For example, when did bunnies start hitting cars and wearing latex gloves?
You know the saying that doctors must have some crazy patient stories? Well, they are not the only ones! We have heard some claims that will make your eyes pop a little. A bunny with rubber gloves, Dukes of Hazard flying, trespassers suing homeowners, and more.
At the end of this blog, we have a collection of fun pictures that highlight different stories that go with the important insurance information below. A big thanks goes out to the Mosaic Family for sharing these stories!
Some Fast Insurance 101:
1. Bundling home and auto can save you money while giving you more coverage. Ask us about personal umbrella insurance and commercial umbrella insurance.
2. Someone can sue you for things like injuries—and win—even if they trespass on your property.
3. Car accidents happen every day, yet they can easily be jaw-dropping. While we would like to think that it wouldn’t happen to us, the reality is that it could definitely happen to any of us. Personal injury protection insurance (PIP insurance) is important to know about. It can help cover medical bills and lost wages while you are recovering. If you have questions about it, give Mosaic a call—we are ready to walk you through it!
4. Whenever you get a new piece of expensive jewelry, it is a good practice to get it appraised ASAP, and then get it insured in case anything happens to it. Jewelry can also change value over time, and thus it is advised to get everything re-appraised at least every 2-3 years and adjust your insurance accordingly.
5. Many businesses do not own the land that they are on, or the building that they are in. It is important to know what would be covered if you were to have a claim—and whose insurance would cover what. There are many working parts to get a business up and running and to keep it running. Logistics can easily not cross your mind as you are getting things done for different people in the equation. Pushing product is important, but so is insurance!
6. Car dealerships do not add cars to your policy or update your insurance policies.
7. Insurance cannot be bound without the policy holder talking to their independent agent or insurance carrier directly.
8. Did you know that there is such thing as claims counseling? It is when insurance agents or carriers chat with you and suggest loss control measures to help mitigate future claims. This tends to happen after you have a claim, and especially after you have more than one. You can also look at business tips now and share with your employees to help avoid claims in the first place. Our Pinterest board has a nice growing collection.
9. Anyone can be sued. Charges can also be absurd. Even if the charges are dropped or you are not found at fault, there will still be attorney fees and court fees to deal with. Stable home and car insurance can help protect you if something crazy and/or big happens. Commercial insurance like workers comp, general liability, and errors and omissions can help protect your business from lawsuits as well.
10. If you get hit by a stolen car, your insurance pays even if you are not at-fault. Since the thief did not have permission to drive the stolen car, the car owner’s insurance would not be deemed as responsible. Another reason why it is good to have stable coverage (like full coverage with good limits): you cannot control another person’s actions!
11. Messy cars and objects in general can cause accidents. Items can easily block brake pedals. They can also distract you just enough at the wrong moment if they shift. Heavy objects, like toolboxes, can slam into you, or your doors, windshields, etc. Make sure that items in your cab are secure, and try to keep items elsewhere like your trunk or truck bed lock box whenever you can. Other more secure places tend to be on the backseat floorboards and in compartments behind your seat if your truck only has a front cab. If you have a truck, a locking canopy might also be good to look into!
12. Sometimes after a claim happens, whether it is a car accident, break-in, lawsuit, or house fire, even the basic steps that we know we should do leave our minds. (That is why we have this handy infographic.)
13. If you own a dog, be mindful of insurance carrier restrictions, signage on your property, and healthy socialization in order to help avoid issues. (Check out our pictures at the end of this blog for specifics!)
14. Have you been in a car accident or know someone who has? The answer for most of us is “yes.” If you have been in a car during an accident, you know that things can happen so fast during the crash…and that the aftermath can drag on. The unfortunate reality is that claims can last years, and medical bills can be expensive for not just you and your passengers but for the people in the other car(s) involved. Again, Personal injury protection insurance (PIP insurance) is a good thing to consider having. Also, ask us about other endorsements and coverages that your carrier might have for your state that can help with medical bills. (Alaska, for example, does not offer PIP at the moment, but there are other means to protect you.)
15. A big thing that makes fires so scary is unpredictability. They can spread fast and devour everything, or they can just leave your kitchen smelling funny for a few days. Either way, fires can be dangerous and costly, and the what ifs are what insurance is all about. Insurance exists to help protect all that you have worked so hard to get in life.
16. What does it mean that Mosaic is an insurance broker? It means that we shop around different carriers, explore ways that you can save, answer all your questions, and make the insurance experience easier and less stressful for you! We do the investigating so that you don’t have to. So, if you are not happy with your insurance carrier because of current insurance rates, or some other reason, let us know! Your independent insurance agent is someone who knows the industry and does your searching for you. We work for YOU, not the insurance companies. We also write insurance in different states—give us a call and see if we write in your state!
17. It is important to be properly insured in all areas of your business. It is essential that you keep in mind that one type of insurance doesn’t cover everything. You can have risks in many areas of your business. For example, it is not uncommon for realtors to get in trouble for failing to disclose defects, being negligent, misrepresenting important details, leaving homeowners misunderstanding boundary lines, and more. A key way to help avoid claims in the realtor business is to be aware of possible injuries, damages to property, and lawsuits. Be thorough in your steps to help avoid possible claims. If you sell houses, then you know how much work combing through a property can be. Everything needs to look perfect and appealing to potential buyers. But it is not all about looks. Make sure that you are also protecting yourself.
18. Are you wondering what coverages are good to have and what they would cost you? You might be surprised at how inexpensive some coverage is. Rental car insurance for example can be as little as $3 a month.
19. You do not have to be driving a new car, or a fancy one, for full coverage to be practical. Many times, people think that it is a waste of money. The fact that you have to have full coverage when you have a financed car, tends to make a lot of people think that full coverage is only for certain circumstances.
20. Do you take care of your car? Even if it is on the older side, and it is not a high-end classic, it may be worth more than you think! Good carpeting, nice upholstery, an upgraded stereo, new tires, low miles, etc. can hold a lot of weight when determining the value of a car. Remember, insurance exists to make you whole again. What do you think a car just like yours would cost you if you were to go buy it somewhere? Taking care of your car can really pay off.
21. When it comes to damaged property, keep in mind that it is not just the items that belong to you and another person. If government property is destroyed (like a stoplight), repair costs are typically delt with through the insurance policy of the person who is deemed at-fault for the accident.
22. Do I need full coverage? Full coverage is not just for new, financed, or fancy cars. Insurance exists to help protect you and your property. Full coverage is a combination of coverages that help protect you and your vehicle—more coverage reach means more protection. Remember, even if your older commuter car is not financed, it could be worth more than you realize—and medical bills are expensive no matter what your car looks like. Plus, the better coverage you have, the more protection you can have if you hit an expensive car, and/or really hurt someone else. For example, if you hit a collector car, or a Tesla, we are guessing you’d be grateful for stable coverage. Also, you could hit someone like a doctor, damaging their hands. A doctor needs his/her hands to do their job. In addition to their medical bills, their lost wages have to come from somewhere.
23. When you are in a “no-fault” state and you get into an accident, each driver’s PIP insurance pays for themselves and their passengers. But, when you are in an “at-fault” state like Alaska and you are in a car accident, the driver who is deemed at fault—the one who caused the accident—is the one who is liable for medical bills. Insurance can be confusing, and having PIP helps increase the likelihood of medical bills being paid. Mosaic is here for you, and we are ready to walk you through the process and answer all of your questions.
Say, WHAT?!?
Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. We have some accident pictures, alongside some crazy stories. Also included in this collection of insurance graphics are tips, different insurance types, and our team’s friendly faces!
See our sneak peak in the picture below. To see the complete collection of 26 pictures, view the PDF here.
Do you have a story that you want to tell? We’d love to hear it! And, after we do, we can point you in the direction of insurance that can help in situations like that. You can send ideas to our Marketing Manager, Meagan Baron, at meagan@mosaicia.com.
