Involved In An Auto Accident,
What To Do Next?

Being involved in an auto accident is traumatizing for almost anyone. But, preparing ahead for what to do can help reduce the anxiety if it should occur to you. Keep a checklist in the glove compartment with the following:

Accident Checklist

*  Get help for the injured.
* Call the police and remain at the scene of the accident.
* Warn oncoming trafffic and set hazard lights and flares.
* Try to remain calm.
* Do not admit fault.
* Exchange names, addresses, phone numbers, makes of vehicles,
  driver's license numbers, vehicle license plate numbers, and
  insurance company / policy number information with all the
  drivers involved.
* Obtain the names, addresses and phone numbers of all passen-
  gers and other witnesses.
* Sketch the accident scene if possible.
* Examine and record damage to other vehicles and property.
* If you carry a camera or cell phone, take picutres of the scene
  and damage.
* Do not discuss the accident or sign any documents, answering
  questions only to the police or your own company claims rep.
* Call your insurance company claims department promptly.
  They will ask you questions about the accident and begin the
  claims resolution process.

It is important to notate pertinent information while it is fresh in your mind, condition of the road, weather, how fast were you traveling, and and any other facts that seem relevant. When sketching the accident identify vehicles and use an arrow to depict the direction the vehicles were traveling.

Put together an emergency kit to keep in your car. Be sure to include:

* Note pad, pen or pencil
* Flares or other signaling devices
* First aid supplies
* Flashlight
* disposable camera or cell phone

Remember to always have your current insurance card and auto registration in your vehicle when driving as required by law.

Roadside Assistance

What is roadside assistance? It is an optional coverage you can add to most auto policies for a nominal cost. Insurancecompanies like Progressive and Allied offer basic andplus roadside assistance. Basic assistance includes services like towing, extraction & winching, fuel delivery, lockout, jump starts and falt tire assistance. Some companies offering a plus package of roadside assistance include services like trip interruption assistance, pre-trip map routing services, turn by turn directions and emergency message service.

Each company handles roadside assistance differently. These services can be available while you drive your insured vehicle or when you or a resident relative is an occupant of someone else's vehicle. Call us to find out if this coverge can be added to your policy.

Subrogation? What is that?

Your company paid the claim and then informs you they intend to subrogate and you think, oh no! What does that mean? Don't worry it actually is a good thing.

Subrogation is ancient: a concept traced to common law establish-ed in the Magna Carta in the 13th century. It simply means that an insurer stands in the shoes of the insured by exercising the right to recover payment from the party responsible for the loss. Simply put, subrogating a claim means finding out who should be held accountable for an accident. It is based on the on supporting the principle that people are responsible for their own actions. With subrogation rights, insurers are able to investigate accidents and recover the losses they paid out. Customers benefit from this since every dollar recovered erases a dollar paid out. Because insurance rates are a reflection of historical loss costs, getting reimbursed is important for reducing premiums and no less important to an insurer's financial stability.

The insurance process is based on the foundation of correctly assessing losses, both the potential for loss and an analysis after a loss occurs. If subrogation were not available, the actual cost of insurance would rise in part because there would be no mechanism to prevent the insured from collecting from both the insurer and the party responsible for the same loss. Subrogation has the effect of reducing lawsuits. Because the insurers have the right to recover benefits from the responsible party, the insured has no concern over repaying the subrogated carrier.

Saving Pennies Could Cost You Plenty

When it comes to flood insurance many folks in Florida are being "pennywise and pound foolish". Eliminating flood insurance cover-age to save a little money now can bring significant financial problems for years to come. Many Floridians are under the false notion the government will bail them out in the event of a flood. They do not consider that all floods are not declared a federal disaster, and even when they are federal aid comes via loans that must be paid back with interest.

In Florida nearly 80% of the state is considered coastal because portions of so many counties touch the Atlantic or Gulf Coasts. But it is not only large bodies of water that pose a risk to our low-eleva-tion state. It's also the 11,761 square miles of Florida that are covered by water.

According to the National Flood Insurance Program, from 1998 through 2008, insured flood losses were almost $2.3 billion in Florida. A recent polled revealed 26% of the respondents in the South still believes their homeowner policy will cover flooding during a hurricane. It won't, so be prepared with a flood policy.

Fraud 101

Without question insurance fraud is costing Americans billions of dollars every year. Fruadulent payouts translate into increased premiums. Most sources agree the problem is only getting worse. During a recent presentation to non-industry professionals statistics related to fruad were shared, like Florida drivers paying on average $549 per year extra as a result of staged accidents. The audience was shocked to learn 32% of all billings for auto accident related injuries in the state of Florida are for services never rendered. Staged accidents, swoop-and-squats, run-downs, cappers and pill mills are foreign terms to the average insured's vernacular, but are nevertheless part of a significant problem that needs to be addressed.
  

When Water
 Comes In

You can't always keep the water out. If falling from the sky or rising from the ground, water intrusion causes losses in billions of dollars each year. Consumers

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