The top 5 reasons to promptly report a claim

Report a claim promptly to your insurer 
to make sure your coverage isn't affected.

Your insurance policy is merely a promise until you have a claim, but many people hesitate to report a claim to their insurer. Here are five reasons why you should promptly report a claim if you have an incident. Read more of this post

When in doubt? Ask us for advice on whether to submit a claim, and let us help you through the process.

Does your home insurance cover dog bites?

Make sure your homeowners policy
covers canine liability.

It's an unfortunate reality, but dog bites are far more common – and costly – than most people realize. If your homeowners insurance policy doesn’t cover it, even a minor dog bite could cost you thousands of dollars in medical bills.

Sixty-eight percent of U.S. households, or 83.3 million homes, own a pet, according to a 2013/2014 survey from by the American Pet Products Association.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dogs bite about 4.7 million people every year (half of which are children), adding up to more than $400 million in medical costs. Meanwhile, The average cost per claim nationally has risen more than 45 percent in the last decade (2003-2013).

The nonprofit Insurance Information Institute says the cost of dog-bite claims jumped 53 percent from 2003 to 2011. Dog-bite claims accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claims in 2013 – equaling almost half a million dollars in damages.

Read more about dog bite liability here: http://www.iii.org/issue-update/dog-bite-liability

Are you covered?

If you own a dog, it's essential to find out whether your homeowner’s policy covers canine liability — even if you have a small dog that seems harmless. Most homeowners policies do cover injuries resulting from dog bites. However, check your liability limit - it may not begin to cover the legal fees and additional medical costs associated with a bad bite. Dog owners may want to consider umbrella insurance coverage to give extra liability protection above and beyond the limits on a typical policy.

Some homeowners and renters policies may omit coverage for dogs altogether. Check with your broker to make sure you're covered. If not, your broker can advise you as to what  additional coverage you need.

Dog ownership tips

To reduce the chances of your dog biting someone, the Insurance Information Institute offers these seven tips:

1. Consult with a professional, such as a veterinarian, animal behaviorist or breeder, to learn about suitable breeds of dogs for your household and neighborhood.

2. Spend time with a dog before buying or adopting it. Use caution when bringing a dog into a home with an infant or toddler.

3. Have your dog spayed or neutered. Studies show that dogs are three times more likely to bite if they are not “fixed.”

4. Socialize your dog so it knows how to act around people and animals.

5. Teach children to refrain from disturbing a dog that is eating or sleeping.

6. Play non-aggressive games with your dog, such as fetch. Playing aggressive games like tug-of-war can encourage inappropriate behavior.

7. Never approach a strange dog and always avoid eye contact with a dog that appears threatening

Additional coverages keep you afloat after a flood

My Insurance Doesn’t Cover What?! Understand common misconceptions that can leave you paying for a policy that may not cover you in case of water damage, and additions you can make to your policy to ensure you're covered.

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Ongoing patterns of severe weather mean homeowners and business owners have experienced everything from record snowfalls and tornadoes to recurring storms with wind, hail and record amounts of rainfall – all leading to a record number of flooded homes and businesses.

Water claims under personal or business insurance contracts can be confusing and easily misunderstood, and standard insurance does not cover everything.

Read more of this post

by Michael Sullivan

Filing claims can double your auto insurance premiums

Before filing an insurance claim, drivers should consider the effect it can have on their premiums. 

Many people file claims for less costly repairs, like cracked or chipped windshields or small dents. We like this article because it serves as a good reminder to think twice before filing a claim for something small that may cost you less, in the long run, to fix yourself.

The same applies to Homeowners insurance as well. (Read this post we recently shared on Facebook for tips on when not to file a home insurance claim.) 

Insurance is designed to be used for catastrophic events, not to be used as a "maintenance policy." Often, it's in your best interest to check with your agent before filing a claim, and to actually pay it out of pocket instead of turning the claim in to your carrier. The reality of the matter is, most consumers want to get every penny that they can out of their insurance carrier, because they feel taken advantage of by paying so much into their policy premiums and getting nothing out of it. We can't tell you how many times we hear "that's why I have insurance," from our clients and friends. Still, our job as agents is to educate and have them think twice, and consider the consequences of turning in too many claims, which is not to their advantage and will cost more in increased premiums costs in the long run.

Technology ‘of the future’ helps policyholders today

Hail data, shown in red and yellow, overlays
policyholder locations, shown as dots.

When your home or business is damaged by a hail storm, you deserve a prompt response from your insurance company to assess the damage and process your claim so that repairs can begin as soon as possible.

• What if your insurance company could track hailstorms and know immediately how many policyholders might be affected, helping it to assign extra resources to process claims quickly?
• What if your insurance company had the ability to determine the size of hail that struck any given location within the past five years?
• Imagine how the use of aerial data could help the company write detailed roof repair estimates.

While this may sound like science fiction, you don’t need to stretch your imagination. The technology to do all these things is being used today by The Cincinnati Insurance Company and by many other insurers. When technology is used in combination with personal service from a locally based claims professional, policyholders receive a better claims experience.

Hail analysis technology – combined with policyholder databases – can help determine the number of policyholders in a geographical area that may have hail-related claims. This is especially important in catastrophe situations so that your insurance company can deploy a sufficient number of insurance claim professionals to process claims.

Hail analysis and verification technology can accurately determine the size of hail that struck the ground at a given location. This knowledge, in conjunction with an on-site property inspection, determines whether a structure suffered damage by hail or some other cause.

High-resolution aerial imaging can provide pictures showing all of the roof’s dimensions – data that can be downloaded into a claim estimating system. This process provides a detailed repair estimate, enabling a policyholder to receive a settlement check more quickly.

Having this information available helps thwart unscrupulous roofing companies from taking advantage by pressuring homeowners into signing contracts to repair a roof when there is no damage. By reducing potential payments on fraudulent claims, the technology helps contain insurance costs for everyone.

Submitted by Marty Skidmore for The Cincinnati Insurance Companies

Auto Insurance: Dirty Secrets In Your Policy

If you’re buying your insurance in “15 minutes or less,”
you’re missing something. Your agent should be spending
more than 15 minutes reviewing your individual information
to make sure you’re covered the way you think you are.

Does your policy cover theft? Hail damage? Falling objects? Your pet?

You pay your premiums every month, but may be surprised to see what items are NOT covered by your auto insurance if you don't have a comprehensive policy. Read on for questions to ask about your coverage, to make sure that saving a few bucks on your premium won't cost you hundreds or thousands when you make a claim.

Many people are surprised to learn that their liability only auto insurance policies include car insurance exclusions that limit coverage under certain circumstances. It's important to read your policy carefully, or work with a trusted agent who can make you aware of your policy’s exclusions.

Comprehensive Coverage Is Smart For Most People:

Comprehensive car insurance covers (non-collision) damage, can help pay for your car’s repair, and can help you replace it entirely in the event of a total loss like theft, but does not cover collision, towing/roadside assistance, rental, and personal property.

In terms of optional coverage, comprehensive is one of the last you should give up.  Comprehensive coverage – coverage for anything other than a collision – only amounts to a small portion of your auto insurance bill, but protects you against a wide number of events, including most of those listed below.

Be Aware of These Common Exclusions To Your Standard (Non-Comprehensive) Auto Insurance Policy:

Standard auto policies do not cover theft

• Theft: 23% of auto policies don’t cover theft. If you don’t have comprehensive coverage, your policy doesn’t cover auto theft. With a vehicle stolen every 28 seconds in the U.S. (according tot the FBI), this is an important exclusion to consider when choosing coverage. Yet still, nearly one quarter of auto policies do not include comprehensive coverage, and so are not covered in case of theft. This is a very common misconception. Many people forgo comprehensive coverage as their cars age and depreciate, in order to save money. A friend recently became aware of this exclusion the hard way, after her insurance carrier denied coverage following the theft of her car, reminding me that this is a major exclusion that many people aren’t aware of (especially those who shop for car insurance online and don’t get the guidance of an agent). Her story illustrates the value of not just price shopping, but also reviewing everything with a broker to understand your coverage and gaps. 

• Falling Objects, Fire, Vandalism, Natural Disasters: If you’ve ever had your car keyed, had a branch fall on your hood, or had your car broken into, you’ve leaned this one the hard way. Damage caused to your car (like a key taken to your paint job or slashed tires) by a break-in won’t be covered by your policy unless you have comprehensive coverage. Nor will anything not originally included in your vehicle, such as a detachable GPS or other portable electronics, your laptop, wallet, after-market sound system, etc. These devices may be covered under your home or renter’s insurance instead.

• Glass Damage: Glass damage caused by a break-in, a rock hitting your windshield, or Mother Nature herself, isn’t covered under the average policy.

• Pet: Injury to a pet from an accident you’re involved in may or may not be covered by your policy. Check with your insurer to see if you have this protection available.

• Hail: Almost 70,000 total claims in Colorado alone were filed due to hailstorms last summer, and nearly half of those claims were for vehicles. The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association (RMIIA) estimated that more than $85 million of the damages from those storms were vehicle-related. Hail claims are an example of optional coverage that compensates policyholders for weather-related damage. In light of recent reports on increasingly severe weather across the U.S., choosing comprehensive coverage or an added hail policy is likely a smart move.

• Time Limits: If someone is injured, report the claim immediately! Your policy limits the period of time in which you can file a claim, usually beginning from the time you are aware of the damage.

Buying Insurance Online: Beware of Gaps and Exclusions:

With the recent news that Walmart is entering the auto insurance business, many people may be attracted by the claim on their partner site that they offer customized coverage, unbiased provider comparisons, and simplicity in shopping for a policy. This is, however, the same service you get with a reputable independent broker.

What you should consider before buying online is that you’ll have to spend a LOT of your own time reading and educating yourself on your policy coverage and any gaps or exclusions you may be selecting along with the lowest price quote. Without an agent who is well educated in the insurance industry to guide your purchase, you may end up with a good price, but at a higher long-term cost.

Your agent can guide you through the exclusions on your policy and help you to choose one that ensures you’ll be well covered.

President Obama Will Sign Flood Insurance Relief Bill

Read our original post about the bill here: 
Congress Votes To Delay Flood Insurance Hikes

Last week, we wrote a post focused on the decision by both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to pass versions of a bill that would reverse certain measures of the 2012 Flood Insurance Reform Act, delaying significant rate hikes in federal flood insurance rates. These delays would mean continuation of a welcome cap on premiums for hundreds of thousands of homeowners.

Since clearing Congress, the bi-partisan bill has now been sent to President Obama, who White House officials say will sign it.

Critics say Washington is caving to pressure to undo some of the overhauls made to correct the budget crisis, for a program that is not fiscally sound or viable in the near term, which may be a detriment to taxpayers in the future. But for homeowners in flood zones, this comes as welcome news and a relief to their wallets.

Read more about the recent update here: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/03/16/323451.htm