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Get Ready For Summer With These 5 Insurance Policies

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Summer has now unofficially started, as busy beaches, lifeguards and businesses alike can attest to. But while we may all be looking forward to taking a break from work during a summer vacation, it’s important to take a moment to ask ourselves: what are my summer insurance needs this year? 

While insurance is the last thing we want to think about before heading out for some summertime relaxation, consider this: ignoring our seasonal insurance needs could become even more costly than our vacation expenses. And who wants to deal with that scenario?

So before you head out for your summer adventures, make sure you’ve checked off this season’s insurance to do list:

–Pool Insurance: Pools can quickly transform from fun areas to danger zones, at which point you may have to pay for your or even a guest’s medical bills. Take the time to prevent this by making sure your pool is properly insured, as well as checking to find out if it needs any repairs and if it meets local standards and codes for safety equipment such as fences and locks. Never assume swimming pool related work and accidents are fully covered under your homeowners insurance – especially since some policies exclude swimming pools from their coverage entirely.

-Car Insurance: Car shows and summer go hand-in-hand, but as we’ve discussed before, antique and classic cars usually require a separate insurance policy than your everyday set of wheels. Insurers offer both agreed-value or stated-value policies for antique and classic cars, so you can select the coverage that’s best for you; you’ll also want to make sure that you have liability insurance before taking your car to any show this summer.

-Watercraft Insurance: Boats are one of the most enjoyable parts of the summer season, but they also come with major risks that owners need to take into consideration. Some boats are covered under homeowners or renters insurance policies. Others, like personal watercraft-like Jet Skis and larger boats, require a separate marine insurance policy. So before you head to the helm and out to open water, make sure that you have proper boat insurance that will help you in a number of scenarios, like:

*Your boat getting lost or damaged

*Your guests accidentally injuring themselves during a day on the water

*You having to go to court if someone takes your boat for a joy ride without permission

-Motorcycle Insurance: Open roads during a beautiful summer day are a motorcyclist’s dream. Of course, riding a motorcycle carries risks; that’s why all motorcyclists are required to have liability coverage for property damage and bodily injury that you may cause to other people in an accident. A comprehensive policy also covers non-accident damage, such as from fire, vandalism and theft.

-Rental Car Insurance: Are you renting a car at all this summer? Some people don’t bother purchasing additional insurance when renting a car because of the coverage they have through their credit card and current auto policies. However, if you plan on renting a car this summer, ask yourself: if my rental is damaged, will I have to pay out of my pocket for repairs and wait for any reimbursement, or will my insurance cover the cost of the damage right away? Use the answer to this question, and how much better or worse off you’d be in either scenario, to evaluate whether or not you need to purchase rental insurance during your trip this summer.

These are five major insurance policies you should definitely review before you throw yourself into your summer plans. Even if you feel ready for some summer fun, if your insurance isn’t able to handle the risks associated with the season, then it’s too early to jump into summer just yet. Still, we understand that you’re ready to start enjoying yourself out there; that’s why we’re offering to help you evaluate your current insurance policies to get you ready for your summer adventures.

Go ahead and contact us today to set up your appointment. Everyone on our staff at the Fisher Widmann Flick Insurance Agency is a specially trained insurance expert who can make sure your insurance policies cover exactly what they need to cover, all at a reasonable cost. So go ahead and get in touch, central Pennsylvanians – we’re all that stands between you and a wonderful summer!

 

*Image Sources:

Swimming Pool: Courtesy of Flickr user dno1967b 

Red Car: Courtesy of commons.wikipedia.org

Sailing Boat: Courtesy of Pixabay

Motorcycle: Courtesy of commons.wikipedia.org

Silver Car: Image courtesy of Flickr user rp72

Never Make A Sale Without Special Events Insurance

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Home and garden shows. Expos. Farmers markets. Arts festivals.

What do events like these have in common? They all feature concessionaires and vendors, each selling their handmade wares and crafts to an excited community. For many attendees special events like these are the highlight of their spring or summer – and for the concessionaires and vendors, these events are their livelihood.

So whenever you prepare to head out, set up a booth, and start selling your homemade goods, don’t forget to ask: do I have the insurance coverage I need for this event? 

While not every small-town local event will require that their vendors purchase insurance, having insurance in place while attending an event is always highly recommended. Special event insurance can offer protection in a range of situations:

-Your goods and services are your livelihood – how much would losing one or more of them set you back? Insurance can help keep you on your feet in the event of a theft.

-A special event is a public place, which means that your business must operate in a public place. Your insurance should protect your business from any injury or property damage claims that you may face as a result of your operations.

-As a business owner your responsibility does not stop when an event ends. Should one of your products become involved in an injury or property damage case later down the line, good insurance will kick in to help you deal with that situation.

Exactly what a concessionaire or vendor needs ultimately comes down to what they sell, how long they’ll be at an event, and the environment the event will take place in. This makes finding the right insurance for each event you go to incredibly important. Our staff at the Fisher Widmann Flick Insurance Agency understand this – that’s why we’ve taken steps to ensure that you’re always properly insured at the special events you attend. 

To make this happen we’ve partnered with the United States Liability Insurance Group, who’s known for specializing in underwriting low premium, low hazard specialty insurance products. Together we’re offering specifically designed insurance packages that accommodate the coverage and pricing needs for a wide variety of concessionaires and vendors. Through this partnership we now offer general policies and packages alike for special events that include things such as auto liability coverage, Inland Marine coverage and more.

Whether your booth will be located indoors, outdoors, in a lot, under a tent, or at a local market or fair, you can count on us to protect your operation. If you’re preparing to attend an event in Johnstown or central Pennsylvania, go ahead and make an appointment with one of our staff members to prepare your special event insurance package. Our representatives in Blaire County, Cambria County, Somerset, Latrobe, or in any other nearby counties are all ready to work with you so that you can continue doing what you love knowing that you’re good to go, no matter what might happen during your day at work!

Contractors: Don’t Forget To Double-Check Your Insurance Coverage!

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If there’s one thing we can expect every spring, it’s that the warming weather will always bring a flurry of new work to contractor’s doors as homes and businesses alike look to repair, replace or even build any number of desired systems, structures and appliances.

While the spring season is good for a contractor’s bottom line, we urge contractors to pause before they rush to work on their latest incoming projects. Because contractor jobs by definition often carry unique and fairly dangerous risks, now is the time to ensure your business will continue to run smoothly by checking and confirming that your insurance comprehensively covers any likely worst-case scenarios you’d see in your line of work.

As with any type of insurance, different contractors insurance plans cover different levels of risk regarding possible accidents, injuries, or even property damage caused during your work. Contractors insurance usually falls into one of three major categories:

–General liability insurance: Typically included in most contractors insurance packages, general liability coverage protects against things like lawsuits and other financial liabilities.

–Commercial vehicle insurance: Does your work require use of a commercial vehicle? If so be sure to look into commercial vehicle insurance, whether you use a car, truck, van or even trailer, to make sure this important business asset isn’t neglected from a coverage standpoint.

–Business owners insurance: Business owners insurance is perfect for contractors who own business-related properties, such as garages or warehouses. These policies usually include general liability insurance with other business related coverages, including but not limited to loss of income, property, and commercial vehicle insurance.

 

Depending on the type of contract work you do, you may also want to include additional coverage options in your insurance policy. For example, some contractors find that comprehensive liability coverage works better than a general liability policy. Where you work on your contracting jobs – such as a construction sites, riverside projects, and so forth – can also impact your coverage needs.

Don’t think you have the time to evaluate all of this yourself? Not sure what coverage you actually need to succeed? Go ahead and make an appointment with one of our Fisher Widmann Flick Insurance Agency staff members to evaluate your contractors insurance policies. Whether you’re in Johnstown or any other area in central Pennsylvania, and whether you need an entirely new policy or to just update the one you already have, we’re here to help you make sure that your business is fully covered for a reasonable price. Our representatives in Blaire County, Cambria County, Somerset, Latrobe, or in any other nearby counties are all ready to work with you so that you can concentrate on staying safe on the job, rather than worrying about what would happen if things went wrong while working.

Will Your Insurance Protect You When Nature Strikes?

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Last week tragedy struck when bizarre weather patterns resulted in dozens of powerful tornados, massive flooding, high winds and damaging dust storms occurring across multiple states. In some cases, the powerful weather fronts striking the Plains and southern states swept north, resulting in rainstorms that spread across the East Coast up to the state of New York. Unfortunately, last week’s freak-weather had devastating effects on many communities that have forced survivors to take in the resulting damages and evaluate their options for the future.

It’s difficult to imagine a disaster on the scale of what we saw last week happening in central Pennsylvania.  But natural disasters can hit anywhere and any time – and that’s why you need to ask yourself – would your insurance protect and assist you if disaster struck?

1. Evaluating Your Homeowners Policy

Basic homeowners insurance policies usually cover certain damages caused by some acts of nature, such as lightning strikes, wildfires, windstorms, hail storms, damage caused by heavy snow or ice on your home, and even tornados or certain amounts of volcanic activity. While this seems like enough on first glance, several key things are not included in this coverage:

-Any damage caused by earthquakes

-Any damages caused by flooding

-Certain types of hurricane damage

Central Pennsylvania, while a very safe state in terms of natural disasters, is still at risk for flooding, both due to local weather and due to hurricane storms moving north after making landfall. Because of this, locals are strongly advised to purchase additional coverage to make sure they’re protected in these events – and to make sure their homeowners insurance comprehensively covers any personal losses or potential rebuilding costs.

2. Evaluating Your Renters Policy

Renters by definition have to deal with a unique situation – while they can (and should!) look into a renter’s insurance policy that covers damage to their furniture, electronics and other personal belongings in the event of a natural disaster, the responsibility of maintaining building insurance belongs to the landlord.

Keeping this in mind, renters should always check their insurance policies to see if insurance would cover living expenses in the event of a disaster making an apartment unlivable; ultimately, renters are responsible for their belongings and their living expenses, but not for the damages that could affect an apartment complex following a natural disaster.

3. Evaluating Your Auto Insurance Policy

As we’ve discussed before, basic auto insurance offers skeletal protections for policy holders – and unfortunately damages due to natural disasters are not included in a basic policy. Many comprehensive auto insurance policies also cover the collateral losses that can take place as a direct result of a natural disaster, such as vandalism, theft (looting) and animal damages. It’s highly recommended that central Pennsylvanians invest in auto insurance that covers each of these scenarios.

So…what now? 

No one ever thinks they’ll be involved in a natural disaster. But after the events of last week, everyone watching the news should be asking themselves, “How much damage would my insurance cover if that happened to me?”

Many studies indicate that well over half of the insurance policies held in this country would not adequately cover natural disaster damages. With ever changing weather forecasts looming ahead, now is the perfect time to review your homeowner/renter and auto insurance policies. We strongly encourage you to schedule a personal assistance meeting with one of our Fisher Widmann Flick Insurance Agency staff members. Our representatives in Blaire County, Cambria County, Somerset, Latrobe, or in any other nearby counties will help you take inventory of your valuables to ensure that your insurance policy covers all of your possessions – and not just the structure of your home. We’ll also make sure that your insurance policy is affordable while still offering comprehensive coverage that will offer enough living expenses to cover the costs of temporary lodging, food, and other necessities in the event of a natural disaster.

Put simply, our job is to make sure that Mother Nature doesn’t become your worst enemy this summer – so give us a call and make sure that you’re thoroughly covered and properly protected today!

Don’t Forget About These 5 Insurance Policies During Your Spring Cleaning!

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After a long and bitter winter spring has finally begun to appear in central Pennsylvania; and with the change in season comes that annual tradition of spring-cleaning, a time when we clean our homes and try to catch up on the things we lapsed on during the winter months. This year, though, instead of just cleaning your home, we recommend taking some time to clean up your insurance policies, too.

We know that the last thing you want to think about is insurance, but consider this: ignoring your insurance needs now could quickly become a major issue later thanks to the problems that arise during the changing seasons. So as the spring season begins knocking on our doors we recommend reviewing five extremely important insurance policies this month:

1. Auto Insurance: We’ve talked before about the importance of having car insurance that goes above and beyond basic legal requirements; with spring in air, going beyond those minimum requirements is more important than ever. With spring comes potholes, and with potholes come potentially expensive repairs. Fortunately pothole damage is typically covered by collision coverage – but if your policy doesn’t include this, springtime may have a very unpleasant welcoming gift waiting on the roads for you.

2. Flood Insurance: The state of Pennsylvania deals with its fair share of rain and snowfall – many areas experience over 50 inches of precipitation each year. Combine this precipitation with Pittsburgh’s geography – hills, mountains, and rivers and creeks abound – and you have the potential for flooding. Even residents in low risk areas are encouraged to prepare for potential flooding; however, a standard home insurance policy does not cover spring flooding damages. Fortunately there are plenty of affordable flood insurance policies out there – so if you haven’t invested in this insurance yet, now is the ideal time to do so.

3. Homeowners Insurance: That winter weather doesn’t just take its toll on the local roads – it can also cause major damage to your driveway. Unfortunately, winter weather cracks usually aren’t covered under a basic homeowners policy. So if your driveway is getting older or is prone to cracking, now is an ideal time to talk to an insurance agent about how to cover the costs of a potential repair in the near future. This is also a good time to make sure that your homeowners policy will cover any likely possible damages, such as those caused by weather – remember, spring storms are often unkind to your home’s roof and sidings!

4. Health Insurance: Health insurance can be tricky to navigate any year; with market changes due to the Affordable Care Act officially in place, it’s more important than ever that individuals take the time to look into their health insurance coverage and options. While open enrollment under the ACA is currently closed, individuals can still get 2014 coverage under the ACA in select situations; you can also see if any plans could offer you great coverage for a smaller cost down the line.

5. Life Insurance: While thinking about life insurance can be unpleasant, a lot can change in a year, which makes checking in on your policy on a regular basis incredibly important. Are your beneficiaries up to date? Is the amount in and cost of your policy appropriate for your needs? Only you can answer those questions – and only by reviewing your policy can you be sure that it currently matches and covers your final wishes.

These five insurance policies deserve your full attention during your spring cleaning sessions. But important as reviewing these insurance policies is, we know that thinking about insurance can become frustrating and confusing. That’s why we’re offering to help you evaluate your current insurance policies this spring.

You can make sure that you’re ready for 2014 by contacting us today and setting up your appointment. Everyone on our staff at the Fisher Widmann Flick Insurance Agency is a specially trained insurance expert who can make your  insurance policies cover exactly what they need to cover, all at a reasonable cost. So go ahead and get in touch, central Pennsylvanians – this is one part of your spring cleaning errands that we can definitely handle!

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