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Prompt reporting of a property claim benefits both you
and the insurance carrier. Prompt reporting results in a
faster inspection of damages and subsequent claim payments
(assuming it is a covered loss). If you suffer a loss to
insured property, you can speed up the claim process by
following these tips:
Contact us or your insurance company as
soon as possible, even if the damage on the surface appears
minimal. Ideally, contact the insurance carrier first to
‘fast track’ the assignment of a company adjuster to your
case.
Make temporary repairs to protect the insured property
against further damage. Obtain itemized receipts from a
contractor, and keep copies to give to the insurance company
adjuster. Hire only licensed contractors for repairs.
Call friends, family or one of our staff for reliable
referrals.
We are only a phone call away should you sustain an
insurable loss. Our firm’s personalized service is one of
the benefits of having insurance with a local independent
insurance agency. (top)
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We have preached about the added accident risk
for drivers who use ‘mobile electronic devices’
while driving. National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) research shows that driving
while using a cell phone or other electronic
communication devices contributes to almost 25% of
police-reported traffic accidents.
In addition to the accident risk, being caught
driving and using one of the banned electronic
devices may result in a fine and a record of the
violation noted in one’s state driving record. |
To avoid being ticketed and fined
for illegal cell phone use, we recommend that
readers be aware of cell phone laws in any state
they drive in. Violation data from neighboring
states may be forwarded to your home state, as many
states exchange traffic violation data. Be aware of
how a state defines ‘mobile electronic devices’.
Most define these devices as any hand-held or
portable electronic equipment capable of providing
data communications between two or more people.
Included are devices for text messaging or paging,
personal digital assistants, laptop computers,
equipment capable of playing video games or digital
video disks or equipment on which digital
photographs are taken or transmitted. We provide
this level of detail to educate our customers. With
this knowledge, we hope they can avoid accidents and
preserve the health and welfare of both themselves
and their passengers. A good driving record also
allows us to offer customers preferred automobile
rates from the many insurance companies we
represent.(top)
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The National Highway Safety Administration
(NHTSA) now offers free e-mail alerts to consumers
on vehicle, tire and child restraint recalls. The
alerts provide consumers with instant safety
information, in case it is missed in our daily
stream of media information sources.
The tire recall information is especially important,
as most of us are traveling daily in our vehicles on
major highways. A tire failure under these
circumstances could prove fatal. To sign-up, access
the web address of
www.odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ . On the left side of the
page, click on ‘safety recalls’. In the center of
the recall page, you will find a choice titled
‘Vehicle, tire and child restraint recall alerts by
e-mail’. Sign up and stay safe! (top) |
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