by Downey Insurance Group | Jan 24, 2012 | Blog
Vermont is known as the Green Mountain State because of the lush tree covered mountain range that runs down the center of the state. The abundance of trees makes parts of Vermont the perfect setting to build a log cabin home. Before you start making too many plans, here is an overview of what you might typically expect concerning Vermont insurance for your log home.
Home insurance for a log home usually costs more than insurance for the same sized traditional house. Also, there are three factors that may significantly increase your premiums:
- A free standing wood stove may have the potential to negatively affect your insurance rate so consider installing a traditional fireplace.
- Check the distance between where you would like to build and the nearest fire station. Your premiums may be lower if your log home is situated less than ten miles from a fire station.
- Your insurance company may offer you a discount if a fire hydrant is situated less than one mile from your log home.
Consider purchasing a construction insurance policy if you intend to have your log home built. This insurance usually offers coverage for materials on the job site and the value of the property while it’s under construction. Liability isn’t usually covered by a standard policy and may need to be purchased separately.
Log home kits are popular with people who want to build their home themselves and should ideally be protected by log home insurance. Enquire at your Vermont insurance agency for an insurance package that covers kit home materials from delivery to completion.
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by Downey Insurance Group | Jan 19, 2012 | Blog
As your family grows it is only natural to want to protect it every way possible. We see this cycle every day in our office. A customer service representative helping a newlywed couple take out a Life Insurance policy, or increase their Liability Insurance Limits to protect their assets in the event of a lawsuit, transferring from a Renters Insurance Policy to a new Massachusetts Homeowners Insurance Policy, and unfortunately because of the nature of our business we sometimes get see the flip side of this cycle and we are helping a family through a devastating loss. We consider all of these functions equally important. That is because we see the difference a truly educated decision can make when you need it most. At Downey Insurance we have been helping people protect their most valuable assets for 84 years.
A young family can actually be the most vulnerable when I comes to how a devastating loss would affect their future. They may have just purchased a home and could be living very modestly without a large savings cushion to help them through an uninsured or underinsured loss. So if you are just starting a family and have not taken the time to have a professional insurance analysis of you ever changing insurance needs, please give us a call. We would love to help you.
by Downey Insurance Group | Jan 17, 2012 | Blog
Shopping centers may be chaotic places, especially the car park area with everyone seemingly intent on getting in and then getting out as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, many dings and dents seem to mysteriously occur in car parks with no one appearing to take the blame. This may result in a potential claim against your New Hampshire auto insurance policy for something that wasn’t your fault. Here are some tips that may help you avoid car park door dings.
- Choose a parking space in a less crowded area of the car park. While you may have to walk a bit further, with fewer cars competing for a space the chances of someone hitting your car may be significantly reduced.
- When choosing your spot look at the height of the car that will be parked next to your car. Vehicles that have higher doors than your vehicle, such as trucks or SUVs, may accidently cause a dent in your door due to your protective rubber door moldings being lower and likely to be ineffective if contact is made.
- Check the car next to yours for child car seats. Child car seats usually mean the parent must fully open the car door to secure the child and may unintentionally swing the door into your car.
Accidents can happen to anyone so if you hit another car always leave a note explaining what occurred along with an apology and your contact details. Call your New Hampshire auto insurance agent or your insurer as soon as possible and they will usually take it from there.
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by Downey Insurance Group | Jan 13, 2012 | Blog
Recently the U.S. Department of Transportation released a final ruling on the use of cell phones for commercial truck and bus drivers in an effort to cut down on distracted driving. This new ruling states that all drives operating under a CDL license that are participating in interstate freight or bus transportation will be banned from using a cell phone while driving. Only hands free devices that require a “one-touch” answer or call feature will be allowed. This includes a ban on using the push-to-talk feature, where a button has to be continuously held down like a walkie talkie.
Commercial Auto Insurance companies are paying attention to this new law, they are hoping it will bring claim rations down for the commercial trucking industry. According the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) dialing a cell phone makes a commercial drive 6 times more likely to be involved in a crash or accident. The ban will allow drivers to focus completely on driving and all the complexities that are involved with driving their vehicle.
In 2009 alone 5,474 people were killed in distracted related accidents, constituting 16% of all driving related deaths. Operators who violate this new law will be facing fines up to $2,750 for a first offence, and a loss of CDL license after repeated offences. This truly is a public safety issue for the drivers of these vehicles and for the other drivers on the road.
If you have any questions regarding this new law you can read put out by the Department of Transportation. If you are a Commercial Auto Insurance holder and have questions regarding this new law and how it will affect your business, please feel free to give us a call to discuss.
by Downey Insurance Group | Jan 12, 2012 | Blog
We often hear this question in our office during the winter months. After all the power outages we have experienced over the last few years many of our clients are preparing themselves for the inevitable. It is important to be prepared, but it is equally important to make an educated decision regarding the wattage, type of generator, and knowing all the facts about how a generator will affect your Massachusetts homeowners insurance policy.
There are two types of generators, portable and permanent. Portable generators can be good option if you feel you only need to run a few appliances at a time, for a short period of time. A portable generator should always be run in open air and never inside a garage or basement. Portable generators give off a tremendous amount of CO2 and the use of a CO2 detector is strongly advised. A heavy duty extension cord is recommended to bring the power inside your home. Make sure the cord is in good working condition and with no nicks or cuts and make sure it does not get overloaded as this could start a fire. NO NOT plug the generator into a power outlet, also known as “back-feeding” this is extremely dangerous and could cause a fire in your home or seriously injury or even kill utility workers working on the lines. A generator that is being misused and causes a loss could potentially be grounds for the insurance company to denying the claim.
A permanently installed generator would be a good choice for people that want or need ease of use during a power outage. Once installed, a permanent generator can provide power to your hone with the flip of a switch. Hire a licensed electrician to install any type of permanent generator. A self-installed generator that causes a fire or damage to your home may not be covered by your Massachusetts homeowners insurance policy.
If you have any questions regarding generators and how they affect your Massachusetts Homeowners insurance policy please feel free to call our office and speak with an insurance professional. We hope everyone has a safe and power outage free winter! For more safety tips on generator safety check out the Consumer Enercy Center.
