If you want your car repaired by the negligent party, here are some tips for you:

Carry a camera or have a cell phone with a camera option, then get out of the car if you are able to and start snapping photos of the vehicles involved, the driver, the location, damage to the vehicle, witnesses, etc.  You can’t have too many photos!!!

Make sure you call the police so they will write an accident report.  If you are rear ended, this is proof of the other party’s negligence.

Get the drivers information: name, several phone #’s, address, their insurance carrier and policy #, description of the vehicle.f 

If you call me or another agent and only have someone’s name and phone number and they don’t answer the phone when you call, how can we file a claim with their insurance carrier?  Most of the time you will fix the car yourself or file with your carrier and pay your collision deductible.

Please call your agent if you are unsure of what to do when you are rear ended in an auto accident!

Safe driving!!

A Landlord policy insures the structure, usually includes a minimal amount of personal property coverage, (covering a lawn mower, ladder, or maybe a  snow blower you may leave for the tenant to use), and liability coverage.  As the owner of the home/duplex/triplex,etc. you may be sued for negligence . 

Personal Liability coverage pays for legal services in case you are sued.

To protect your assets, liability insurance is very important.

Make sure your insurance carrier is aware of a vacant home as that can affect how your policy is written.  Liability coverage may be difficult to obtain or be priced higher.

Landlord Insurance is fairly easy to purchase.  If you have a property with frequent claims, you will need to buy coverage on the standard market.  Call your personal insurance agent for information.

RENEE DARATA

Here are a few factors to consider:

1. Reapply with the same carrier-you are placed within a risk pool when you first buy the policy.  That risk pool may have a higher than average claims ratio.  If you re-apply you may be bundled with a  pool of people who will have lower than average claims.
2. Consider a higher office visit co-pay
3. Apply to another health insurance carrier
4. Higher deductibles don’t save you very much money
5. Consider a HSA/High Deductible Plan if you are healthy and rarely visit the DR.

Affordable Family Health Insurance is a quest best undertaken with a personal agent.  The agent knows the underwriting guidelines of the insurance carriers and can advise you how to save money.

In Utah, the premiums are the same whether or not you use the services of an insurance agent.  It’s like buying a  house without a Realtor,  you need an agent to negotiate  the contract.

For assistance with your family health insurance, please give me a call.

A small business owner who has a home based business needs to consult with a insurance agent to determine their insurance needs.

RENEE DARATA

This vehicle would have to be written as a commercial auto insurance policy.

If they were insured under a personal auto insurance policy, the claim could be denied for misrepresentation.

Make sure the agent knows how the vehicle is being used.  Many people don’t understand that a vehicle used for business purposes must be insured for that usage.

RENEE DARATA-your personal insurance agent

Why does this matter?

It matters because you may be driving around with just liability insurance.  This means you have coverage for property damage and bodily injury you cause to others, but you have no coverage for damage to your car.

With the current economy, people have cut back on many of their expenses, and auto insurance is one of them.

Can you afford to pay out of pocket for body shop repairs?

That is what will happen if you are in an accident with an uninsured motorist.

RENEE DARATA

Business Income-reimbursement for lost income if you can’t operate your business due to a covered loss.

Example: a 4 alarm fire rips through your office building wiping out your office.  You have no physical office to see “clients”, no files, etc.  While you are restoring your business, business income expense would reimburse you for your loss of income.

Tenant Improvements and Betterments-these are the alterations you make to the space you occupy.  They need to be insured if you wnat your store/office to look the same after the fire (or other event).  The Owner/Landlord does not usually insure the improvements.

Business Personal Property-supplies, inventory, office furniture,etc.  Many business owners never update their policy after they begin their business and are woefully underinsured.

Completed Products and Operations Liability- this applies to businesses such as :

Auto Repair or Contractors

You bring your vehicle in for an oil change and after you leave the shop the vehicle begins to smoke and breaks down.  The vehicle is towed to a repair shop where it is discovered that the oil was not replaced during the oil change.  The repair shops liability coverage will cover the damages to your vehicle.

The plumber installs a new dishwasher and 2 weeks later you discover there is water leaking and your hardwood floor is ruined.  Upon inspection  it is discovered that a water line was installed improperly.  A claim would be filed against the plumber’s insurance policy for damages.

The small business owner needs to make sure they have enough coverage for a large loss.

Many new small business owners have never purchased business liability insurance before.

There are many types of liability insurance, we will discuss general liability insurance coverages.

General liability insurance covers :

slip and falls

damage to another’s property

The landlord wants any damages to their property to be covered by your liability policy.

To purchase a small business liabilty policy you should consult with a personal agent at your business site as the policy usually includes other coverages such as business property.  You want the agent to see the space to insure the policy is written correctly.

The small business owner protects their business assets with proper insurance coverage.  If there is inadequate coverage, there may be a lawsuit. 

To summarize: small business owners need general liability insurance and the best way to purchase this coverage is through an insurance agent who meets with you in person to assess your insurance needs.

RENEE DARATA

• Anti-Lock Brakes w/ Brake assist
• Electronic Brake Force Distribution
• Electronic Stability Control
• Traction Control System
• Dual Front Advanced Airbags
• Front Seat Mounted Side Air Bags
• Full Length Curtain Air Bags Front
• Active Headrests 
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System

I was t-boned in an accident recently, driving 40 miles an hour, and these features saved my life.

These features also give you a discount on your auto insurance as they reduce bodily injury.

RENEE DARATA- your personal insurance agent

Not everything is covered by your insurance policy and the most common problem is filing a claim with the company’s 800 # and getting the claim denied.

A much better plan is to run the scenario by your agent and ask if it is covered.  Your deductible could exceed the damage or you may have declined or waived that coverage.  Happens all the time.