Thanksgiving is also the start of the busy travel season when families drive long distances to visit relatives and friends. The day after Thanksgiving is the start of the shopping frenzy that we like to call ‘Black Friday and with it comes cars weaving in and out of parking lots to get the last spot in front of the store. For those of you that are traveling great distances or going out holiday shopping over the weekend we would like to give you a few friendly reminders of things you can do to keep yourself protected while driving:

Share the road…be patient
Avoid being distracted
Share driving duties with a companion on long trips
Obey speed limits and road rules
Stay alert….take a break every two hours
Don’t drink and drive
Don’t drive drowsy or sleepy
Give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination
BUCKLE UP! Seatbelts save lives.

All of us here at Kerrigan, O’Malley & Bailey would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

As you’re backing out of your parking space, a car slams into the side of your car. You’ve just been the victim of a parking-lot accident.

About one-fifth of all auto accidents happen in parking lots. Parking-lot accidents typically occur at slow speeds and don’t usually result in serious damage, but they still can raise your Massachusetts auto insurance rates — and can raise plenty of questions.

How do you determine who’s at fault? Should you file a claim if no one was injured? If it’s a minor ding, can you simply pay the other driver for damages without filing an insurance claim?

Even if there appears to be no damage to both cars and you’re both uninjured, always call the police and file a police report.

About 20 percent of auto accidents happen in parking lots.
“If you give a check to the other party for damages to their vehicle, for example, they can use your check as proof that the accident occurred,” Marshburn says. “They may claim you paid to fix their car and now they want you to pay their medical expenses, too.”

Notifying police about the accident shifts your liability to the insurance company if an issue comes up later about damages or injuries, according to Marshburn.

In addition to calling the cops, follow these five simple steps if you’ve been involved in a parking-lot accident:

1. Keep cool

When a parking-lot accident first occurs, never admit it was your fault and don’t argue over who was at fault, says Nancy Germond, an insurance expert from Phoenix.

“It’s not productive and can get out of hand. Just exchange names, addresses, phone numbers and insurance information, and let your insurance company work it out,” Germond says. “Simply say, ‘My adjuster will contact you.’” Then call your auto insurance agent or your insurance company’s toll-free number.

2. Find witnesses

Look around for witnesses to the accident and ask whether they’d be willing to furnish a name or contact number.

“Witnesses can testify to the location of the vehicles,” Germond says.

Witnesses are most valuable in a hit-and-run. If you’re lucky, a Good Samaritan will show up and leave the culprit’s license plate number on your windshield, Ross says. “In this case, you won’t have to pay your deductible and your insurance company will be reimbursed through the at-fault driver,” he says.

Unfortunately, if the other person gets away, you must pay the deductible to get your car fixed.

3. Document the scene

Don’t move the vehicles until you take pictures. Photograph the skid marks, if any, along with broken glass or other debris.

“Use your smartphone or keep a disposable camera in your glovebox,” Germond says. “Take pictures (as many as 10) to show the routes of travel, where you were — all before you move the cars, if possible. When you get home, diagram what occurred to provide to your insurance adjuster.”

4. Determine fault

If you’re at fault, you’ll pay your deductible and you’ll be assigned points, which causes your insurance rates to increase, Ross says. “Your rate will only go up if the accident is determined to be your fault and the damage exceeds $500, although this may vary from state to state,” he says.

Determining the at-fault party is easy in some cases. “You’re at fault if you’re the person entering the flow of traffic — for example, backing up into traffic from a parking space or a driveway,” Ross says.

Often, parking-lot accidents come down to your word against the other driver’s. In this case, insurance companies split the fault on a 50-50 basis, Ross says. “Each person pays their deductible,” he says, “and no points will be assigned.”

5. Be proactive

Avoiding the accident in the first place is your best defense. Keep these pointers in mind:

• Pull into a parking spot where you don’t have to back up but can instead pull forward into the lane of travel.

• Buy a car with a backup sensor or backup camera to alert you to objects or people behind you. If your car doesn’t come with a backup sensor or camera, consider buying one.

• Before you buy a car, test it extensively for blind spots, as some cars have bigger blind spots than others, making it difficult to see behind you.

• When you’re looking at buying a car, rent it for a week first to see how it handles and whether the blind spots cause problems.

• Watch for wind gusts when opening your car door, as they can catch the door, which can hit a car next to you in a parking lot.

• If possible, avoid parking lots at shopping centers and stores on super-busy Saturdays.

In wake of the Nor’easter that came this past weekend and all the damage that was caused I wanted to use this blog to answer some of the questions that we have been getting this week in our office. Hopefully this will help everyone better understand how their Massachusetts homeowners insurance policy will respond to damages.

1. Will my homeowner policy pay to remove the trees that have fallen in my yard?

The standard Massachusetts homeowner insurance policy provides $500 of tree removal coverage for damage due to a covered peril. Such covered perils include damage caused by a windstorm and/or weight of ice and snow, provided the tree(s) damages a covered structure such as your house, garage, shed or fence. The $500 is the amount paid for any one occurrence, regardless of the number of trees. A few companies do offer a small amount of additional coverage when you purchase their own company specific endorsements. It does vary by insurance company, but we have seen up to $500 additional offered by some.

2. Are my Trees, Shrubs and landscaping plants covered?

No coverage is available for damage to trees/shrubs/lawns/plants caused by the peril of weight of ice and snow or wind.

3. We have no power and as a result we have no heat. Will my homeonwer policy pay for me to stay in a hotel?

When we talk about power failure, we must first establish the cause and location of the power outage. Failure of power or other utility service that takes place off the resident premises is excluded under the standard Massachusetts homeowner insurance policy. If your area is experiencing a power outage but you have no damage to your home, then coverage is not available for additional living expenses. If the power outage is on premises – say the electrical wires were torn from your home from a falling tree, then coverage for additional living expenses would be available for a reasonable length of time in order to restore the electricity. This scenario would fall under the additional living expense coverage.

4. All the food in my refrigerator and freezer is no good because of the power outage. Is there coverage?

Under a standard Massachusetts homeowner insurance policy, no coverage is available for food spoilage as a result of power failure. However, many Massachusetts insurance companies offer a small amount of coverage, usually $500, through their own company specific endorsements. It varies by insurance carrier. Many only provide food spoilage coverage if the outage occurred on premises. Whether or your deductible applies, and the amount, will vary by company.

We hope this helps in answering some of the common questions relative to the damage that most of us are seeing in the area. Give our office a call to further clarify any questions you may have relative to your specific homeowner policy.

Let’s all hope for a much calmer weekend ahead. Thanks again for allowing our office to service your insurance needs.

Dress the part- by wearing aprons and grilling gloves you avoid the risk of burning yourself.

Keep your distance- Grills, fryers and smokers should be kept at a safe distance from homes, garages and children. Also keep your grill equipment in a safe and designated location when not being used to prevent accidents or tampering.

Gas tanks- make sure that the cylinder for your gas is always stored outside and away from your home. Ensure that the valves are thoroughly turned off when not in use and check regularly for leaks to prevent gas from escaping.

Make sure you have some type of fire extinguisher near by in the event the grill were to catch on fire.

Let it be- When you are done using your grill it takes a while for it to fully cool down. Make the grill a designated caution zone so that others know to be careful around it when it is heating up and cooling down.

By practicing safe grilling habits, you can avoid accidents and claims to your Massachusetts homeowners insurance policy. However, it is crucial that you secure a comprehensive homeowner’s insurance plan to protect you in case of an accident. Come visit our office, or call one of our agents today to make sure that you have proper insurance coverage whether it is on your home, condo or your apartment that you are renting.<a

Did you know that 20% of all accidents happen in parking lots? These types of accidents generally happen at low speeds, don’t usually result in serious damage or injury BUT can still cause you to be surcharged which in turn raises your auto insurance rates.

How do you determine who is at fault?

The first step is to always contact the police regardless if there seems to be no damage or injuries. File a police report. Months down the line the other operator may claim neck injuries or damage to their car.

Settling an accident with the other driver without filing a claim with your auto carrier can backfire. If you give a check to the other party they can use your check as proof that the accident occurred and now they might want you to pay for their medical expenses. Notifying the police and the insurance company shifts your liability to your Massachusetts Auto Insurance carrier in the event other damages come up later.

In addition to notifying your insurance carrier and the police follow thes simple five steps if you are involved in a parking lot accident.

1. Stay Calm! When a parking lot accident occurs never admit it was your fault and don’t argue over who i was at fault. Just exchange names, addresses, phone numbers and insurance information. The insurance companies will determine who was at fault.

2. Find Witnesses Look around for witnesses to the accident and ask whether they would be willing to furnish a name and contact number.

3 Document the scene. Don’t move the vehicles until you take pictures. Photograph the skid marks, if any, along with broken glass or debris. Use your smartphone or keep a disposable camera in the glovebox. Take pictures to show the routes of travel, where you were – all befoe you move the cars. When you get home diagram what occurred to provide to your insurance agent.

4. Be proactive. Avoiding the accident in the first place is your best defense. Keep these pointers in mind:
* Pull into a parking spot where you don’t have to back up but can instead pull forward into the lane of travel.
* Before buying a car test it extensively for blind spots.
* Watch for wind gusts when opening car doors, as they can cause the door to fling open striking the car next to you.
* Don’t park so close to the door of the store, everyone always looks for the spot closes to the entrance. High traffic means higher percentage of getting into an accident.

Be Safe!

In order to avoid a potential plumbing disaster this winter, here are a few helpful tips to prevent frozen pipes; first and foremost, during cold days be sure to have your central heating system on, insulate the pipes (you can use either insulation or newspapers and plastic), keep faucets slowly dripping or drain the water out of the pipes if you’re going to leave your property vacant for a period of time during a cold season, keep garage doors closed if water lines run through the garage area, and it may even be a good idea to hire a professional to take a quick survey of the status of your home’s piping. Additionally, it is important to review your Massachusetts Homeowners Insurance policy before leaving your home for an extended period of time or simply as a precautionary measure, just in case of an unexpected accident!

For additional information on how to keep your pipes from freezing and bursting, check out the links below:

Burst Water Pipes: Causes, Consequences and Precautionary Measures
Preventing and Thawing Frozen Pipes

Contact our office to discuss your homeowner policy and make sure you are fully covered in the event of a tragic pipe burst. Call us at 978-365-2302 or find us online at www.koinsurance.com

Stay warm and have a wonderful weekend!

People are turning to other options to stay warm in their house as the price of oil is skyrocketing. When considering your options, you may find that a space heater wil give you a quick and easy solution. You must be EXTREMELY cautious when using space heaters! Here are some important Space Heater Safety Tips that should not be ignored:

1. Never leave a space heater unattended or plugged in while you are sleeping.

2. Keep the heater at least 3 ft. away from furniture, curtains, carpets and anything else flammable.

3. Keep the heater on a level surface that is out of the way of traffic(you don’t want anyone to accidently knock it over)

4. Don’t put heaters in bathroom or near water, they are electric!

These are more than just words to the wise, according to the Massachusetts Public Safety site, “One of every seven space heater fires causes a fatality”. Fires can start fast, spread fast and come without warning. So please don’t take any chances! For more information on ways to stay warm this winter and to make sure that your home and its contents are properly insured under your Massachusetts Home Insurance policy, call our office today at 978-365-2302 or visit us online at www.koinsurance.com

Snow can hold a lot of water. There are some steps you can take as a homeowner to try and limit the flooding.

Avoid having snow drain next to your house. Make sure your downspouts carry water several feet from your house to a well-drained area. One foot of snow on a 1,000 sq. ft. roof can produce approximately 2,500 gallons of water.
Don’t allow snow to accumulate on the ground next to your house especially if the ground is flat. As snow melts, water could accumulate and seep in. Your moving accumulated snow just a few feet away from the house can can help avoid a wet basement.

If you have a sump pump, test it periodically and keep it clean from debris. Make sure the discharge hose carries the water several feet away from the house to a well-drained area. Also make sure that the pipe is on sloped ground so it drains to prevent it from freezing.

Remove large piles of snow to a well-drained area. A 20-foot diameter, 10-foot high pile of snow contains about 2,600 gallons of water.

Most people do not realize that flooding is not covered under their Massachusetts homeowners insurance policy. Contact our office at 978 365-2302 or www.koinsurance.co to find out more about obtaining a flood insurance policy for your home.

“Before we experience a tragedy that is unfortunately too common this time of year, it is important that we remind everyone, particularly children, of the dangers of unsafe ice,” said MEMA Acting Director Kurt Schwartz. “As lakes, ponds, streams and rivers throughout the Commonwealth freeze over, ice conditions may be very uncertain. People may be a bit impatient to venture out on the ice for skating, hockey, ice fishing and other winter sports. We highly recommend the use of recreational skating areas provided by the Commonwealth and your local communities. It is very important to exercise precaution and common sense.”

Always check with your local police, fire or park department to ensure that safe ice conditions exist. However, due to the uncertainty and constant changing of ice conditions and the dangers presented, many departments will not endorse the safety of lakes, ponds, streams or rivers. The strength and thickness of ice should be known before any activity takes place.

• Never go onto the ice alone. A friend may be able to rescue you or go for help if you fall through the ice.

• Always keep your pets on a leash. If a pet falls through the ice do not attempt to rescue your pet, call 9-1-1 or go for help.

• New ice is usually stronger than old ice. As ice ages, the bond between the crystals decays, making it weaker, even if melting has not occurred.

• Beware of ice covered with snow. Snow can insulate ice and keep it strong, but can also insulate it to keep it from freezing. Snow can also hide cracks, weak and open ice.

• Slush is a danger sign, indicating that ice is no longer freezing from the bottom and can be weak or deteriorating.

• Ice formed over flowing water (rivers or lakes containing a large number of springs) is generally 15% weaker.

• Ice seldom freezes or thaws at a uniform rate. It can be one foot thick in one spot and be only a few inches thick 10 feet away.

• Reach-Throw-Go. If a companion falls through the ice and you are unable to reach that person from shore, throw them something (rope, jumper cables, tree branch, etc.). If this does not work, go for help or call 9-1-1, before you also become a victim. Get medical assistance for the victim immediately.

• If you fall in, try not to panic. Turn toward the direction from which you came. Place your hands and arms on the unbroken surface, working forward by kicking your feet. Once out, remain lying on the ice (do not stand) and roll away from the hole. Crawl back to your tracks, keeping your weight distributed until you return to solid ice.

By following safety procedures, you can be safe and enjoy the many winter activities offered by the great outdoors.