Umbrella

An accident happens on your property.

Your pet bites a neighbor's child.

A fire in your home spreads to neighboring houses.

Accidents like these can happen to anyone. And, if serious enough, can exceed standard liability limits. You'd be surprised how inexpensive peace of mind can be.

As the size of the average lawsuit increases, so does the possibility that a judgement could exceed your net worth. One way to protect financial assets such as your home, retirement account, future earnings, and other valuable property is with a personal umbrella policy.

Give us a call or e-mail if you'd like to find out more!

What's going on in your life?

So you have insurance and you pay your bill each month, but does that mean you’re fully covered?

If you’ve made upgrades or additions to your home, started a business, bought or sold land, equipment or personal property and haven’t told your agent; chances are you may not be properly covered.  It’s important to tell us when you’ve made changes to your life so we can make changes to your policy.  You may not think we need to know things like when the usage of your vehicle changes or you add members to your household but it could mean the difference between a claim being paid or denied.  So, let us know what’s going on in your life.   

*If you would like to make a policy change or request coverage, coverage cannot be put into effect until you have spoken to one of our agency representatives.*

Personal Auto Basics

As we start this blog, we thought it might be a good idea to go over some basics about insurance. There are all sorts of terms and jargon thrown around and if you’re paying for it, we want to make sure you understand what you’re paying for. So these first few posts will go over some basics about insurance.

Personal Auto Basics:

• Liability Coverage: 
• The liability coverage of the personal auto policy provides protection against legal liability arising out of the ownership or operation of an automobile. The insuring agreement agrees to pay damages for bodily injury or property damage for which the insured is legally responsible because of an automobile accident.
• The liability limit can be written as a single limit that applies to both bodily injury and property damage. The policy can also be written with split limits in which the limits of insurance for bodily injury and property damage are stated separately.
• The insuring agreement also states that in addition to the payment of damages for which the insured is legally liable, the insurer also agrees to defend the insured for all legal defense costs. The defense cost is in addition to the policy limits.

• Medical Payments Coverage
• The insuring agreement states that the insurer will pay all reasonable and necessary medical and funeral expenses incurred by an insured because of bodily injury caused by an accident. Payment can be made for expenses incurred within three years from the date of the accident. The insured is the named insured and family members, and any other person injured while occupying a covered auto. Pedestrians or cyclists are also considered the insured when struck by a vehicle. These payments are made without regard to fault.

• Uninsured Motorist Coverage
• This insuring agreement pays for bodily injury to an insured who is injured by an uninsured motorist, a hit-and-run driver, or a driver whose insurer becomes insolvent. Some states offer coverage for property damage as part of the uninsured motorist coverage. Usually when property damage is added a deductible would apply.

• Underinsured Motorist Coverage
• This coverage can be added to the policy to supplement the uninsured motorist coverage. The coverage must be added to all automobiles listed on the policy, and it must be added for the same limit as the Uninsured Motorist Coverage. Underinsured motorist coverage applies when a negligent driver has liability limits at the time of an accident, but the liability limits carried may be insufficient to pay for damages that the negligent driver is responsible for. This is when the insured's underinsured motorist’s coverage would apply and payment for the difference could be made. The two coverages are mutually exclusive and do not overlap or duplicate each other. An insured can collect under one coverage or the other depending on the situation, but not under both. 

• Collision Coverage
• This coverage provides protection against the upset of your auto or non-owned auto or a collision with another vehicle or object. Collision losses are paid regardless of fault.

• Specified Cause of Loss Coverage
• This coverage provides protection only for certain losses. The losses are fire, lightning, explosion, theft, windstorm, hail, earthquake, flood, mischief, vandalism, and the sinking, burning, collision, or derailment of a conveyance transporting the insured vehicle. 

• Comprehensive Coverage
• This coverage provides protection against any loss or damage to a covered auto resulting from loss other than a collision or upset, or a loss specifically excluded. This coverage also provides for supplemental payments for transportation expenses in the event of total theft of a covered auto or a non-owned auto. The auto must be insured for comprehensive or specified cause of loss coverage. Coverage begins forty-eight hours after a theft of a covered auto. Payments end when the auto is returned to use or the insurer pays for its loss.

• Extended Transportation Expense Coverage (Rental Reimbursement)
• This coverage applies when a covered auto or non-owned auto is withdrawn from use more than twenty-four hours due to a loss, other then theft. The insuring agreement agrees to pay up to the stated amount for expenses incurred in renting a vehicle. The coverage usually carries a per day limit and a maximum amount limit. 

• Towing and Labor Coverage
• This coverage pays for towing and labor cost each time a covered auto or non-owned auto is disabled, up to the stated amount.