Sackrison Insurance Agency

This is a difficult column for me to write. There are no adequate words to describe the sadness we all share for friends and neighbors affected by the fires.

​The Atlas Fire and other fires surrounding us in Napa, as well as fires in neighboring counties, may end up being the worst in memory. We don’t know, and as I write this column, the smoke is still rising.

​Please share these seven steps with anyone who has been affected.

And consider saving this article link and referring to it in case you ever find yourself in the same tragic situation.

A local insurance agent will know what special claims procedures may be in place during this large-scale disaster. They can also provide needed emotional support to navigate the difficult process of getting back to financial normal.

When disasters on a large scale happen, the claims system gets overwhelmed.

Even though it’s “all hands-on deck” at the insurance company, everything will take longer. Sure, they will add staff and eventually everyone will receive excellent care. But make sure you are standing in line early.

Take good notes and lots of pictures. Dates and times matter too. If you have inventory lists of all your belongings, property improvements and valuations… great. But most folks don’t.

So start writing things down now. Don’t wait.

Do this only after it is completely safe to return, and only if you are capable of doing so.

Preventing further damage is one of your responsibilities under most policies. But you may need help to do this… don’t be afraid to ask for it.

That’s what neighbors and friends are for.

​If you’ve taken refuge in a hotel or motel, keep receipts. All of them. Also keep receipts for meals, personal care items, and clothing.

Most policies provide for Additional Living Expenses (ALE) and many policies provide this benefit for a long period of time if necessary. So keep a record of everything.

In the case of natural disasters, some insurance companies disburse checks quickly to help with immediate needs.

​You don’t have to “settle” right away.

​If you are reeling from this tragedy, you’ll need help to navigate the insurance claims process.

​Don’t go it alone. There is a community ready to help.

This article is for everyone, but especially new drivers. Accidents happen. You should know what to do.

Consider printing this out and putting it into the glove compartment of your vehicle. Here we go:
 
FIVE DO’S

1. Create a safe scene.
Before anything else bad happens, secure the scene. The general rule is: get everyone and every vehicle out of further harm’s way if possible. This may involve moving drivable cars onto the shoulder and placing flairs or flags to warn other drivers to slow down. But use common sense; for instance, if someone looks like they may have a spinal injury, don’t move them.
 
2. Check for injuries.
Speaking of injuries, that’s next on our list. Make sure everyone is ok. Assess your own injuries first, then check to make sure everyone else is ok. Start CPR if someone isn’t breathing. Apply pressure to severely bleeding wounds. Yelling... “is there a doctor here?” will let medical professionals nearby know that they are needed.
 
3. Call 911.
As you are checking for injuries, yell for someone to call 911. Most accidents need law enforcement to at least document what happened. If you are alone, you should make the call immediately. You could unknowingly go into shock, so calling 911 is at the top of the list.
 
4. Collect information.
Once these first things are taken care of, you should take a breath and start collecting information. Get everyone’s details, including insurance companies. Take photos of the scene and the license plates of the vehicles. Get first-responder’s names too. The weakest pencil lead (or cell phone camera) is stronger than the strongest memory in these situations. Don’t trust your normally good memory.
 
5. Cooperate completely.
You may be upset (that’s normal), but first responders are trained to handle these situations. Cooperate with them. It’s hard for most of us to give up control, but we must do so when professionals show up. Do what they say, and encourage everyone else to do the same.
 
 
TWO DON’TS

1. Don’t confess.
Though you should cooperate completely, it doesn’t mean that you should confess to fault or blame right now, while steam is still rising from the vehicles. You’re in shock and full of adrenaline; that’s the worst time to talk about what happened. Tell officers that you want to talk about what happened... later... after you’ve calmed down. Then consider calling an attorney if you think you may be at fault. At the very least, call a responsible friend. Blame and guilt can be addressed later.
 
2. Don’t comment on social media.
Please, clam up on social media. Do not talk online about what you may have done wrong. Claims investigators and attorneys are skilled at finding your social media chats. So please, just don’t.
 
My advice:
Your first call, after family and possibly your attorney, should be to your insurance agent. Your agent is your advocate through the claims process. Talk to them, and let them guide you through the next steps.

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Bruce Sackrison is an insurance property and casualty broker affiliated with Professional Insurance Associates helping clients with insurance needs for personal, commercial and business insurance. Bruce can be reached at 707-931-0186, bruces@sackifs.com

Do you need D&O liability insurance?You may need D&O coverage, and not even know it.

I usually talk about types of insurance that we all know and understand. Today’s column is a break from that norm. Buckle up and let’s explore the little-known world of D&O insurance.
 
Who needs this type of coverage?
If you sit on the board of directors of any company or non-profit organization, or if you are an officer in any company, no matter how small, you may need Directors and Officers insurance. It’s often referred to by its acronym, D&O insurance.
 
What exactly is D&O insurance?
Directors and Officers insurance protects those who serve as officers or directors of companies from personal lawsuits arising from their duties and responsibilities while serving in these positions of trust.

It is intended to be a part of an indemnification plan by the organization to “hold harmless” officers and directors from personal risk during their tenure in these positions of responsibility.

Wow. That was a mouthful.

In short, it’s insurance in case you are personally sued because of your management duties.

Practically speaking, D&O is designed to protect you and your assets from personal lawsuits if you are accused of dropping the ball while leading a company.
 
General liability coverage isn’t enough.
Doesn’t the company’s general liability policy cover officers and directors?

No. General liability coverage protects a company... not an individual.

Directors and officers have a personal and legal “duty of care” when they run a company. People file lawsuits every day alleging that directors or officers were personally at fault for things that went wrong.

Company gets sued? General liability coverage kicks in.

Board member or corporate officer gets sued? D&O kicks in.
 
Here are some typical D&O lawsuits:

1. Mismanagement: You get accused of not overseeing the decision makers under you properly, and they have steered the company into dark waters. You can be held personally responsible for not knowing what they were up to.
2. Misrepresentation: Even if others under you prepared the numbers, board members and officers are responsible for making sure the numbers are legitimate. Loans, sales, mergers, and acquisitions are all based on good data. If the books aren’t right, you can be personally sued.
3. Employment practices: Yes, there is business insurance for that. But it can be alleged that officers and board members ought to have known what was going on. A way for an aggrieved employee to send a message is to sue the individuals who run the company, as well as the company itself.

 
Why I’m writing about this:
According to a Chubb survey in 2013, only 28% of businesses had D&O insurance in place to protect their management. The reason most often given for the lack of this coverage was a mistaken belief that a general liability policy protects the officers’ and directors’ personal assets.

It doesn’t.
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Please, if you are an officer or director of a company, call an agent who is experienced in these matters to discuss this important coverage.
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Bruce Sackrison is an insurance property and casualty broker affiliated with Professional Insurance Associates helping clients with insurance needs for personal, commercial and business insurance. Bruce can be reached at 707-931-0186, bruces@sackifs.com