15 driving techniques that should be employed when driving in rain, snow, sleet, or hail

TRY THESE TIPS

1. Reduce your speed.
2. Increase the distance length between other vehicles.
3. Familiarize yourself with how your anti-lock brakes function in slippery conditions.
4. Gradually accelerate, brake and turn.
5. Lift your foot off the accelerator a bit when going under bridges or on overpasses.
6. Drive slowly when snowplows are behind or around you.
7. Be extra careful driving in very windy conditions.
8. Avoid using your vehicle's cruise control function in snowy, icy, or rainy weather
9. Avoid talking on your cell phone when driving during inclement weather.
10. Stay as far away as possible from vehicles whose drivers failed to clear the snow from the roof.
11. Warm up your car properly
12. Make sure your windows are scraped properly
13. Clear snow/ice off of your headlights as well as your rear lights
14. Coast (take your foot off the brake) – if you go into a turn that is icy. This can (not always) allow the car to correct it self with sliding
15. Be sure and carry emergency “break down” items such as first aid kits, hand/feet warmers, water, jumper cables, emergency lights etc.

Top 5 Pet Claims

The most wonderful time of the year is also one of the most dangerous for pets. In order to assess the impact of the holidays on pet health, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance The company found that last year more than 200 policyholders spent Christmas Day at the veterinarian's office—most with pets receiving treatment for accidental injuries or dietary indiscretion.

The top five Christmas Day claims of 2008:
1. Gastritis/Enteritis
2. Lacerations or Bite Wounds
3. Soft Tissue Trauma
4. Foreign Body Ingestion
5. Chocolate Poisoning”

Christmas Day is the last day most pet owners want to spend at an emergency clinic with a sick or injured pet," said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. "Fortunately, many of the claims we receive for conditions treated on Christmas Day can be prevented.

The data, mined from more than 475,000 VPI-insured pets nationwide, reveals that claims treated on Christmas Day skew towards accidents requiring emergency treatment, perhaps because most regular veterinary clinics are closed on December 25. The other 364 days of the year, claims for medical conditions such as skin allergies, ear infections and urinary tract infections prove far more common than claims for the majority of conditions treated on Christmas Day. Only gastritis/enteritis ranked among the top 10 medical claims received by VPI in the full year of 2008. Other claims submitted with a December 25 treatment date included claims for broken bones, gastric torsion, gastric ulcers, torn nails, allergic reactions and cruciate ruptures.

AGENT CLAIMS TIP: ARSON

A property claims professional should always be aware of the indicators of an arson fire. The main elements of an arson fire investigation revolve around motive, opportunity, and an incendiary fire.

These indicators should help isolate those claims which necessitate further investigation. No single indicator by itself is necessarily suspicious. Even the presence of several indicators, while suggestive of possible arson, does not mean that arson or fire related fraud has been committed. Indicators of possible arson are not evidence that arson has occurred.

General indicators of arson or fire-related fraud include:

• Building and/or contents were up for sale at the time of the losss
• Suspiciously coincidental absence of family pet at the time of the fire
• The insured had a fire loss at the same site within the preceding year; the initial loss, though small, may have been a failed attempt to liquidate contents
• Building and/or business was recently purchased
• Commercial losses include old or nonsaleable inventory or illegal chemicals/materials
• Insured or insured's business is experiencing financial difficulties
• Fire site is claimed by multiple mortgageesbuilding is in deteriorating condition and/or lacks proper maintenance
• Fire scene investigation suggests that property/contents were heavily overinsured
• Fire scene investigation reveals absence of items of sentimental value
• Fire scene investigation reveals absence of remains of items normally found in a home or business (television, clothes, personal items, business records)
• Fire occurs at night, especially after 11 p.m.
• Commercial fire occurs on holiday, weekend, or when business is closed
• Fire department reports fire is incendiary, suspicious or unknown
  
  

Rental Car Questions Ask your agent!

If you rent a car for vacation or other personal use, you have cov­erage`- under your auto policy in most cases (check with your agent). But if you rent a car for a business trip, there is no coverage. Why? Because the coverage for personal auto usage. Businesses that bene­fit from such use should pay the cost of insuring rental cars.

More days of coverage
Most carriers have some sort of limit as to how long the insured may keep the rental car. You will need to confirm this with the agent. The insured should also notify the agent of a prolonged rental period and why. It could be various reasons for such an occasion. Examples: delay in a damaged vehicle repairs. Inability to access the insured vehicle and so on.

Optional coverage’s for rental cars
If you need more coverage for a rental car, there are optional coverage’s. You may want to ask your agent about them if:

You use a car owned by your employer.
You use a rental car for your job or business.
You rent a car for consecutive days of per­sonal use.
You don't carry collision or comprehensive coverage on your policy but want these coverage’s to apply to rental cars you use.
You want coverage for loss of use and administrative costs that rental car companies may charge when a car you rent is damaged.

The State (50) Department of Insurance

THE 50 STATE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT LINKS

The state department of insurance is a destination that offers consumers, agents and other insurance professionals excellent insurance information. The following list offers links to all 50 departments of insurance.

Alabama Department of Insurance
Alaska Division of Insurance
Arizona Department of Insurance
Arkansas Insurance Department
California Department of Insurance
Colorado Division of Insurance
Connecticut Insurance Department
Delaware Insurance Department
District of Columbia Department of Securities and Insurance Regulation
Florida Department of Insurance
Georgia Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner
Hawaii Division of Insurance
Idaho Department of Insurance
Illinois Department of Insurance
Indiana Department of Insurance
Iowa Insurance Division
Kansas Insurance Department
Kentucky Department of Insurance
Louisiana Department of Insurance
Maine Bureau of Insurance
Maryland Insurance Administration
Massachusetts Division of Insurance
Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Services
Minnesota Department of Commerce
Mississippi Department of Insurance
Missouri Department of Insurance
Montana State Insurance Dept
Nebraska Department of Insurance
Nevada Division of Insurance
New Hampshire Insurance Department
New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance
New Mexico Insurance Division
New York State Insurance Department
North Carolina Department of Insurance
North Dakota Department of Insurance
Ohio Department of Insurance
Oklahoma Department of Insurance
Oregon Insurance Division
Pennsylvania Insurance Department
Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation
South Carolina Department of Insurance
South Dakota Division of Insurance
Tennessee Commerce and Insurance Administration
Texas Department of Insurance
Utah Insurance Department
Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration
Virginia Bureau of Insurance
Washington State Insurance Commissioner
West Virginia Board of Risk & Insurance Management
Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Wyoming Insurance Department

The Agents Auto Claim Primer

How Agents Can Get An Auto Claim Off To A Good Start!

When a client comes in with an auto claim, you might help get the claim off to a good start by asking the right questions. This will help clarify the facts and frame the claim for presentation to the claims department. The following is a list of question that should serve as “quick-start” questions that will need finalizing by the claims investigator.

Speed – how fast were they going?
Lighting – what was the lighting like?
Management – did they have the vehicle under control?
Lookout – did they maintain proper lookout
Weather conditions – what was the weather like and did it contribute to the accident
Obstructions – were there any?
Vehicle malfunctions – blown tire? Lights, turn signals etc.
Traffic signals and signs – were they an issue
Other driver actions – simply, what did they do wrong?
Witnesses – were there any witnesses?
Driver impairment – drugs, drinking, handicaps etc.
Police investigation – did the police come to the scene, did they find fault?