Winter Tips to Prevent Claims

Snow or ice is the fifth leading cause of homeowners’ insurance claims. Also, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III), the average homeowners’ claim for water damage and freezing is a whopping $5,531!

Follow these tips to protect you and your home from serious financial liability:

Prevent ice dams - An ice dam is a build-up of ice that blocks water drainage from the roof and the gutters. Ice dams can cause leaks from ceilings and walls that can ultimately lead to mold and other problems. To prevent ice dams, remove leaves, sticks and other debris from gutters or install gutter guards (available in most hardware home stores) that will prevent debris from getting in the gutter and interfering with drainage.

“Watch out for that tree!” - Trees and branches weakened by snow, ice and wind can snap and seriously hurt a person on your property, as well as cause serious damage to your home or car. Trimming trees and removing dead branches can help prevent serious damage and injuries.

Roof care and repair - High winds, snow and ice can damage a roof. Check the structural ability of the roof to sustain unusually heavy weight from the accumulation of snow and ice. After a heavy storm, check for water stains in attics and on any overhangs. Lastly, repair or replace split or loose shingles and fix any leaks.

Pipe dreams…and nightmares - First, the bad news: Frozen or broken water pipes disrupt hundreds of thousands of American lives every winter. The good news: You can prevent frozen pipes by following these tips.

• Keep the inside temperature of your home at 65 degrees or warmer.

• Wrap heating tape and/or standard insulation around pipes wherever possible.

• Look for pipes with cracks or leaks —they freeze first.

• Keep the inside temperature of your home at 65 degrees or warmer.

• Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells to allow warm air to circulate around pipes (particularly in the kitchen and bathroom).

• If you’re leaving your home for several days, turn off the water completely and drain the pipes, or keep water dripping through one or two faucets, as moving water prevents freezing. However, if you are leaving your home for an extended period of time, plan to turn the water off. It also helps to have someone check your home every day while you are gone.

• If your pipes do freeze, quickly shut off the water and immediately call a plumber.

Prevent personal injuries - Homeowners are liable for any injuries that occur on their property. Keep kitty litter, sand or rock salt on hand to sprinkle over frozen driveways, walkways or sidewalks. Additionally, ensure that your outdoor steps and guardrails are in good repair to prevent injuries from falls on ice.

Can you think of other tips that help us prevent claims related to winter weather?

Gift Suggestions that can help you be prepared!

It always seems to happen. During every holiday season we'll hear a news report about a Christmas tree or Menorah starting a serious house fire.

Each year, millions of lives are disrupted by natural disasters ranging from earthquakes and tsunamis to floods and wildfire.  But all disasters – large or small – share a common attribute: they focus attention on the importance of disaster preparedness and the critical need to take action BEFORE disaster strikes.

The trick is to convert good intentions into good deeds, and according to Acting FEMA Regional Administrator Dennis Hunsinger, there's no time like the holidays.

"Disaster-ready gifts save lives, and are a wonderful way of welcoming in 2010," said Hunsinger. "Helping to better prepare neighbors, friends and loved ones for emergencies is a great way to say 'I care'."

Emergency and preparedness items that might make great gifts include:

• NOAA Weather radios and extra batteries.
• Enrollment in a CPR or first-aid class.
• Smoke detectors.
• Appropriate fire extinguishers (kitchen, garage, car).
• Disaster kits for homes, offices and autos (first aid kits, food, water and prescription medications for 72 hours, extra blankets, flashlights).
• Foldable ladders for second-story escape in a fire.
• Car kits (emergency flares, shovels, ice scrapers, flashlights).
• The gift of a Gardner to cut back combustible vegetation from wildfire-vulnerable homes.
• National Flood Insurance.

A wealth of information and preparedness tips are available from the Department of Homeland Security at www.ready.gov or from FEMA at www.fema.gov.

Some might consider these gifts “the worst Christmas Gifts ever” but upon facing disaster they might save a life.  

Thank you Big I Markets for providing this information for us to share with our policyholders.

What is the worst Christmas Gift you have ever received?

Driving in the Rain with Cruise Control use Caution

Note we did verify this story from Snopes.com.

A 36 year-old female had an accident and totaled her car.  A resident of Kilgore, Texas.  It was raining, though not excessively, when her car suddenly began to hydro-plane and literally flew through the air.  She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence!

When she explained to the highway patrolman what had happened he told her something that every driver should know - NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON ..  She thought she was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe consistent speed in the rain.

But the highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on when your car begins to hydro-plane and your tires lose contact with the pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane.  She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred.  

The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the driver's seat sun-visor – never use the cruise control when the pavement is wet or icy,  along with the airbag warning.  We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control and drive a safe speed - but we don't tell them to use the cruise control only when the pavement is dry.

The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the patrolman), was a man who had had a similar accident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries.

NOTE: Some vehicles (like the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) will not allow you to set the cruise control when the windshield wipers are on.

Did you know about this?

Are your Christmas Gift cards Insured?

Many people are giving and receiving various forms of gift cards not only during the Christmas holidays but all year long.  

The National Retail Federation said that $25 billion will be spent on gift cards this Christmas season (2009), up from $18.5 billion for Christmas 2005.

Interestingly another research firm Tower Group estimates that approximately $8 billion in gift cards purchase this year will eventually go unused, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Unfortunately for most insured's the homeowners policy (HO-3) treats gift cards the same as cash, providing only $200 in the aggregate.    The homeowners policy now refers to Gift Cards as Stored Value Cards.

Our suggestion is to buy gift cards with smaller values not to exceed $200 and to use them as soon as possible.

Please read your policy for exact policy detail.

What is your favorite Gift Card to give or receive?