Thursday, June 12, 2014
What To Do At The Scene Of An Accident
Knowing what to do if you are involved in an accident can save lives and also make the claims process easier.
1.Stop your car and find out if anyone is injured. If you are on a freeway or high traffic road, or you are injured do not get out of the car until police arrive.
2.Call the police or highway patrol. Tell them how many people were hurt and the types of injuries. The police will notify the nearest medical unit.
3.Cover injured people with a blanket to keep them warm if it is safe to get out of your car.
4.Try to protect the accident scene. Take reasonable steps to protect your car from further damage, such as setting up flares, getting the car off the road and calling a tow truck.
5.Take photos of the scene and damage to your vehicle and the other vehicle involved.
6.Ask the investigating officer where you can obtain a copy of the police report. You will probably need it when you submit your claim to your insurance company.
7.If necessary, have the car towed to a repair shop. But remember, your insurance company probably will want to have an adjuster inspect it and appraise the damage before you order repair work done.
8.Make notes. Keep a pad and pencil in your glove compartment or use your smart phone to document:
The names, addresses and phone numbers of all drivers and passengers involved in the accident
License plate numbers
The make and model of each car
Driver's license numbers
Insurance identifications
The names and addresses of witnesses
The names and badge numbers of police officers or other emergency personnel.
9.If you run into an unattended vehicle or object, try to find the owner. If you can't, document the license plate number if it is a vehicle, take photos of the damage, and leave a note containing your name, and phone number. Record the details of the accident.
10.Call your insurance agent as soon as possible. It is usually best to contact your agent first as they will advocate for you whenever possible however if it is after business hours and you are in need of immediate assistance, such as being out of state with a rental vehicle, contact the insurance company directly.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Ice Dams, Freezing Pipes, Snow Overload...OH MY!
Snow-covered and slippery sidewalks and driveways aren't the only headaches we face each winter. Unfortunately, many homeowners learn too late about the damage ice dams, bursting pipes, and heavy snow on the roof can cause to ceilings, walls, floors, and furniture! Fortunately, you can avoid the aggravation and expense by taking several basic steps right now to prevent this kind of damage.
Ice Dams
An ice dam is an accumulation of ice at the lower edge of a sloped roof, usually at the gutter. When interior heat melts the snow on th eroof, the water will run down and refreeze a the roof's edge where temperatures are much cooler. Eventually the ice builds up and blocks water from draining off of the roof. This, in turn, forces the water under the roof covering and into your attic or down the inside walls of your home.
Once an ice dam forms, the potential damage can be serious. Take these steps now to avoid trouble later:
Keep the attic well ventilated. The colder the attic, the less melting and refreezing on the roof.
Keep the attic floor well insulated to minimize the amount of heat rising through the attic from within the house.
This two -step approach decreases the likelihood that ice dams will form or, at least, reduces their size.
Unfortunately, ice dams may be unavoidable if your home has recessed lighting near the roof. Heat generated from these lights melts snow, which then contributes to ice dam build-up. The only sure way to avoid this problem is to eliminate recessed light fixtures near the roof.
If you re-roof your house, installing a water repellent membrane under the roof covering is an extra precaution you can take to prevent roof leaks caused by ice dams. Talk to your local building official about minimum code requirements for ice dam protection.
Freezing Pipes
Frozen water in pipes can cause water pressure build-up between the ice blockage and the closed faucet at the end of a pipe. This leads to a pipe bursting at its weakest point. Pipes in attics, crawl spaces, and outside walls are particularly vulnerable to freezing in extremely cold weather. Holes for television, cable, or telephone lines in your home's outside walls, allow cold air to reach them.
To keep water in pipes from freezing:
Fit exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or wrapping to slow the heat transfer. The more insulation the better.
Use caulking to seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes.
Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells to allow warm air to circulate around pipes (particularly in the kitchen and bathroom).
Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets connected to pipes that run though an unheated or unprotected space. Or drain the water system, especially if your house will be unattended during cold periods.
Snow can Overload a Roof
A roof can collapse under the weight of a heavy snowfall. The age of the building is a major factor in the snow load risk. Light metal buildings typically have less capacity to handle a heavy snow load. On a flat roof, the step-down area between roof sections is a ptotential source of overload because of the tendency for ice and snow collection.
The best source for determining how much snow load a building can handle is the design plan. Most roof designs can handle at least 20 pounds per square foot. For safe removal that won't endanger you or damage your roof, consult a roofing contractor.
Follow these guidelines to help estimate the weight of snow on a roof:
Fresh snow: Ten to twelve inches of new snow is equal to one inch of water, or about five pounds per square foot of roof space. Anything more than four feet of new snow can put the roof at risk.
Packed snow: Three to five inches of old snow is equal to one inch of water, or about five pounds per square foot of roof space. Anything more than two feet of old snow could be dangerous.
Fresh and packed snow: The combined weight of two feet of old snow and two feet of new snow could be as high as 60 pounds per square foot of roof space. This will test the limits of even the best-designed roof.
Ice: One inch of ice equals about a foot of fresh snow, so keep this added weight in mind when calculating how much a roof design can handle.
All of the thawing and re-freezing ahead can potentially cause problems for homeowners, but can be eliminated or reduced by taking a few steps to prevent that from happening.
*Source: West Bend Mutual "Avoid Winter Perils"
Ice Dams
An ice dam is an accumulation of ice at the lower edge of a sloped roof, usually at the gutter. When interior heat melts the snow on th eroof, the water will run down and refreeze a the roof's edge where temperatures are much cooler. Eventually the ice builds up and blocks water from draining off of the roof. This, in turn, forces the water under the roof covering and into your attic or down the inside walls of your home.
Once an ice dam forms, the potential damage can be serious. Take these steps now to avoid trouble later:
Keep the attic well ventilated. The colder the attic, the less melting and refreezing on the roof.
Keep the attic floor well insulated to minimize the amount of heat rising through the attic from within the house.
This two -step approach decreases the likelihood that ice dams will form or, at least, reduces their size.
Unfortunately, ice dams may be unavoidable if your home has recessed lighting near the roof. Heat generated from these lights melts snow, which then contributes to ice dam build-up. The only sure way to avoid this problem is to eliminate recessed light fixtures near the roof.
If you re-roof your house, installing a water repellent membrane under the roof covering is an extra precaution you can take to prevent roof leaks caused by ice dams. Talk to your local building official about minimum code requirements for ice dam protection.
Freezing Pipes
Frozen water in pipes can cause water pressure build-up between the ice blockage and the closed faucet at the end of a pipe. This leads to a pipe bursting at its weakest point. Pipes in attics, crawl spaces, and outside walls are particularly vulnerable to freezing in extremely cold weather. Holes for television, cable, or telephone lines in your home's outside walls, allow cold air to reach them.
To keep water in pipes from freezing:
Fit exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or wrapping to slow the heat transfer. The more insulation the better.
Use caulking to seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes.
Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells to allow warm air to circulate around pipes (particularly in the kitchen and bathroom).
Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets connected to pipes that run though an unheated or unprotected space. Or drain the water system, especially if your house will be unattended during cold periods.
Snow can Overload a Roof
A roof can collapse under the weight of a heavy snowfall. The age of the building is a major factor in the snow load risk. Light metal buildings typically have less capacity to handle a heavy snow load. On a flat roof, the step-down area between roof sections is a ptotential source of overload because of the tendency for ice and snow collection.
The best source for determining how much snow load a building can handle is the design plan. Most roof designs can handle at least 20 pounds per square foot. For safe removal that won't endanger you or damage your roof, consult a roofing contractor.
Follow these guidelines to help estimate the weight of snow on a roof:
Fresh snow: Ten to twelve inches of new snow is equal to one inch of water, or about five pounds per square foot of roof space. Anything more than four feet of new snow can put the roof at risk.
Packed snow: Three to five inches of old snow is equal to one inch of water, or about five pounds per square foot of roof space. Anything more than two feet of old snow could be dangerous.
Fresh and packed snow: The combined weight of two feet of old snow and two feet of new snow could be as high as 60 pounds per square foot of roof space. This will test the limits of even the best-designed roof.
Ice: One inch of ice equals about a foot of fresh snow, so keep this added weight in mind when calculating how much a roof design can handle.
All of the thawing and re-freezing ahead can potentially cause problems for homeowners, but can be eliminated or reduced by taking a few steps to prevent that from happening.
*Source: West Bend Mutual "Avoid Winter Perils"
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Polar Vortex and Insurance Implications
Are you covered?
Insurance claims for damage from winter storms, including from ice and freezing, made up 7.1% of all insured catastrophe losses from 1993 to 2012, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
But what about your home? Are you covered?
The answer, as in much of life, is: “It depends.”
For insurance purposes, there’s water damage, which is covered by your homeowners policy, and flood damage, which is not.
Insurance claims are judged on a case-by-case basis and each is different, of course. However, a homeowners policy generally covers damage from water that began inside the home. That usually means “before the water comes in contact with the ground,” says the Insurance Information Network of California.
What’s a ‘flood’?
In case of flooding, only flood insurance, which you have to purchase separately, will compensate you for damage. (FloodSmart.gov tells how, where and when to buy a separate flood insurance policy for your home.)
You may think that a basement full of water is a “flood,” but what’s a flood to you may not be a flood to an insurance company. Water entering your home from the ground is generally considered by insurers to be a flood.
The IINC says:
The dictionary defines “flood” as a rising and overflowing of a body of water onto normally dry land. For insurance purposes, the word “rising” in this definition is the key to distinguishing flood damage from water damage. Generally, damage caused by water that has been on the ground at some point before damaging your home is considered to be flood damage.Covered
Here are a few examples of the types of problems caused by the polar vortex that are covered by homeowners insurance, provided you’ve taken reasonable care of the home by keeping it warm and maintaining gutters, pipes and drains:
• Damage from falling ice and ice-laden tree branches. Homeowners insurance may pay up to $500 to remove the tree, says the Insurance Information Institute.
• Damage from frozen gutters and ice dams. MLive explains that an ice dam is created when ice and snow trapped on a roof melts and refreezes. The melting water can leak into homes. However, cautions Insure.com, even when water damage indoors is covered, “you’re unlikely to be reimbursed for roof repairs because that’s a house maintenance issue.” Damage to furniture may be covered, depending on your policy.
• Damage from cracked pipes indoors. Bursting pipes that fill your basement with water are covered by a standard homeowners policy. But watch your language. “Many people believe their house is flooded because it’s full of water — but it’s not a ‘flood’ by the insurance definition,” insurance adjuster Allan Sabel told Insure.com. Sabel says not to use the word “flood” at all when discussing the problem with an insurer.
• Damage that starts with cracked pipes outdoors. This scenario is a bit more iffy, but you should be covered if an outside pipe bursts, causing damage indoors.
Not covered
In these cases, homeowners insurance probably won’t cover you:
• Backed-up storm drains. If the water came from the ground outdoors, the chances are not good that your homeowners policy will cover damage in your home. That includes water from overflowing storm drains backed up by snow and ice.
• Seeping water from melting snow and ice. Even if your basement or foundation is damaged, “seepage is considered a maintenance problem, not ‘sudden and accidental’ damage, and is excluded from home insurance coverage,” Insure.com says.
• Your negligence. Yes, pipes that burst from freezing are covered. But if you contributed by leaving your home unheated in cold weather, your claim might be denied.
An ounce of preventionHere are six of the best ways to prevent damage from severe cold and winter storms.
• Grab a shovel and rake. When snow piles up around storm drains, get out your shovel and clear a path for melting water to go. Clear leaves, snow and ice from gutters and downspouts. Use a roof rake to get snow off your roof.
• Have good attic insulation and ventilation. • Keep the heat on. To prevent frozen pipes, turn your home’s heat no lower than 55 degrees while you’re away.
• Let faucets drip.
• Open cabinets. Warm up pipes near outside walls during severe cold by opening cabinet doors under appliances and sinks. But make sure to remove toxic substances that could become available to children or pets.
• Do not try thawing frozen pipes with a blowtorch. Instead, shut off the water and call a plumber. And be aware of potential electric shock in and around standing water.
This post originated from Money Talk News.
Insurance claims for damage from winter storms, including from ice and freezing, made up 7.1% of all insured catastrophe losses from 1993 to 2012, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
But what about your home? Are you covered?
The answer, as in much of life, is: “It depends.”
For insurance purposes, there’s water damage, which is covered by your homeowners policy, and flood damage, which is not.
Insurance claims are judged on a case-by-case basis and each is different, of course. However, a homeowners policy generally covers damage from water that began inside the home. That usually means “before the water comes in contact with the ground,” says the Insurance Information Network of California.
What’s a ‘flood’?
In case of flooding, only flood insurance, which you have to purchase separately, will compensate you for damage. (FloodSmart.gov tells how, where and when to buy a separate flood insurance policy for your home.)
You may think that a basement full of water is a “flood,” but what’s a flood to you may not be a flood to an insurance company. Water entering your home from the ground is generally considered by insurers to be a flood.
The IINC says:
The dictionary defines “flood” as a rising and overflowing of a body of water onto normally dry land. For insurance purposes, the word “rising” in this definition is the key to distinguishing flood damage from water damage. Generally, damage caused by water that has been on the ground at some point before damaging your home is considered to be flood damage.Covered
Here are a few examples of the types of problems caused by the polar vortex that are covered by homeowners insurance, provided you’ve taken reasonable care of the home by keeping it warm and maintaining gutters, pipes and drains:
• Damage from falling ice and ice-laden tree branches. Homeowners insurance may pay up to $500 to remove the tree, says the Insurance Information Institute.
• Damage from frozen gutters and ice dams. MLive explains that an ice dam is created when ice and snow trapped on a roof melts and refreezes. The melting water can leak into homes. However, cautions Insure.com, even when water damage indoors is covered, “you’re unlikely to be reimbursed for roof repairs because that’s a house maintenance issue.” Damage to furniture may be covered, depending on your policy.
• Damage from cracked pipes indoors. Bursting pipes that fill your basement with water are covered by a standard homeowners policy. But watch your language. “Many people believe their house is flooded because it’s full of water — but it’s not a ‘flood’ by the insurance definition,” insurance adjuster Allan Sabel told Insure.com. Sabel says not to use the word “flood” at all when discussing the problem with an insurer.
• Damage that starts with cracked pipes outdoors. This scenario is a bit more iffy, but you should be covered if an outside pipe bursts, causing damage indoors.
Not covered
In these cases, homeowners insurance probably won’t cover you:
• Backed-up storm drains. If the water came from the ground outdoors, the chances are not good that your homeowners policy will cover damage in your home. That includes water from overflowing storm drains backed up by snow and ice.
• Seeping water from melting snow and ice. Even if your basement or foundation is damaged, “seepage is considered a maintenance problem, not ‘sudden and accidental’ damage, and is excluded from home insurance coverage,” Insure.com says.
• Your negligence. Yes, pipes that burst from freezing are covered. But if you contributed by leaving your home unheated in cold weather, your claim might be denied.
An ounce of preventionHere are six of the best ways to prevent damage from severe cold and winter storms.
• Grab a shovel and rake. When snow piles up around storm drains, get out your shovel and clear a path for melting water to go. Clear leaves, snow and ice from gutters and downspouts. Use a roof rake to get snow off your roof.
• Have good attic insulation and ventilation. • Keep the heat on. To prevent frozen pipes, turn your home’s heat no lower than 55 degrees while you’re away.
• Let faucets drip.
• Open cabinets. Warm up pipes near outside walls during severe cold by opening cabinet doors under appliances and sinks. But make sure to remove toxic substances that could become available to children or pets.
• Do not try thawing frozen pipes with a blowtorch. Instead, shut off the water and call a plumber. And be aware of potential electric shock in and around standing water.
This post originated from Money Talk News.
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