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Monthly Archives

May 2017

May 01
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Motor Traders Workers Compensation

By Risk Management Bulletin

As a motor trader, you buy and sell automobiles and possibly recreational vehicles, all terrain vehicles and other motorized vehicles. Your job involves more than selling cars, though. You may also test drive automobiles, transport vehicles to different locations, talk to customers throughout the community and maybe even perform light mechanics. Make sure you have motor traders Workers’ Compensation through your employer as you protect yourself.

What is Motor Trades Workers’ Compensation?

The federal government mandates that every business must carry Workers’ Compensation for its employees. This valuable coverage ensures you receive the professional and adequate medical treatment you deserve if you are injured on the job or suffer from a work-related illness. It minimizes time off work and the financial burden injuries and illnesses may bring.

Your Workers’ Compensation insurance policy provides several important financial resources, including all the required medical treatment associated with treating your workplace injury or illness such as doctor visits, physical therapy, lab testing or other procedures. It can also replace a portion of the wages you lose when you’re off work recuperating.

Your Workers’ Compensation coverage may also provide benefits like:

  • Safety training that helps you identify hazards and adopt safe practices
  • Medical treatment plan review
  • Billing review to ensure accuracy
  • Vocational assistance that helps you return to work as soon as you’re medically approved

Where to Buy Motor Traders Workers’ Compensation

Your employer will purchase Workers’ Compensation insurance for you. Talk to your Human Resources manager to ensure you have adequate motor traders Workers’ Compensation benefits.

How to File a Motor Traders Workers’ Compensation Claim

Maybe you slip on wet stairs and sprain your ankle or get sick from breathing fumes during an office renovation. File a Workers’ Compensation claim as soon as possible after the incident.

Your supervisor or HR manager will provide the official Workers’ Compensation form you must complete. It will include details of the injury or illness such as how, when and where it occurred. You may also provide the names of any witnesses to your accident.

How to Claim Workers’ Compensation Benefits

After your Workers’ Compensation claim is approved, you may seek appropriate medical treatment from a provider in your Workers’ Compensation policy network. If you choose to see a medical professional who’s not on the approved network list, you will pay out-of-pocket for any associated expenses.

Additionally, complete any prescribed treatment or you may forfeit your benefits. Your doctor or therapist will let you know when you can return to work.

Motor traders Workers’ Compensation provides financial resources if you are injured or suffer an illness at work. Discuss the details of your coverage with your HR manager as you stay safe on the job.

May 01
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Creating a Drug-Free Environment

By Risk Management Bulletin

About three in four drug or alcohol abusers have jobs – and they don’t leave their problems at the door when they arrive at work! According to OSHA, an effective drug-free workplace program should have five components:

A Drug-Free Workplace Policy. Your policy should include a stated purpose or rationale, a clear description of prohibited behaviors, and an explanation of the consequences of violating the policy Supervisor Training. Have your supervisors trained in understanding the policy and its implications, recognizing and dealing with employees who have substance-related performance problems, and referring these employees to available assistance. Make supervisors responsible for monitoring employee performance, staying alert to performance problems, and enforcing the policy.

Employee Education.

Effective education addresses company-specific details about the policy and program, together with general information about the nature of substance abuse; its impact on work, health, and personal life; and types of available assistance. You can provide education through safety meetings and training sessions, home mailings, workplace displays, brown-bag lunches, guest speakers, seminars, and new-hire orientation sessions.

Workplace Assistance.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offer an alternative to dismissal and minimize the employer’s legal vulnerability by demonstrating efforts to support substance-abusing workers who need help. EAPs provide counseling and referrals, plus other services such as supervisor training and employee education. If you don’t offer these services, maintain a resource file from which employees can access information about community-based resources, treatment programs, and help lines

Drug Testing.

The most common test is urinalysis. Other types are the breath-alcohol test, blood test, hair analysis, and saliva or sweat tests. Reasons for testing include pre-employment screenings, reasonable suspicions of use, post-accident, return-to-duty, random, and periodic tests. Private employers have latitude in implementing testing, unless they’re subject to federal regulations (for example, the U.S. Department of

Transportation drug-testing rules for employees in safety-sensitive situations). Many employers use testing guidelines by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Finally, bear in mind that creating and implementing a successful drug-testing program takes time and patience!

May 01
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Contractors Professional Liability

By Risk Management Bulletin

As a contractor, you design, build and repair homes and other structures. Purchase contractors professional liability insurance coverage to protect your assets.

What is Contractors Professional Liability?

In the 1990s, contractors professional liability coverage was introduced primarily for contractors who design and build projects. This insurance covers financial obligations associated with fixing an error or omission made by you or the subcontractors you hire.

What Does Contractors Professional Liability Cover?

Contractors professional liability insurance covers a variety of work-related circumstances, including:

  • Negligence by you or one of your hired subcontractors
  • Design errors caused by your or one of designers you hire
  • Faulty workmanship by you or one of your hired subcontractors
  • Cost overruns or delays caused by bad sequencing or lack of coordination

Additional coverage provided by contractors professional liability may include these options. Check your specific policy for details.

  • Pollution coverage for claims involving pollution from job-site activities, including failure to detect pollutants
  • Indemnity coverage if you must file a first-party claim against the project’s architect or engineer who is liable for the loss

What’s the Difference Between General and Professional Liability?

To ensure you purchase the right coverage for your business, understand the difference between general liability and professional liability.

General liability will cover bodily injury and property damage that occurs because of ordinary construction means and methods, including contract breaches. It’s definitely essential, but professional liability is important, too. It covers costs associated with damage that result from your failure to render professional services.

As an example, let’s say the handicap ramp you construct for a local business fails. You can only file a claim through your general liability policy if someone is injured or the property is damaged. Otherwise, you’ll need a professional liability policy to cover the cost of replacing the ramp.

How to Purchase Contractors Professional Liability

Purchase a contractors professional liability policy through your commercial insurance agent. You will want to purchase an annual policy based on your operational needs. Additionally, you may purchase a policy for specific projects especially if they’re extensive.

In most cases, you’ll want a true professional liability policy. You can add professional liability coverage as an endorsement or umbrella policy on your general liability policy, but it typically offers limited coverage that’s inadequate for your needs.

It’s important that as a contractor you understand your responsibilities for completing projects properly, on time and on budget. There are always risks in your industry, so purchase contractors professional liability insurance. It can pay for mistakes and protect your assets as you perform your job.

May 01
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You Need to Consider Flood Insurance

By Personal Perspective

Don’t wait until the weather forecast calls for prolonged heavy rains before buying flood insurance. While this practical insurance can be purchased anytime, the policy does not take effect for 30 days. As the most common natural disaster in the country, flooding ruins millions of dollars of homes and property every year. Even so, flooding is not commonly covered in your typical homeowner’s insurance policy, making it necessary to purchase additional coverage for this costly, devastating disaster.

If you are in a high-risk flood zone, a federally regulated lender will require a would-be borrower to buy flood insurance in order to qualify for a mortgage loan. To satisfy the lender, flood insurance must be purchased in an amount that sufficiently covers the loan.

A homeowner should also buy flood insurance if he or she resides in a flood plain with no failsafe controls, such as a dam. Flood policies even pay off if the President does not declare the area a federal disaster area, which can prove to be invaluable. Because the nation’s Chief Executive Officer rarely issues such a declaration, protecting yourself is extremely important.

Besides, you have to repay the federal aid you receive for home repairs related to a natural disaster so providing your own protection is the only way to ensure financial recovery suffered from flooding. Not all homes qualify for flood coverage. For instance, flood insurance for beachfront or ocean-side property may not be available for the obvious reasons.

The Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) reports that more than 20,000 communities have agreed to tighter zoning and building measures to control floods. Residents of these communities can buy flood coverage from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which FEMA oversees. As of 2009, NFIP had 5.7 million flood policies inforce nationwide.

Premiums for flood insurance vary widely, depending primarily on individual risk. In determining price, flood insurance underwriters consider several factors including the property’s elevation, proximity to bodies of water, and whether the dwelling has a basement. Flood insurance is available to homeowners, renters, condo owners/renters, and commercial owners/renters. Call our office today! We’d be happy to assist you through the murky waters.

May 01
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Creating Curb Appeal Can Sell Your Home Faster

By Personal Perspective

It’s become increasingly difficult to sell homes. Because buyers generally decide whether or not to purchase a home in the first five minutes after arriving on a property, curb appeal can make or break a sale. Fortunately, increasing your home’s curb appeal to potential buyers is simple and inexpensive.

One of the first things potential buyers notice when they arrive at your home is your landscaping. Landscaping can tell a lot about a home, as poor landscaping often leads buyers to believe the property and home have not been maintained properly. Well-designed landscaping can be an invitation to visitors and can create a good first impression. Fortunately, you need not spend a great deal of money to tidy up your yard. Simply removing any clutter, trimming any existing trees and bushes, and adding a few well-placed flowerbeds will go a long way toward increasing your home’s curb appeal.

Fenced yards can often be a selling point, but sagging fences or chipping paint can turn away potential buyers. If your yard is fenced, look at your fence and gates objectively from a buyer’s point of view the next time you drive up to your house. In some cases, when fencing is badly damaged, it is probably a wise move to remove the fence completely. In most cases, however, a coat of paint or a quick repair job is all you need to turn an eyesore into a positive feature.

Walkways are another area you can improve easily with little time or money. Replace loose stones, trim and tidy any borders, and fill visible cracks with builder’s sand. Remove badly damaged walkways or replace them with inexpensive paths. Trim bushes growing alongside any walkway that leads from the driveway or road to your front door to allow for a comfortable walking space.

One often-overlooked feature that can help tremendously with curb appeal is lighting. Lighting, when done correctly, can highlight the positive areas of your yard while camouflaging unattractive areas. Landscape lighting does not need to be expensive, and solar lights will be attractive to eco-conscious buyers. Typically, a light should be placed in or near an area of landscaping, and lights should adequately illuminate the entry way and any walkways leading to the front door.

Potential buyers will overlook all of the above improvements if your home is badly in need of new paint. You can improve curb appeal drastically by adding a fresh coat of paint to the exterior of your home. Choose warm, neutral colors to create a relaxing impression, but be sure to check with your homeowners association before changing your current color scheme.

Curb appeal is an important part of bringing potential buyers to your front door. An attractive and inviting exterior can create the good first impression needed to bring in an offer on your home, while a poorly maintained yard can send buyers away before they even have a look inside. Improving your home’s curb appeal is easy, inexpensive, and essential in today’s market.

May 01
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Insure Your Fine Art and Collectibles

By Personal Perspective

Your fine art or collectibles could include rare treasures you’ve accumulated over time, inherited from a grandparent or purchased at an auction. In many cases, fine arts and collectibles hold sentimental value, serve as an investment for your future or provide educational value. Learn about fine art/collectibles insurance as you protect your valuables.

What is Fine Art/Collectibles Insurance?

Fine art/collectibles insurance is an important investment for the fine art/collectibles you wish to enjoy, share with others, bequeath to a family member, save as a future investment or preserve.

There are usually two types of fine art/collectibles insurance coverage. For both types, you’ll need an appraisal or bill of service for your valuables.

Scheduled – List and insure each piece individually. Each piece is insured for the stated amount, and you may add or delete pieces as needed.

Blanket – Cover your entire collection as one item rather than insuring each piece. This option makes adding, selling, donating or giving away pieces easier, but you’ll need to determine the market value of each piece if you must file a claim.

What Does Fine Art/Collectibles Insurance Cover?

Use your fine art/collectibles insurance for a variety of objects. Here’s a partial list, but ask your insurance agent for specific details about your rare treasures.

  • Toys, including  model autos or trains and dolls
  • Rare books and comics
  • Stamps
  • Sports cards or memorabilia
  • Guns
  • Knives
  • Art, including prints and sculptures
  • Silver, gold or other fine metals
  • Jewelry
  • Historical artifacts
  • Archaeological specimens
  • Furniture
  • Textiles
  • Antiques

What Claims Does Fine Art/Collectibles Insurance Cover?

A typical fine art/collectibles insurance policy provides all risk coverage for a variety of perils. In general, it includes damages caused by accidents, theft, vandalism, fire, flood, hurricane, earthquake or other perils. Your insurance policy will include coverage details.

Why Buy Fine Art/Collectibles Insurance Cover?

Traditional homeowners insurance policies cover your home and possessions. It might not include adequate coverage for expensive rare treasures, though, since coverage for your home’s contents is usually limited to between 50 and 70 percent of your home’s value. Also, this policy may not cover your fine art/collectibles if you loan them to a museum, transport them in a vehicle or display them somewhere besides your home.

Additionally, an insurance policy can give you peace of mind. It won’t protect your fine art/collectibles from burglars, thieves, storms or accidents, but if something happens to your treasures, you may file an insurance claim and replace or repair your collection.

You value your fine arts/collectibles, so insure them. Fine arts/collectibles insurance gives you peace of mind and protects your investment. For more details, talk to your insurance agent.

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