New toys are always fun, especially remote controlled planes and helicopters. Should you be insured for these? Good Question! Check out this article on the risks you need to know (Article provided by NA-PIA, the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents).
Taylor Agency Blog
WARNING: Verify Your Eclipse Glasses are Authentic
If you received solar eclipse glasses from us please be advised:
Our eclipse sunglass supplier has advised that their product (pictured below), which was advertised as manufactured by one of the 5 NASA approved manufacturers, cannot be confirmed. Therefore, DO NOT WEAR THEM. We apologize for this inconvenience. At this time, compliant replacements are unavailable for bulk purchase.
How to protect yourself:
To protect your eyes when viewing the sun or an eclipse, NASA and the American Astronomical Society (AAS) advises you to use APPROVED solar eclipse glasses or other solar filters from recommended manufacturers. Viewing the sun or an eclipse using any other glasses or filters could result in loss of vision or permanent blindness. For more information about safely viewing a solar eclipse please see the NASA and AAS websites.
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/
https://eclipse.aas.org/
Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions and thank you for understanding.
-Taylor Agency Management
Grilling Safety Tips From Travelers
Now that it is Summer, BBQ pits and grills can easily become the social focal point for many families, so whether you are a newbie or a grill master, take a few moments to review these great safety tips from Travelers. Grilling Tips
Hurricane Season: June – November
As a coastal state, South Carolina is now entering hurricane season. Here is how you should prepare for it.
Get the Right Insurance Coverage
Talk with your agent about Wind & Hail Insurance, Flood Insurance, and Named Storm Coverage. Once a storm maintains 38mph winds, it earns itself a name. More importantly, the damage from a named storm can affect your deductible, so start asking insurance coverage questions right now.
Get Weather Notifications
AccuWeather.com can send you alerts when bad weather is headed your way. These kinds of alerts give you the chance to weather proof your home before serious damage can take a hold.
https://alert.accuweather.com/accualert/index
Get a Survival Plan in Order
Building a strong survival plan is paramount. Remember these 8 steps to help you build your plan from start to finish.
(1) LEARN what to expect.
(2) PREPARE yourself and family.
(3) Travel to SAFETY.
(4) WAIT patiently for a safe return.
(5) ASSESS any losses.
(6) REPORT your claim.
(7) DOCUMENT everything with receipts and pictures.
(8) PREVENT any further loss while waiting for your claim.
Here are some helpful resource links for building your survival plan.
LEARN (step 1)
-The Expected Level of Destruction from CAT Hurricanes – http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php
-Locate and Understand your Flood Zone – https://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/
PREPARE (step 2)
-DOWNLOAD the FEMA Hurricane/Flood Smart Phone App – https://www.fema.gov/mobile-app
-How to Prepare for a Hurricane – http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php
SAFETY & WAIT (step 3 & step 4)
-Evacuation Live 5 Local News Updates – http://www.live5news.com/
ASSESS (step 5)
-How to Recover from a Hurricane – https://www.epa.gov/natural-disasters/hurricanes
-Emergency Damage Control Tips: Water – https://tayloragency.com/emergency-damage-control-tips-water/
-Assessing Flood Damage – https://tayloragency.com/recovering-after-a-flood/
REPORT & DOCUMENT (step 6 & step 7)
-Claims/Disaster Recovery Specific for You, Our Client – https://tayloragency.com/client-services/claims-payments/
PREVENT (step 8)
-Emergency Damage Control Tips: Water – https://tayloragency.com/emergency-damage-control-tips-water/
Are Uber Riders in SC Properly Insured?
Are Uber Riders in SC Properly Insured?
Do you Uber? Did you know your driver is technically running a for-hire livery business out of his car and is not considered a traditional employee of Uber? Unfortunately, as a livery business, your driver’s personal auto policy becomes unreliable as soon as he clocks in on the app. We already know that some insurance carriers have denied personal auto claims which were completely unrelated to ridesharing after discovering a car was used outside of the usage clause stated on the policy (i.e. a livery business). So who is covering you during your ride? It’s a scary question, and we have answers.
Even in 2017, adequate coverage for ridesharing is still a hotly debated grey area for the personal insurance industry in South Carolina. In fact, very few insurance carriers offer a true ridesharing policy. A ridesharing policy is considered to be a unique “hybrid” between a personal policy and commercial policy, so it is not considered to be the same as a personal auto policy. In states where ridesharing policies are not available, a commercial auto policy should be used to cover all the coverage gaps that a personal auto policy cannot provide.
So whose insurance pays first, or at all?
In a ridesharing accident, the driver’s underlying ridesharing policy is considered to be primary and is triggered first. After the coverage limits are exhausted, Uber’s commercial auto policy will kick in up to $1 million in liability per incident (which includes UM/UIM Motorist coverage). It’s important to note that Uber’s coverage limit is the maximum liability coverage you could have for a traditional personal auto policy without buying additional umbrella insurance. So, that’s good news for you! Even if a driver only has a standard personal auto policy, Uber still covers you personally.
Alternatively, Uber’s website states its own commercial auto policy takes precedence over any personal auto coverage while driving on the app, so Uber only requires drivers to maintain proof of personal auto insurance. Realize that even if a personal auto insurance policy is acceptable to Uber, the ridesharing exposure may be completely unacceptable to the driver’s insurance carrier. As an additional warning to those who hope to pay a lower fare by using ridesharing outside of the app (or on the side), riders risk taking a 100% completely uninsured ride!
Yes, Uber really has stepped up to the plate to fill most of the driver’s insurance gaps as it pertains to you while you are riding, but it doesn’t cover everything. Uber’s Collision, Comprehensive, and Medical Payment coverages drop to minimum coverage or become completely nonexistent as soon as a rider finishes his ride, so the real burden of proper coverage for all of these coverage gaps falls on to the driver and not Uber. To compound the situation further, if a driver’s new car is leased or financed in South Carolina, it may be completely ineligible for ridesharing. We already see some finance companies exclude ridesharing in their loan/lease contracts.
So how does a ridesharing driver get proper coverage?
To properly insure you, other motorists, the driver, and his own car, a true ridesharing auto policy should be in place. If one is not available in your state, a commercial auto policy may be needed. Also, if a vehicle normally requires a commercial driver’s license, South Carolina requires you to have a commercial auto policy. The single most important thing for ridesharing drivers is to be open with their insurance agent about how they really use their cars. Leaning on the expertise of an independent agent to identify all of the auto policy risks for drivers and riders can go a long way in keeping everyone safe.
Now that you know your real risks as a rider, if you are bold enough, next time you are ridesharing, ask your driver if he ever purchased any new additional insurance or confirmed with his agent that his traditional personal auto policy would remain reliable. You may be surprised of the answers you hear!
Stay Safe Out There!
-Taylor Agency
More articles on Uber and other ridesharing coverage:
https://newsroom.uber.com/56463/
https://newsroom.uber.com/insurance-for-uberx-with-ridesharing/
https://www.answerfinancial.com/insurance-center/how-does-car-insurance-work-for-uber-drivers
https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/insurance/best-ridesharing-insurance/
http://www.all-about-car-accidents.com/resources/what-uber-and-lyft-drivers-need-to-know-car-insurance.html#
Who’s Watching the Claim?
A workers comp claim can be a complicated process. At the very least, calls need to be answered promptly, similar risks at the workplace need to be addressed and interface between the injured, the employer, the insurance company and the treatment specialists needs to be established and maintained.
Employers may wish to designate a claims leader, someone on staff whose duties include claims administration. This gives all involved in a workers comp claim a point person with whom to communicate. Solid, hands-on stewardship of work comp claims builds good will and minimizes administrative setbacks.
Consider appointing a claims leader at your business who is capable of navigating claims from start to finish. We can help you get started. Give us a call.
Source: www.osha.gov
