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Insurance and Your Home Get Together

Are you hosting a family reunion or neighborhood party at your house or perhaps an apartment? Before you have that big event in your home, it’s wise in this litigious age to make sure you are protected.

You need to know what your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy covers in case of a guest being injured. You should also be aware of what is covered if your guest damage any of your property.

We all have that one uncle who drinks a little too much at Thanksgiving and then stumbles into something valuable and breaks it.  It would be unfortunate if you were under the impression such incidents were covered by your insurance policy when they were not.

Here are some things that you will want to make sure are in your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy.

How to Deal with Injuries to Guests at Your Party

Be Proactive

• The first way to deal with injuries to your guests at your party is to prevent them. Here are some things to look for in your home:
• Make sure that carpet or rugs are not bunched up where someone could trip.
• Coil up any garden hoses so it will not become a trip hazard.
• Mow your lawn so that there are no holes or trip hazards hidden by tall grass.
• Make sure guests are not walking across a slippery surface.
• Remove any objects with sharp edges or points that could cut or bruise a guest.
• Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are used and have fresh batteries.
• Be aware of impending severe weather that may make it unsafe for your guests to drive home. If necessary, end the party early to ensure guests can drive home safely.
• Don’t allow too many guests on a small balcony at one time.
• Ensure that furniture for the party such as folding chairs are sturdy and won’t break under the weight of a guest.
• Make sure food that is being served is not undercooked or has been left out too long.
• If alcohol is being served, make sure everyone drinking has a designated driver and know when to cut someone off. If a guest has been drinking and does not have a designated driver, offer to drive them home or call a cab or Uber for them.
• Stop serving alcohol at least an hour before the party ends.

When an Injury to a Guest Happens

If an accident happens, take these steps:

• Deal with the injury first, if it is severe call 911.
• Make sure other guests are uninjured.
• Take pictures of the injury with a smartphone or digital camera.
• Quickly report the incident to the insurance company and include the names and contact information of the guest who witnessed the incident.
• If you are able, preserve the scene for the insurance company to look at firsthand. If you cannot persevere the scene, take multiple pictures from numerous angles and distances.

When Damage to Your Home or Property Occurs

If the structure of your home or apartment is damaged, or any of the property inside of it, take the following steps.

• Take pictures with a smartphone or digital camera.
• Call the insurance company to see if the damaged is covered.
• Just like the recommendation for an injured guest, if possible, preserve the scene for the insurance company to come and survey. As with an injured guest, if you cannot persevere the scene where the damage occurred, take multiple pictures from numerous angles and distances.

If you have taken steps to make your home safe and know what your policy covers, you can rest easy when guests arrive at your party that you are prepared.

Should you have any questions about Homeowners Insurance, contact us via email here or call us at (863) 646-LOCK.

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Ordinance of Law Coverage

Why most of our customers have a general idea of what there Home insurance covers most don’t understand covered perils and how the claim is handled. Just like I don’t understand a lot of things under the hood of my car that the mechanic does. Ordinance and law coverage is one of them.

One of our clients in Winter Haven Florida had a kitchen fire recently they deemed the house was over 40% damaged because it was not built to code the county is requiring to be removed and rebuilt from ground up. The undamaged portion of the structure has to be tore down and rebuilt due to a change in municipal codes. This is where ordinance of law coverage comes into play.

Normally your policy comes with a percentage a lot of times it is 10% of the structure value, in some cases you can increase the percentage for a fee.

Ordinance of law coverage is designed to pay for:

• Cost of the demolition and removal of the debris of undamaged portions the structure that must be torn down of modified.
• Increased cost of reconstruction, that is the added cost to repair or rebuild in accordance with the current code. This may included upgraded electrical system sprinkler systems redesigning to meet hurricane resistant standards
• Loss of Value of the undamaged portion of a building when it must be torn down to meet code requirements.

I would suggest becoming familiar with local and state zoning laws. You can contact zoning board and ask the questions such as:

• Since the building has been constructed has there been any changes in code that could effect my property?
• Does existing code prohibit from rebuilding, location or size, and what percentage has to be damaged to rebuild?

At Lock insurance we always recommend this coverage and really stress on older homes, contact us today so we can review your current policy to make sure you have the correct information so you can make a wise decision. Once the claim happens its to late to review your policy and implement the changes.

What is the Best Home Insurance For You?

When looking at Lakeland insurance plans and policies, the options can sometimes get overwhelming. Which plan is right for you? First, you must consider the property you want to insure. Options for insurance include homeowners insurance, landlord insurance, renters insurance, vacant land insurance, condo insurance, and vacant home insurance. If you own the property and plan on living in it yourself, homeowners or condo insurance may be right for you. If you own the home but do not plan on living there, vacant home insurance or landlord insurance could be the key. If you are only renting a home or apartment, renters insurance is the obvious choice. And finally, vacant land insurance is often overlooked, but what happens if someone has an accident on your property?   Once you have determined which category of home insurance is the one you need, you need to start your research. There are many ways to go about this. Most states offer an insurance website, and this can be a valuable tool at the beginning of your research. These sites offer information including company ratings and any complaints that have been filed. From there, other insurance sites such as J.D. Power can offer more background information, including Better Business Bureau ratings for insurance companies near your ZIP code.   After you have done this research, you can narrow your search to a few companies with good ratings that you think might be a good fit. From there, you can comparison shop for the lowest rates. Many websites will offer you instant insurance quotes, helping further narrow your selection even before you call an agent. When you finally place a call, the companies will have agents ready to answer any questions you may have left about their insurance offerings.   After you have done this research, you can narrow your search to a few companies with good ratings that you think might be a good fit. From there, you can comparison shop for the lowest rates. Many websites will offer you instant home insurance quotes, helping further narrow your selection even before you call an agent. When you finally place a call, the companies will have agents ready to answer any questions you may have left about their insurance offerings.   By doing your homework and researching the companies, you can cut out a lot of the headache involved in finding the best home insurance for you. Soon you will be able to rest assure that your Lakeland property is properly insured.   By doing your homework and researching the companies, you can cut out a lot of the headache involved in finding the best home insurance for you. Soon you will be able to rest assure that your Lakeland property is properly insured.   Don Westerfeld 3/3/2011 12:55:00 PM