Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any more questions, just give us a call!
There are four main coverages in an auto insurance policy:
- If you're at-fault in an auto accident, Liability Coverage provides you financial protection for your legal liability in the event you injure someone or damage someone else's property.
- Medical Payments Coverage helps pay your own, or your passenger's, medical bills as a result of an auto accident, regardless of fault.
- Uninsured Motorist Coverage protects you when the responsible party who is legally liable for the accident doesn't carry auto liability insurance and they've injured you or damaged your automobile. Some states also offer Underinsured Motorist Coverage. This coverage provides you protection in an accident if the responsible party injures you or damages your automobile but doesn't have enough insurance coverage to fully pay your medical bills or repair your car.
- Physical Damage Coverage is the portion of your policy that pays to have your vehicle repaired after an automobile collision or some other occurrence, such as theft, vandalism, glass breakage, wind, fire, hail or flood.
Your automobile policy includes a section which shows you the amount of insurance you've purchased for each of the four main coverages of the policy called a Declarations Page. The amount listed on auto insurance Declaration as the Limit of Liability is the maximum amount the insurance company will pay if you are found legally responsible in the event of a loss. How much coverage do you need? Only you can answer that question based on your own unique financial situation.
Want to learn more about these coverages and why you need them? Watch our video
Deductibles are a vital component of any insurance policy, but they can be confusing. Simply put, the higher your deductible, the lower your insurance premium. This means you are assuming more of the risk yourself and therefore the insurance company can sell you the policy for less. You should choose the amount of coverage that best suits you by deciding how much you can afford to pay out of pocket in the event of a loss.
We recommend you watch our video to learn more about the variety of auto insurance limits and how they work.
Nearly one-third of all vehicles on the road either have no insurance coverage or carry only the state-mandated minimums. UM, or Uninsured Motorists, and UIM, Underinsured Motorists, are the additional coverages you can purchase to protect you should you be involved in an accident caused by one of these drivers.
Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage protects you when the responsible party who is legally liable for the accident doesn't carry auto liability insurance and they've injured you or damaged your automobile. Hit and run accidents are often paid under this coverage.
Nearly all states have laws that require automobile owners to purchase a minimum amount of insurance. Unfortunately, these limits are often too low to cover all of the costs that may add up in an accident. Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage provides you protection in an accident if the responsible party injures you or damages your automobile but doesn't have enough insurance coverage to fully pay your medical bills or repair your car.
Watch our video to learn how deductibles work and what to consider when picking one for your policy.
Teenage drivers are typically very expensive to insure because they lack driving experience. One way parents can save money on their auto insurance is through the teenSMART® Driver Safety Program. Created by behavioral and instructional science experts, the teenSMART program is designed to reduce your teenage driver's chances of being involved in an accident. Watch our video to learn more about the program and its effectiveness, as well as some additional ways you can reduce the cost of insuring your teenage driver.
Before you take your car on a long road trip, you should make sure you're prepared to travel safely. We suggest taking your car to a mechanic for a professional check-up, but if you are limited on time, here are some do it yourself tips:
- Check under the hood to make sure all fluids are topped off and all belts are working properly.
- Look over the outside of the car to make sure the wiper blades are in good condition, tires are fully inflated, and tire tread isn't worn.
- Pack an emergency kit that includes items such as water, non-perishable food, a blanket, a flashlight, and jumper cables.
Watch our video for an extensive checklist for your car's maintenance, as well as a full list of items to include in your emergency kit.
An auto accident is just that - an accident. Be prepared to handle the stress of this unfortunate situation by knowing how to file your insurance claim. Most importantly, stay calm. Contact the police immediately and be sure to tell them if medical help is needed. If no one is injured, move your vehicle to safety and contact your insurance agent right away; they will advise you of what information is needed to handle your claim.
Watch our video for some helpful tips on how to begin the claims process. Safe travels!
The amount of insurance you purchase is usually called your policy limit, or limit of coverage. It's the maximum amount your insurance company will pay for a particular loss or losses, subject to the terms and conditions of your insurance policy. Each policy is unique and may include a variety of limits.
Watch this video to learn more about some of the most common ones.
Your home is your most valuable investment so it only makes sense to protect that investment with insurance. But what does that insurance cover?
The standard homeowner's policy is divided into two sections:
- Section I: Property Coverages
- Section II: Liability Coverages
SECTION I: PROPERTY COVERAGES
There are four coverages in Section I:
- Coverage A Dwelling provides protection for your home and the structures attached to your home.
- Coverage B Other Structures cover the structures other than your home located on your property such as a detached garage or shed.
- Coverage C Personal Property covers the contents of your home such as furniture, appliances, clothing, and toys.
- Coverage D Loss of Use provides coverage for additional living expenses when you "lose" the use of your home due to a covered loss.
It's important to note that not all causes of loss are covered on the standard homeowner's policy. For example, flood damage is not covered by typical homeowners' policies. Homeowners' policies are designed to provide coverage for exposures that most homeowners will incur. This helps keep the cost of insurance affordable.
SECTION II: LIABILITY COVERAGE
There are two coverages in Section II:
- Personal Liability Coverage provides coverage when you are liable for bodily injury or property damage to others. It also covers injury or damages to others caused by any relatives living with you.
- Medical Payments cover medical bills incurred by people invited to your home who are injured on your property or as a result of your personal activities.
Just as every home is different, so is every insurance policy. To ask questions and learn more about what coverages you need to protect your home, contact your local independent insurance agent today!
Watch this video for more on homeowners' coverages.
The deductible on a homeowners insurance policy can vary due to many factors.
Insurance policies are not meant to cover small losses or what some call "maintenance" type losses. They're designed to protect you from the financial devastation that can occur when you have a large loss involving your home, auto, or business. That's why insurance policies include a deductible.
The deductible is the portion of the loss you'll be responsible for, or what you'll pay out-of-pocket when a loss occurs.
Watch this video to learn more about deductibles.
Working with a trusted independent agent means you receive benefits you can't get from any website: knowledge, experience, expert advice and counseling, personal service, and comprehensive coverage in one place to protect all your assets such as your home, auto and business.
Watch our video to learn more about the value of working with an independent agent.
Your possessions are important to you, but it's unlikely you would be able to recall every single thing you own if you lost it all in a fire or other disaster. A household inventory is simply an itemized list that describes all of the belongings in your home, room by room.
Watch our video to learn the benefits of a household inventory and see just how easy it is to complete one. You can even download our helpful brochure from our website.
Typically, a standard homeowners policy will only provide limited coverage for your valuable items. A Scheduled Personal Property endorsement provides broader coverage for expensive and valuable items like jewelry or rare collectibles.
Watch our video to learn more about the endorsement and how it can help assure you're fully protected in the event of a loss.
Most homeowner policies do not cover the cost of repairing or replacing household equipment like TV's, refrigerators, and computers if they break down due to a mechanical or electrical failure. However, there's a very affordable option you can purchase called Equipment Breakdown Coverage which extends coverage to all your important home systems and personal property due to a covered loss.
Watch our video about the benefits of adding Equipment Breakdown Coverage to your homeowners policy.
A personal umbrella policy offers an extra layer of protection over the coverages already provided by your other insurance policies such as auto or homeowners. For example, let's assume your auto insurance limit is $300,000 but you were involved in a terrible auto accident and sued for $1 million. If you are found liable, you will be responsible for paying the difference out of your own pocket. Where will you find $700,000?
Watch our video to learn more about how a personal umbrella policy can help protect you and your assets.
Accidents happen every day and you can be held liable for any number of mishaps. While a personal umbrella policy cannot prevent you from being sued, it does help you pay any costs for which you are responsible that exceed the limits of your primary auto or homeowners insurance policy. It will also provide additional coverage to help protect against slander, false arrest, false imprisonment, wrongful eviction, violation of privacy rights, and wrongful detention. It can even cover defense costs if the injured person takes legal action against you.
Watch our video to learn more about the benefits of a personal umbrella policy.
Renters insurance is designed for people who rent their homes as opposed to owning them. This policy protects your personal property in the event of a covered loss and differs from a homeowners policy as a renters policy does not protect the building itself.
Watch our video to learn more about the benefits of renters insurance.
Insurance not only covers you in the unlikely event of an accident, but it also provides you peace of mind that your hard-earned money stays where it belongs - in your pocket. Without insurance, you could spend hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on repairing and replacing damaged items such as your car, clothing, or apartment.
Our video explains why young adults need insurance and what types they should have.
Whether you're just beginning your college career or returning to campus life, there's a lot to think about. Moving into a dorm or apartment, buying a new computer or furniture, taking a vehicle to school - all of these big events have insurance implications. A parents' standard homeowners policy may provide some coverage but is it enough?
Watch our video to learn more about the various types of coverages needed so you can rest assured you're fully protected before heading off to school.
Typically, a standard homeowners policy will only provide limited coverage for your valuable items. A Scheduled Personal Property endorsement provides broader coverage for expensive and valuable items like jewelry or rare collectibles.
Watch our video to learn more about the endorsement and how it can help assure you're fully protected in the event of a loss.
Whether your son or daughter is just beginning their college career or returning to campus life, there's a lot to think about. Moving into a dorm or apartment, buying a new computer or furniture, taking a vehicle to school - all of these big events have insurance implications. A parents' standard homeowners policy may provide some coverage but is it enough?
Watch our video to learn more about the various types of coverages needed so that your son or daughter is protected before they head off to school.Watch our video to learn more about the various types of coverages needed so that your son or daughter is protected before they head off to school.
A personal umbrella policy offers an extra layer of protection over the coverages already provided by your other insurance policies such as auto or homeowners. For example, let's assume your auto insurance limit is $300,000 but you were involved in a terrible auto accident and sued for $1 million. If you are found liable, you will be responsible for paying the difference out of your own pocket. Where will you find $700,000?
Watch our video to learn more about how a personal umbrella policy can help protect you and your assets.
Accidents happen every day and you can be held liable for any number of mishaps. While a personal umbrella policy cannot prevent you from being sued, it does help you pay any costs for which you are responsible that exceed the limits of your primary auto or homeowners insurance policy. It will also provide additional coverage to help protect against slander, false arrest, false imprisonment, wrongful eviction, violation of privacy rights, and wrongful detention. It can even cover defense costs if the injured person takes legal action against you.
Watch our video to learn more about the benefits of a personal umbrella policy.
Renters insurance is designed for people who rent their home as opposed to owning. This policy protects your personal property in the event of a covered loss and differs from a homeowners policy as a renters policy does not protect the building itself.
Watch our video to learn more about the benefits of renters insurance.
Insurance not only covers you in the unlikely event of an accident, but it also provides you peace of mind that your hard-earned money stays where it belongs - in your pocket. Without insurance, you could spend hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars in repairing and replacing damaged items such as your car, clothing or apartment.
Our video explains why young adults need insurance and what types they should have.
Whether you're just beginning your college career or returning to campus life, there's a lot to think about. Moving into a dorm or apartment, buying a new computer or furniture, taking a vehicle to school - all of these big events have insurance implications. A parents' standard homeowners policy may provide some coverage but is it enough?
Watch our video to learn more about the various types of coverages needed so you can rest assured you're fully protected before heading off to school.
Typically, a standard homeowners policy will only provide limited coverage for your valuable items. A Scheduled Personal Property endorsement provides broader coverage for expensive and valuable items like jewelry or rare collectibles.
Watch our video to learn more about the endorsement and how it can help assure you're fully protected in the event of a loss.
Whether your son or daughter is just beginning their college career or returning to campus life, there's a lot to think about. Moving into a dorm or apartment, buying a new computer or furniture, taking a vehicle to school - all of these big events have insurance implications. A parents' standard homeowners policy may provide some coverage but is it enough?
Watch our video to learn more about the various types of coverages needed so that your son or daughter is protected before they head off to school.
The answer is, "It depends." It depends on what caused the loss and the coverage provided by your specific policy. Determining the cause of loss can be confusing.
Watch our video to learn more about the different causes of a water loss and how you can help protect your home with a Water Backup and Sump Discharge or Overflow endorsement.
Should you lose your business to a fire or natural disaster, the Replacement Cost Coverage on your business insurance policy would cover the cost to rebuild at the same location using the same types of materials.
Watch our video to understand the differences between these types of coverages and to find out the benefits of each so you can determine which one is right for you.
Uninsured Motorists (UM) and Underinsured Motorists (UIM) are additional coverages that protect you against other drivers that don't have insurance, or don't carry enough insurance. Without these coverages, you or your employee may need to pay out-of-pocket for an accident, even if another driver is at fault. Your Worker's Compensation insurance may even take effect in this case.
State minimums are often too low to really cover all the costs that add up in an accident. UIM coverage helps you pay those medical bills that the underinsured motorist can't cover.
If your business lost everything overnight - the building and its contents - you would also lose all of your income until you could rebuild, and even then it may take years to rebuild the flow of business you were once accustomed to. Business Income Coverage protects you from the loss of income when business operations are suspended due to a direct physical loss of property on your premises, resulting from a covered cause of loss.
Learn about the basics of Business Income coverage and how it benefits business owners by watching our video.
Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) can help protect your business if an employee files a lawsuit against you for discrimination based on pregnancy, gender, and age, as well as sexual harassment.
Watch our video to learn about the benefits EPLI can provide your business.
Today's businesses rely on technology to succeed. Unfortunately, with the increased conveniences of technology comes increased risk, and small businesses are especially vulnerable. Despite your best efforts to protect yourself, a cyber-attack could still occur. This is where cyber liability insurance can help; it will help pay for recovery efforts as well as help defend you from lawsuits resulting from a security breach.
Our video will help you discover the steps you should take to protect your business from a cyber-attack.
A data breach is the theft, loss of or mistaken release of private information, whether electronically or physically. There are several steps you can take to prevent this from happening in your business including training your employees on how to properly handle and dispose of secure information. However even the most conscientious businesses can still experience a data breach.
Watch our video on Data Compromise Insurance to learn how it can protect you from the consequences of a data breach.
A loss control survey is an individual assessment of a place of business to evaluate possible hazards such as fires, water leaks, or any other catastrophes that may negatively affect your business or harm your employees.
Check out our video to learn more about loss control surveys and how they can be beneficial to you.
There are a variety of safety risks in any restaurant, but slip and fall accidents are among the most common mishaps in the industry.
Watch our video to learn more about the safety hazards in a restaurant and how you can take proactive measures to minimize the risks for both your customers and employees.
After ensuring your employees are out of harm's way, contact your insurance agent right away. Be sure to inspect your property, record the damages (photos always help) and partition off unsafe portions of the building.
Learn more about the steps you should take after your business suffers a disaster to help mitigate further damage and start the claims process by watching our video.
ISO, or Insurance Services Office, provides information, products and services related to your business property risk. ISO may evaluate a business in order to determine a fire rate for the building; these rates are then used to help determine the overall premium for the building and its contents.
Watch our video to learn more about what types of things ISO will look for and how establishing an accurate fire rating for your building can have an impact on your insurance premiums.
Sprinkler systems are broken down into two system designs: pipe schedule system and hydraulic designed system. Both designs include four types of systems: wet pipe, dry pipe, pre-action and deluge.
Watch our video to learn more about these different types of sprinkler systems and how they are used to defend against a fire.
Businesses, institutions and municipalities increasingly rely on costly equipment and new technologies. Whether it's electrical distribution, production machinery, environmental controls, refrigeration, or computers, equipment is vital to your operations. Reliance on new technologies and equipment has actually led to a greater probability that a critical business system will breakdown. There can be an electronic circuitry failure that causes equipment to stop working for no apparent reason. The result is unbudgeted losses that can be extremely costly and, in many cases, greatly impact your bottom line.
Equipment Breakdown coverage can help protect you from the costs associated with losses to your facility's equipment. Watch our video to learn more.