Tag Archives for " Best homeowners insurance "
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 ensure you are protected.
You need to know what your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy covers if a guest is injured. You should also know what is covered if your guest damages 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 that your insurance policy covered such incidents when they were not.
Here are some things you will want to ensure 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:
- Ensure the carpet or rugs are not bunched up where someone could trip.
- Coil up any garden hoses so they will not become a trip hazard.
- Mow your lawn so 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 driving home unsafe for your guests. End the party early to ensure guests can go home safely if necessary.
- 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.
- Ensure the food 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 knows 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.
- 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 wound 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 can, preserve the scene for the insurance company to look at firsthand. If you cannot 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 damage 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 to the location where the damage occurred, take multiple pictures from numerous angles and distances.
If you have made your home safe and know what your policy covers, you can rest easy when guests arrive at your party that you are prepared.
If you have any questions about Homeowners Insurance, contact us via email or at (863) 646-LOCK.
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Ordinance of Law Coverage
Why do most customers have a general idea of what their Home insurance covers? Most don’t understand covered perils and how the claim is handled. I don’t understand many 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 requires it to be removed and rebuilt from the ground up. The undamaged portion of the structure has to be torn down and rebuilt due to a change in municipal codes. This is where the ordinance of law coverage comes into play.
Typically 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 demolishing and removing the debris of undamaged portions of the structure that must be torn down or modified.
- The increased cost of reconstruction that is, the added cost to repair or rebuild under the current code. This may include upgraded electrical system sprinkler systems redesigned 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 the zoning board and ask the questions such as:
- Since the building has been constructed, could any code changes affect my property?
- Does the existing code prohibit rebuilding, location, or size, and what percentage has to be damaged to rebuild?
At Lock Insurance, we always recommend this coverage and 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. It’s too late to review your policy and implement the changes.
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What is the Best Home Insurance For You?
The options can sometimes get overwhelming when looking at Lakeland insurance plans and policies. 
Which program 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, homeowners or condo insurance may be right. If you own the home but do not plan on living there, vacant home insurance or landlord insurance could be the key. If you only rent a house 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 you need, you need to start your research. There are many ways to go about this. Most states offer an insurance website, which can be a valuable tool at the beginning of your research. These sites provide information, including company ratings and any complaints 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 doing 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 compare shops for the lowest rates. Many websites offer instant insurance quotes, helping 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 doing 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 compare shops for the lowest rates. Many websites offer instant home insurance quotes, helping 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 many of the headaches in finding the best home insurance for you. Soon you can rest assured that your Lakeland property is adequately insured. By doing your homework and researching the companies, you can cut out many of the headaches in finding the best home insurance for you. Soon you can rest assured that your Lakeland property is adequately insured. Don Westerfeld 3/3/2011 12:55:00 PM