortgage
6. Federal disaster assistance is not insurance coverage – it is a loan that must be paid back
7. There is also an inexpensive preferred rate policy available if your flood zone qualifies

Jury awards and out-of-court settlements routinely run into hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Add to this the cost of legal fees, and the expense becomes staggering. An unexpected catastrophe could result in a large judgment against you. Without adequate protection, your current assets could be placed in serious jeopardy.

A Personal Umbrella policy could protect you against excess liability judgments for loss, injury, or even death caused by negligent acts. It is designed to provide liability protection over and above the insurance policies you currently have.

Consider the following example:

One evening a 17-year old took his parent’s car out for a drive. He crossed over a median and collided head-on with another vehicle. Two passengers in the other car were killed, and a third was seriously injured. The 17-year old driver was found negligent and ordered to pay $1.5 million to settle the injury claims. The parents had an auto policy with a $300,000 per claim liability limit. Fortunately the parents carried a Personal Umbrella policy. The auto policy paid $300,000, and the Personal Umbrella policy paid the remaining $1.2 million.

With a Personal Umbrella policy, you are covered if the limits under your primary policy are used up. Your assets, as well as your future earnings, are protected.

In today’s society, lawsuits are occurring with alarming frequency. Moreover, the monetary awards can be staggering. Your current insurance will protect you against a minor misfortune – but it probably would not give you the needed protection against a catastrophic loss.