Your Duties in the Event of a Loss

When your family or business suffers a loss or damages you have several responsibilities that you need to take per the conditions in your insurance policy. 

 

Below you will find some highlighted duties you have after you discover you have suffered a loss. 

 

- Give prompt notification to your insurance agent of the loss. You should include information such as when, where, who, and how.

 

- Take all reasonable steps to protect the property from further loss or damage. 

 

- Notify the police if the loss appears to be a result of a violation of the law such as theft or vandalism.

 

- Furnish to the insurance company inventories of the damaged property and permit for them to inspect the property and your records.

 

- Cooperate with the insurance company with the claims process including submitting to an examination regarding the loss.

 

- Sign a sworn proof of loss for the insurance company.

 

We represent several top rated insurance carriers that pride themselves on their claims handling and experience. In the event of a loss we are there to guide you through the process and make sure you are taken care of the way you deserve. 

And a Happy New Year....

Spalding Insurance Agency would like to wish you a very Happy New Year. To celebrate ringing in the New Year safely please take the time to remember these safety tips for those of us going out and for those of us who are hosting gatherings.


Hosts

- Make sure all guests have a designated driver upon arrival. A great host makes this their top priority.
- Have phone numbers readily available for local cab companies for guests who have not planned ahead.
- Offer non-alcohol drinks as alternatives to your guests. This can include sparkling juice, pop, water, or punch.
- Encourage guests that are leaving the party to stop drinking hours before the party ends, even if they have a designated driver for the evening.
- Always welcome guests a place to sleep in your home. This will encourage those who "only had a few" and feel comfortable with driving an alternative solution.
- Don't be afraid to take the keys from a guest who plans on driving home and is intoxicated.

Remember as a host, you may be held responsible for your guests actions after they leave your home.

Party Goers

Did you drink? If so, do not drive.

- Plan a head and have a designated driver.
- If you don't have a designated driver, call a taxi , use the bus system, or stay where you are until sober. Don't be afraid to ask to stay the night at your host home. A good host will be prepared for overnight guests.

 Happy New Year!

About Spalding Insurance Agency

Spalding Insurance Agency provides exemplary service and access to Michigan's finest insurance companies. We proudly serve the personal and business insurance needs of people in East Lansing, Okemos, Haslett, Lansing, DeWitt, Perry, Detroit, Holt, Mason, Grand Rapids, Laingsburg, Bath, and other great Michigan cities. For a quote on auto insurance, home insurance, business insurance, or life insurance click here. 

Driving Tips for Deer Season

It appears from the photos on Facebook and circling the web that this hunting season has been a success for area hunters. Sadly, this deer season has also had its share of car/deer accidents resulting in injuries and car damage for thousands of motorists throughout mid Michigan.

Having a deer run into your path while on the road is a very scary thing, if you're not prepared on what to do. Being quick to act and knowing some of these preventive techniques will go along ways for the safety of you and your passengers.

Preventative Techniques

- The most important safety tip is to travel at posted speeds or below them. The more conservative you are with your speed, the more time you will have to break for a deer.

- Drive with your lights on for better visibility.

- Scan the side of the roads for eyes shining in your headlights.

- When possible, drive with your high beams on. This is another trick to increase visibility which can help with your reaction time.

- Pay attention to the signs along roads that warn of high deer traffic areas. These signs are there to indicate problem areas for motorists and should not be ignored.

- Wear your seat-belt.

Where are the deer?

- Deer are frequently found in highly wooded areas and mostly on the outskirts of towns. Although it is not uncommon for people to see them within suburban areas.

- Deer travel in large packs. If you see one, you can assume that there are several more nearby.

- From October to January, Deer, are in heat and breeding. The effect of this is that they are highly active and tend to be on the move during prime hours such as dusk and dawn.

What to do when seeing a deer

- The golden rule is to never swerve to avoid a deer in the road. Swerving can cause for you to lose control of your vehicle, resulting in a potential head on collision, driving into a ditch or tree, which can lead to more serious injuries and vehicle damage.

- Slow down when you spot a deer.

If you have the unfortunate luck to actually hit a deer call the proper emergency services that are needed. If no one is injured it is still a good idea to get an official police report of the incident for documentation for the insurance company.

Stay alert and safe travels!

Why Now is the Time for Reform.

Enacted in 1973, Michigan’s No Fault Law was, and is today, one of the best in the United States in terms of coverage and claims settlement.   Its Unlimited Lifetime Medical Coverage was the absolute best in the land, a benchmark for other states to follow!  But it has become unaffordable to many, and now is the time fore reform.

You might see in the press others who are against this reform, and their reasoning is simple……it’s become a cash cow to the medical profession. If you’ve been treated in an emergency room, what is the first question they ask?   “Are your injuries a result of an auto accident????”

Studies have shown that you could go into a hospital for falling off your ladder and have your health insurance billed $400 for a CAT Scan. If the CAT Scan is a result of an auto accident, the charge for the exact same procedure is $1,800!    The reason being is simple….there is no mandated set reimbursement schedule for auto related medical treatment!.  It’s an open checkbook, and one we all pay in the form of some of the highest rates in the country.
 

Review your policy, add the premiums together for the Personal Injury Coverage and the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Assessment.   That is the cost you’re paying, per vehicle, for the Unlimited Lifetime Medical Coverage.   In order to be affordable, we have got to align our reimbursement with those others pay.

Even if our benefits are reduced to the proposed levels, we’re still offering 50 times the coverage level of any other state!  If our laws were to be benchmark for insurance coverage in the USA, why hasn’t any other state adopted the Unlimited Lifetime Medical Coverage?

For more information, please visit WWW.NoFaultReform.Com.  Also, please let your legislators know that you’re in favor of the Reform, and ask for their support!

Spalding Insurance Agency is an independent agency with two locations in mid-Michigan to service you. We want to make your life easier. For a quote on your personal or business insurance click here.

Auto Insurance Reform (The Facts)

It is a great time to call Michigan home.

Summer is now here and that means that we get the chance to hit the links or the lakes and enjoy the Great Lakes State.

Elsewhere in Michigan there is a battle brewing that directly impacts you, me, and all residents of Michigan. Lansing is currently sitting in the middle of a debate on No-Fault Auto Insurance Reform.

We want you to be informed on the issue. So here are some facts about No-Fault Auto Insurance Reform. Within the next few days we will share our professional opinion on the issue.

Click Here for No-Fault Reform Facts


Spalding Insurance Agency is an independent agency with  two locations in mid-Michigan to service you. We want to make your life easier. For a quote on your personal or business insurance click here.

Reforming Michigan's Auto Insurance

If you pick up a newspaper odds are, you will find something within the first few pages about auto insurance reform for the State of Michigan.

Head to one of these popular newspaper's websites and read the comments that people have posted online about these same articles. Heck, head to your favorite social media platform and I am sure you have family and/or friends who have posted about the discussion going on in Lansing.

Auto insurance reform is a heated debate and the most important thing for everyone in this state, is to be involved and informed.

Tomorrow we will touch base on the facts of reform. Only facts and no opinions. The facts from both sides of the argument. Following our fact based blog we will give you our view on auto insurance reform and why we feel that way.


Spalding Insurance Agency is an independent agency with  two locations in mid-Michigan to service you. We want to make your life easier. For a quote on your personal or business insurance click here.

The Shopping Cart (Part Three)

I have recently had an infatuation with the role the shopping cart plays in our lives. It is a pet peeve for me to watch people not return their shopping carts to a proper station when they are done using them. So I swore to my wife a few weeks back that I was going to explain to people the importance of returning your cart to the proper place. So far we have examined two reasons:

1) It is a pet peeve of mine that plays a major role in our life.(Think Butterfly Effect)
2) Not returning your cart can increase everyone's car insurance premiums.

Those aren't the only issues with not returning your cart. Believe it or not a lot of injuries occur because of those carts running free in the wild.

According to The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission about 21,600 people are injured in shopping cart related accidents each year. Now I am not saying this is all due to wild shopping carts but I am sure that a small % of injuries are from them.

Or how about the employee of the store having to chase down a shopping cart in the parking lot. Their possibilities for an injury are endless. Maybe they roll an ankle, pull a hammy, or tear an ACL. Freak accidents like that happen all of the time. All because a lack of responsibility.

A shopping cart is a tool, one that we are blessed with. Imagine life without the cart. But with all tools, it is important that we take care of them. By returning your cart to the proper station you can help people avoid injuries.

July 21st, 2013 will be the first ever "Return Your Shopping Cart Awareness Day". Together we can make a difference!

The Shopping Cart (Part Two)

How important is it to properly return your shopping cart to a station once you are done with it? Extremely important, so important, that I am going to go all R. Kelly on you and write about it over four different parts.

Today we focus on Part Two, how a shopping cart plays a role in your insurance premiums. In case you missed it, click her for Part One, on why returning your shopping cart is a big deal. So how does a shopping cart running rampant in the parking lot play a role in your insurance premiums? Here is a story for you:

Mandy calls her husband Joe on the way home from work and asks if he can stop for some groceries. Being the good guy that he is, Joe, stops into the local store and grabs a cart. After checking out, Joe, loads up his grocery cart with his bags and returns to his car. Since he is in a "hurry" he decides to just leave his cart in the middle of the parking lot, since he must save himself the 35 seconds it would've taken him to do the right thing.

Joe leaves the parking lot and in pulls Mary to a spot a few places down from where Joe left his cart. Mary walks into the store unaware that her car is about to fall victim to Joe's laziness or carelessness. Mary returns to her car and notices a huge scratch along the side of the vehicle. There was a huge gust of wind while Mary was shopping and unfortunately for her, the shopping cart sideswiped her car leaving her in an unfortunate situation, the need to file a claim.

So how is it that this story affects your insurance premiums and not just Mary's? The thing to remember is that insurance companies distribute risk among a large number of people. So anytime a company pays a claim (or doesn't) it can affect rates for everyone insured by that company. Ideally your insurance company never pays claims to anyone, thus reducing their expenses and rates.

Assume that all throughout Michigan, insurance companies pay out tens of millions of dollars in claims for losses involving shopping carts hitting parked cars. This directly results in unnecessary expenses for insurance companies that results in higher premiums for everyone. If we look back on our example, Joe leaving his cart and the resulting claim might directly affect our car insurance premiums.

The next time you're at the grocery store and either in a hurry or too lazy to walk your cart down to the return station, remember that your actions will play a role in your car insurance premiums.

Do you know someone who doesn't return their shopping cart to the return station? Hit the share button and let them know why they should!

P.S. Remember that National Return Your Shopping Cart Awareness Day is July 21st.

The Shopping Cart (Part One)

The shopping cart, a beautiful thing, but that last thing you want to see resting against your car when you return to the parking lot. (Unless you owe someone a lot of money and their goons are leaning against your car when you return)

So it was to my amazement that upon returning to my car and spotting a shopping cart nestled between mine and my fellow shopper to the right, that the cart had not struck either of our vehicles.

For months I have been complaining to my wife about the shopping cart. A great tool but when people neglect its powers it can turn into a nightmare for all. People do not understand how the simple act of returning your shopping cart to a proper return station can do make a big difference by:

1) Reducing Car Insurance Premiums

2) Preventing Injury

3) Reducing the costs of groceries

4) A bunch of other stuff

Don't believe me? Well over the next week I will give you some food for thought on how four of my theories are actually facts. And together we can help reduce costs and prevent injuries by bringing awareness to returning your shopping cart to its rightful home. All of this can be done as we march towards the first ever "National Shopping Cart Awareness Day" tentatively scheduled for Sunday, July 21st. 

What is an Umbrella?

It is hard to change the channel as Umbrella by Rihanna  comes on to your favorite radio station. The song is so catchy it is nearly impossible to not sing along with the chorus.

A lot of people do not know that the insurance industry has our very own version of an Umbrella. The sad truth is, for the majority of people, an umbrella is a policy they know nothing about or don’t think they need

.

So what is an umbrella?

An umbrella is a policy that provides liability coverage for you above the limits you carry on your auto and homeowner’s insurance. It offers protection for you against liability claims or judgments.

Why is this coverage important? 

Sadly, we live in a world that lawsuits are not uncommon. There are plenty of instances in which you might be dragged into a lawsuit, legitimate or frivolous. The biggest question is, can you afford the potential damages awarded to a victim of a lawsuit you were dragged into?

Not always the other family!

A lot of people wonder how often an umbrella policy is even needed. Bad things in life happen daily and like my mom always told me “it’s not always happening to other people.”

Prime Example

Bob and Jane (fictitious names) were an older couple driving home from a weekend up in Traverse City. Driving down U.S. 127 right before the I-69 interchange they hit a bad storm. Bob lost control of the vehicle and it rolled into the ditch. Sadly, his wife Jane did not survive the accident.

Sometime after the funeral Bob was served with papers stating that his children were filing a wrongful death lawsuit against him for the death of their mother. The court awarded the children a settlement that exceeded the liability limits that Bob had on his auto insurance policy.

We had an Umbrella policy in place for Bob that picked up the damages where his auto insurance limits ran out. The umbrella picked up the remaining balance and Bob, already emotionally damaged, was not financially ruined.

Should I Carry an Umbrella? 

Yes, everyone should carry an umbrella policy. For as little as $12 a month you can purchase an extra $1 million worth of liability coverage. Plus, if you have Auto-Owners insurance you qualify for a 5% discount on your home and auto insurance policies.

How a MIP or Open Intox Affects Your Car Insurance.

I was working with a new client( they were still a prospective client at this time) a few weeks ago on an auto insurance quote when we hit a potential snag that a lot of people do not know about.

DUIs and DWIs are not the only alcohol related incidents that will play a role in your insurance premiums. Although those are the most commonly known violations, a Minor in Possession (MIP) and Open Intoxicant play an equal role in determining your insurance premiums.

The client and I had talked about his policy and we were in the final step, pulling driving histories for everyone in the household. Upon pulling the driving reports it was discovered that his son at college had registered an open intox for walking on the sidewalk with an open can of beer. The client had known of this incident and in his eyes he had no reason to inform me of this misdemeanor. Which would normally be true for a violation such as a parking ticket but not in this case.

Whenever an alcohol related incident is reported to the State it is automatically attached to your driving report, whether you’re in a vehicle or not. So unbeknownst to the father, this incident was actually a pretty big deal. 

Luckily we were able to work everything out but there was a drastic change in premium. 

Please share with your friends and family. It might be a heads up or an important reminder that all alcohol related incidents will play a role in their auto insurance 

Violations and Your Car Insurance

When you come to Spalding Insurance to request a quote, one of the questions we will ask you is about your driving history in the last 5 years.

Typically when we ask someone this question there is going to be a lot of hemming and hawing about how they want to answer this question. (Answering this question honestly is important, we are going to provide you with a quote based on the information you are providing)

After a minute or so the person might list off a couple of violations, a speeding ticket here or a blown stop sign there. They will tell us "all" that they have on their record and proceed to ask one of the two following questions.

1) How long do those points stay on my insurance?

2) How many points do I have?

While both of those questions are legitimate, there is no uniform response. Both questions rely on pretty much two determining factors:

1) Was the ticket for a major or minor violation?

2) What company are you with or going to be placed with? Remember, Spalding Insurance, is an independent agency and  we represent several companies. All companies view violations differently (major vs minor) and the length in which they stay on your record. We have companies that go back 35 months, 36 months, or 50 months. It all just depends on how severe they consider the violation. 

Winter Driving Tips!

So the weather looks like it is going to be a rough for commuters on their way home tonight. It is important that we take these conditions as a serious driving hazard. There are a lot of tips about driving in these winter months. My favorite tip sheet comes from one of our carriers, Fremont Insurance. 

Here are some great winter driving tips! 

Clean off your car!!!

I awoke this morning to fresh powder covering my car. Like many people the biggest pain in my morning routine is cleaning off the snow while braving the winter cold. 

Traveling down the highway this morning I was amazed to see the amount of people who still had frost/snow covering their windows, side and rear-view. (only the insane would have left the windshield covered). 

All I could think about was how difficult and unsafe it is to make a lane change in what was already pretty difficult driving conditions. Why is it that people cannot spend the extra minutes before driving to help improve their own vision? If it is because of lack of knowledge of how, today is your lucky day. Here are some tips for cleaning off your car:

1) Buy an ice scraper and leave said ice scraper in vehicle.

2) Open your door car and remove scraper upon the need for ice scraper to be used

3) Remove snow and ice from windows, mirrors, and lights.

4) Get into vehicle and travel safely. 

Seems pretty easy? A couple of minutes is all it takes. So buck up, buttercup. Brave that cold for just a few more minutes to make make it safer for us all.