The distinction between the cause of water in your basement is important.  Flooding is surface water than enters through a window, wall, or door and resulting damage is only covered if you have a separate flood insurance policy that is available to anyone regardless of whether you live in a flood zone.

Water that backs up through your sump pump drainage system can be covered by endorsement to your home insurance often for a very minimal premium.  This type of coverage is activated with water damage to the dwelling or your personal property either by the sump pump failing due to power outage, mechanical breakdown, or simply too much water coming in.  Even an inch of water can substantially damage a finished basement because the drywall acts like a wick and will draw the water up the wall.

If you live in a home that is prone to water entering the basement consider a backup sump pump that is powered by a constantly recharging marine battery, these often cost only a few hundred dollars to install.  Make sure to monitor your basement during periods of heavy rainfall or if you are away have a trusted neighbor check in periodically.

Please contact us today for a FREE no-obligation review of your home insurance.  Don’t wait until after disaster strikes!

A: Nothing. 53% of motorcycle crashes involve no other vehicles.

Learn to ride safe, visit this website and learn some sobering facts about motorcycle crashes and what you can do to avoid or minimize the injury from them.  Penndot offers Free Basic & Advanced Safety courses- please take advantage of them!

When buying motorcycle insurance please take time to educate yourself on the available coverages and consult and experienced independent broker who is well versed in cycle insurance.  Too often I hear about folks buying state minimum coverage with the incorrect assumption that a motorcycle or scooter will not cause much damage in an accident.  This is a false and dangerous assumption!   A rider could cause an accident where another car causes considerable damage or injury and you need to carry adequate liability coverage.

Even more overlooked is Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist coverage.  In PA this covers injuries of the rider and passenger when another driver causes an accident and they either have no insurance or low limits. You can purchase this coverage up to the level of liability insurance you carry.  Riders are strongly urged to carry as high of limits as you can afford!  There is no magical medical fund to pay for injuries when a car pulls out or makes a sudden turn in front of you.

Also worth noting is the value of taking a rider safety course. PA offers both a beginner and advanced safety course at no charge.  For those without a motorcycle endorsement the beginner course will teach you the basics and also upon finishing the course you will get your motorcycle endorsement.  The advanced course is recommended for any rider with experience- you will learn valuable skills that can help you avoid accidents.

Ride safe- and wear proper clothing including footwear, a helmet and eye protection.  For cars and trucks- please be aware of riders and give them plenty of room on the road.

Would you have enough liability coverage on your policy in this case? Most policies that I see typically have $100,000 or $250,000 per person for bodily injury liability.  A personal umbrella policy can give you coverage for an additional $1 Million for both auto and home insurance for a few hundred dollars per year.  In today’s litigious society can you afford to not have this coverage?  Will your wages be attached or your assets sold to satisfy a judgement against you that is not fully covered by your insurance?  These are questions to ask your attorney and then call your insurance agent and ask.

The other issue that this case brings to the surface is “full tort” vs “limited tort”.  This option that you select on your own auto insurance policy affects your ability to sue other people for “non-economic” damages suffered as a result of a car accident that is not your fault.  With limited tort (which is about 20% less expensive) you waive the right to recover for non-economic damages (pain & suffering) in most cases.  The plaintiff in this case likely had full tort coverage and was able to recover.  When speaking with clients the most typical response I get is “I’m not the kind of person to sue someone”.  Most people aren’t, but until you are in a injury situation you never really know- and with limited tort you have already waived some important legal protections.  It’s something you need to think about and discuss with your spouse or partner beforehand, you can change at any time but it requires a signed form in PA and its too late to change it after an accident.

Please talk about these considerations with your family, your lawyer and last but not least your independent insurance agent.  Be prepared.

Link to News Story

If you’ve ever been to an emergency room or doctor for any type of injury you may notice that they ask you where it happened.  Was it on the job?  In a vehicle?   This is because there is a specific order of payment for different insurance policies that may apply.  It can vary from state to state but here we are dealing with Pennsylvania.

In Pennsylvania we have a no-fault auto insurance law.  This law mandates that insurers must offer $5,000 in personal injury (first party) medical coverage on every vehicle insurance policy sold.  You can purchase higher levels up to $1 million. This coverage is primary if you are hurt in or on a vehicle, regardless of fault, and even applies if you are in someone else’s vehicle or on public transportation.  Slam your hand in the car door? Ouch- covered.  Fall out of the bed of a pickup truck that is not moving? Covered. You will not be surcharged as a result of these type of claims as long as it is not the result of an accident that was your fault.  In fact it may be a benefit because this coverage on your auto policy has no co-pays or deductibles like your health insurance probably does.

If you are hurt on the job, workers compensation coverage is the first order of payment and will also cover lost wages while you are recovering and cannot work.

Thanks for calling me with the question Tony and thanks for your business!

Getting a drivers license is an exciting part of our transition from teenagers to adults, and it is important that parents act as good role models to ensure their kids safety and the safety of other drivers on the road.  A critical part of this is seeing that kids take driver training classes which are offered at many schools but also on the road training with a qualified instructor in addition to practice time with mom or dad.  This will help you qualify for discounts that can help reduce the increased costs that come with new drivers.

In PA there was a new law passed in December 2011 that impacts holders of a learners permit who are under age 18.  It requires more practice time before a licensing test can be taken.  Here is a link to a guide that Penndot produced to help parents.

One of our clients related that they also require that their teenagers not ride as a passenger in a vehicle with a teenage driver.  They introduce this concept at a young age and reinforce it with parents of their kids friends so they do not feel that their kids are being singled out.  They have been so successful with this that their kids have called them to come pick them up when faced with riding with a teen driver.  Thumbs up to this family’s proactive safety plan!

Lead by example- do not use your phone when driving and stay focused on the road.  Be aware of your surroundings and drive defensively.

What is insurance fraud?  First let’s look at what insurance is- it’s a contract you enter into where you pay money for a company to assume risk.   When someone provides false information to an insurance company in order to gain something of value that he or she would not have received if the truth had been told‚ they’ve committed insurance fraud.

That can take the form of falsifying information on an insurance application, or providing false information regarding a claim.  It is a felony in PA, and you can face fines or jail time for being convicted of it.

One study estimates the cost of insurance fraud at about $200 per year for a typical auto insurance policy.  Fraud always ends up coming out of the pockets of the consumer.

The majority of automotive insurance fraud arrests in Pennsylvania involve:

• staged auto accidents and false claims of injury
• false reports of stolen vehicles
• false claims that an accident happened after a policy or coverage was purchased
• false claims for damage that already existed
• claimants who concealed that a person excluded from coverage by their policy was driving at the time of the accident

For more information please see http://www.helpstopfraud.org/Home/tabid/38/Default.aspx and please think about the consequences if you are ever tempted to inflate a claim or make a misrepresentation on an application for insurance.

The best tip for winter storm driving is to avoid it altogether.  Ask yourself if that trip is really that important to risk an accident with possibly injury, your collision deductible, and higher rates in the future.  Not to mention the inconvenience of having your car repaired.  Even if you consider yourself a good driver, it’s the other people out on the roads that you need to worry about.  And even if you don’t hit another car, if you slide off the road and damage your vehicle this will be considered an at-fault accident and subject you to increased insurance costs.

Prepare ahead of time: make sure your tires are in good condition and rated for winter driving.  Make sure your wiper blades are in good condition and you have plenty of windshield washer fluid.

Leave extra time for your trip and clear snow and ice from all areas of your vehicle.  In many states you are responsible if ice or snow comes off your vehicle and causes an accident.  Always use your headlights in poor weather so others can see you.

Less is more: lower your speed, and use smaller and less abrupt steering and braking.  If your vehicle does not have antilock brakes you must release the pedal when you feel the wheels lock up, different than pumping your brakes.

Remember the tough spots- learn where icy spots tend to occur, usually on bridges and at intersections, or wherever water tends to accumulate.  Be wary of black ice.

Don’t rely on technology: antilock brakes, traction control, and all-wheel or 4 wheel drive are helpful but no substitute for caution.  Once you lose control there is no button on your dashboard to save you from a collision.

Even oil or gas burning furnaces can be a source of potential fire, smoke damage, or puff backs.  Have them inspected and cleaned annually.  Change batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors every 6 months if not hardwired, and replace every 10 years.  If using portable heaters make sure to keep an adequate distance from any flammable materials and only use while supervised, and never use extension cords.

If using a backup generator during a power outage, never use inside your home or garage, and keep them away from open doors, windows, and vents outside. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer!

Stay warm and stay safe!

Pipes in exterior walls or unheated crawlspaces can be vulnerable to freezing and bursting.  Interior pipes should be well insulated before being closed in.  Pipes in crawlspaces can be protected using heat tapes which can be purchased at any home improvement store and are easily installed by a homeowner.  Make sure that crawlspaces, garages, and attics are well insulated.   Make sure to maintain heat at a minimum 55 degrees especially in a second home or if you will be away.  Consider shutting off the water supply as well.

Disconnect exterior hoses and turn off the water supply valve inside and open the faucet to allow excess water to drain, or install frost free faucets.  If you have a landscape sprinkler system hire a professional to properly drain it.  If you suspect a burst pipe, turn off your main water supply to your home and call a plumber.  A burst pipe unnoticed for even a few hours can cause significant damage, and even though it will likely be covered it is better to avoid a claim in the first place.

Stay tuned in for tips when using a woodstove or fireplace to stay warm!