After determining that everyone is safe and getting the claims process started, there are some claims submissions that can give an agent a belly laugh once he or she gets off the phone. Here are some comical examples of winter-season claims: No. 1: A very hungry pup....
The holidays are full of claims opportunities
We hope that everyone has a safe and warm holiday season without any mishaps—but sometimes, things go awry. And, just what are the most common claims this time of year? For the answer, read on: No. 1: Fires. At this time of year, people tend to use more candles, light...
Water-damage claims can happen anywhere at any time; education & tech can mitigate damage
I’m a coastal agent who insures a lot of secondary homes. At my agency, I have been watching water-damage claims closely for years. When our area gets a deep freeze, we do have a fair number of large claims due to water damage. However, weather is only a part of...
N.Y.: Dog breed underwriting restrictions change homeowners insurance
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed S.4254 /A.4075 on Oct. 30, 2021, as part of an animal welfare legislative package. The bills—sponsored by Sen. Michael Gianaris, D-12, and Assemblywoman Deborah J. Glick, D-66, respectively—prohibit carriers from using the breed of a dog...
Are you protected in case of a pirate raid?
Now before I lose you before we start, hear me out. If pirates attacked your home and loved ones or your office and employees tomorrow, would you have the right insurance coverage to cover the loss? Pirates often steal, break things, harm or kill people, or they could...
Conn.: State Legislature extends Lamont’s emergency powers, sports betting begins and health insurance rates are increased
Special session to extend Gov. Lamont’s emergency powers. The Connecticut General Assembly met over the course of two days in late September for a special session to approve an extension of Gov. Ned Lamont’s emergency powers. The extension—which was approved by...
How the NFIP’s Risk Rating 2.0 affects agents, clients
The National Flood Insurance Program’s new premium rating methodology, Risk Rating 2.0 will go into effect Oct. 1, 2021, for new policies, but for policies that renew between Oct. 1, 2021, and April 1, 2022, the Rating 2.0 rates also are available, if they are...
Advise clients: Renovations make a more resilient home
Harvard’s researchers found that Americans spent almost $420 billion on home improvement projects in 2020. That’s an average of over $5,000 per single-family detached home in the U.S. It seems that even high lumber costs couldn’t keep Americans from using COVID-19’s...
The coverage concerns with a building’s structural integrity
On June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla., partially collapsed in the middle of the night, claiming 98 lives and injuring several more. The cause of the tragedy still is uncertain, but according to Miami New Times, the structural integrity of the...
N.Y.: Why defining hurricanes would make claims easier after weathering a storm
Following confusion over insurance claims after major, hurricane-strength storms, PIANY has made the standardization of windstorm deductible triggers a legislative priority to clarify the definition of windstorm. How a windstorm is defined can make a substantial...