Downey Insurance Insures Blue Grass on the Bogs, President Performs

by | May 14, 2013 | Blog

Downey Insurance’s own President, Charlie Downey, will be performing with his band at Blue Grass on the Bogs, a local blue grass festival happening this weekend May 17-19 at Camp Kiwanee in Hanson, Massachusetts. Not only will Downey be playing banjo and resophonic guitar with his band, the Railroad House Band, our agency will also be insuring the festival, which will feature more than 20 blue grass bands over three days. Bands include: No Spare Parts Dawn Kenney Band The Wilbas Riley Coyote Lizzie James & The Greystone Rail Railroad House Band Four Bridges Mary Maguire Band Nelson Hiller & Friends Wildcat Bogstompers Reunion Hill Tricky Britches Big River Stomp The Whiskey Boys One Way Track Swamp Yankees Heather Pierson The Nameless Trio Blue Around the Edges The Chickens Cold Chocolate The festival also features several workshops such as: song writing, introduction to Dobro, banjo, upright bass, mandolin, fiddle, and finger picking blue grass. There will also be gospel singing, artisan booths, raffles, and plenty of local food vendors, such as Wicked Smokin’ BBQ, Chariot Pizza and Evergreen Ice Cream, for attendees to enjoy. Friday night and Sunday tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children aged 13-17, veterans, and adults aged 65 plus. Saturday tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for children, veterans, and 65 plus. Full weekend prices are $45 per adult and $35 per child aged 13-17, veteran, and 65 plus. There is limited camper and RV space available for rent. More camping info can be found here.

Who Needs Massachusetts Workers Compensation Insurance?

by | May 9, 2013 | Blog

 
With a very small number of exceptions, every employer in the State of Massachusetts is required by law to carry an active Massachusetts Workers Compensation Insurance Policy.  Generally, if you have employee’s you need coverage.  Most business owners in the state know that they need to carry Massachusetts General Liability Insurance to protect themselves from law suits from the public, but not everyone is aware that not carrying the proper Workers Compensation coverage can also set you up for a law suit.  An injured employee has the legal right to file a civil action or lawsuit against their employer, and will most likely be guided to so by a personal injury attorney.   
The Massachusetts DIA is out in full force checking job sites and businesses for Workers Compensation violations.  If they find you in non-compliance with Massachusetts states law then a STOP WORK ORDER will be issued.  Fines are a minimum of $100 a day, and a violation can also put public contracts in jeopardy.  If you have been issued a stop work order, we can help you.  Call us at 508-485-0130. What are the Exceptions?
Partnerships, LLCs, LLPs and Sole Proprietors.  Non-Corporations are not required to carry coverage for legal owners or partners of the Business, but may choose to do so if they would like the protection that a policy would provide including medical care and wage replacement due to a work related injury.  Any party that is not a legal owner or partner would need to be covered by a Massachusetts Workers Compensation Policy. Corporate Officers.  Any corporate officer that owns at least 25% of the corporation can apply for an exception with the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents using the AFFIDAVIT OF EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN CORPORATE OFFICERS OR DIRECTORS – FORM 153.  Once approved, the corporation will receive an exemption letter that needs to be submitted to the insurance company for exemption on a current policy.  If the corporation has no other employees, and all officers are approved for exemption, then a Workers Compensation policy would not be needed.  Independent Contractors.   Businesses are not required to cover independent contractors that they hire, but the laws surrounding independent contractors are very strict.  The sure fire way to make sure an independent contractor you hire will not be considered your employee is to ask for a Certificate of Insurance.  If they are carrying their own active Workers Compensation coverage then you know that they will not be picked up by your insurance.   If you would like further clarification on any of the exemptions listed above, we can help you.  Our experienced Commercial Insurance department can answer any questions you may have, and can help you establish the right coverage for your needs without over insuring your business.   Call us today at 508-485-0130, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for important insurance tips for your Massachusetts business.

IS YOUR HOME A TARGET FOR BREAK-INS OR BURGLARIES?

by | Apr 29, 2013 | Blog

Residential Break-ins and burglaries are on the rise in parts of New England this spring, especially in New Hampshire.  Being prepared is the number one way to protect yourself and your home from this danger and to make sure you can recover quickly.  The period of time after a break in can be trying and confusing if you do not have certain important information readily available to you and your New Hampshire Homeowners Insurance company.  We know how traumatic a break in can be, we have been through it many times with our clients. With that in mind we have put together this list to help you be as prepared as possible.


Prepare your home to the best of your ability. 


Don’t leave large expensive items out in your yard that could temp a burglar, such as bicycles.  Lock them up in your garage or basement.  Not only are they tempting, but leaving these items out and visible can make a burglar think you may have other careless habits regarding protecting your valuables and can make your home a target. 

Install motion sensing outdoor lighting.  Flood lights at major entry points to your home can be a major deterrent to burglars. 

Lock your doors and windows!  This may seem obvious, but I know at least some of the people reading this have unlocked doors and windows in their home.   

Know your neighbors.  If you are friendly and have a relationship with your close neighbors they tend to keep a watchful eye on your home.   Also, joining or starting a Neighborhood Watch group can be a great way to protect your home.

Install a security system.  This can be costly but if you are serious about home safety this is the most secure way to protect your home.  If you can’t afford a home security system, sometimes just putting a security system sign on your lawn can make your home less of a target. 

Prepare yourself and your family from a potential burglary.

Call us to discuss your Personal Property Coverage on your New Hampshire Homeowners Policy.  Do you know your Personal Property Coverage limits?  How about your deductible?  There can also be special limits for things such as jewelry, fine arts, instruments, and firearms so make sure your valuables are adequately protected.  You also have the option of scheduling items on your policy that you would like special coverage for, or we have the option of a separate property with scheduled personal property.  If you have any questions about your coverage for items in your home we are happy to answer any questions you have, no question is too small or silly.  Trust us, we want you to feel as secure as possible in your insurance coverage with Downey Insurance.

Keep an inventory of things in your home.  After a break in if can be hard to remember what to look for, and to figure out what is missing.  Have a list of “special items” that you want to make sure are accounted for.  Keeping this list at your office or safe-deposit box can make sure it doesn’t become a ”shopping list” for burglars this can also be helpful in case of a fire.
Take pictures of the interior of your home.  This can be very useful for the New Hampshire Homeowners Insurance Company.  In lieu of receipts for large ticket items, having photos of items in your home can help take the confusion out of what needs replacing.

Do not Facebook, Tweet or share your vacation photos before you return.  This is so tempting and we are all probably guilty of this one but it leaves our home vulnerable to anyone who now knows you are away.  Also have a neighbor bring in your newspaper or mail or have it stopped for your trip.

We hope that you never have to experience a home break in or burglary.  Buy we all know that it is a real risk, and one of the reasons we secure New Hampshire Homeowners Insurance for ourselves and our families.  If you have any questions at all please feel free to call us anytime here at Downey Insurance to discuss your coverage. 

Vacationing in an RV

by | Apr 24, 2013 | Blog

Does the thought of planning a vacation make you cringe?  It would be so much easier if vacation plans just made themselves and we didn’t have to worry about booking flights, packing bags, renting cars, or making hotel reservations.  The good news is there IS a vacation you can take that eliminates all those hassles: take an RV vacation.

If you have never considered renting or owning an RV, you might want to think about it.  RVs can really take a lot of hassles out of your vacations by eliminating the need for most of the time consuming issues that come up.  The most planning you will have to do is to figure out who will drive and where you would like to visit.

Most states have very nice campgrounds that offer very inexpensive sites for RVs.  Call ahead to check availability and then just roll on up.  You can really see some beautiful country when you take a trip in an RV.  

For your first time out, see if you can borrow an RV from a friend or rent one from a reputable dealership.  You will want to know for sure if you like it before buying one yourself.  You may take your first trip with a pop-up trailer and realize that you and your family are more suited for a larger drivable RV.  

Once you have decided that buying an RV is the right decision for you, we can help insure it for you.  We can offer a competitive price and coverage indication that will cover your RV for anything that might go wrong on your vacation or while the RV is in your driveway.  Give us a call and we can talk it over.  Until then, have a great time checking out RVs.  We hope you find one that suits your every vacation need!

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Terrorism Coverage and the Boston Marathon Bombing – Who’s Covered?

by | Apr 22, 2013 | Blog

The horrific events, and the following heroism that transpired on Monday April 15, 2013 will forever be engrained in our memory.  The Boston Marathon Bombing will always be one of “those times” that we remember where we were, who we were with, and who we were worried about.  The three precious lives that were lost and the many more that were injured will forever be in our hearts  here at Downey Insurance Group. After the shock wears off, many of us, even our “non-insurance industry” friends will turn to the facts and processes of what comes next.  The big insurance questions seem to revolve around terrorism coverage and the businesses affected, and the options for legal recourse available to those injured and the families of the deceased. Will Terrorism Coverage apply to the Boston Marathon Bombing? President Obama has called this heinous act an “act of terrorism” but for Insurance purposes there are criteria set by TRIA, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, that was passed by President Bush in 2002 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, that will determine whether this federal program will be able to be utilized.  The act must be deemed “A Certified Act of Terror” by the Secretary of State, the US Attorney General, and the Secretary or Treasury.  Also losses would have exceed $5,000,000 in order to be eligible for a certified act of terrorism classification.  At this time insurance professionals are not expecting the Marathon Bombing to qualify for a certified act of terror classification. What does this mean for the businesses affected? This means that the insured’s Massachusetts Business Owners Insurance Policy or Massachusetts Property Insurance Policy should respond as business as usual.  The property damage caused by the bombing will most likely be covered as an explosion.  “Explosion” is not explicitly excluded on the majority of Massachusetts Commercial Insurance Policy’s.  What may not be covered, and what may do even more damage to businesses than actual property damage, is what is called “Business Interruption, or Loss of Income.” Businesses that have property damage to their business may have some coverage here, because it would be considered due to a covered cause of loss, the explosion.  But, the businesses that do not have property damage to their business may have a more difficult time recovering from this tragedy.   Their loss of “business income” will most likely not be covered by their MA Business Owners Insurance Policy or Property Insurance Policy. What about the injured parties and the families of the deceased? A fund for the victims and their families have been set up, called the One Fund Boston, to date they have raised more than $10 Million Dollars!  It is unclear if accepting money from the fund will waive their right for litigation, or how this money will be distributed among the victims.  The Boston Athletic Association has not released any information on their Liability Insurance Program, or what their coverage limits and exclusions are.  I am sure litigation is going to be inevitable in this case, and we will hear more about what will be available for the victims in weeks to come.