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If you are in a car accident – 5 do’s and 2 don’ts

9/20/2017

 
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

Back to school: insurance guesses and gaps

9/6/2017

 
You’ve said goodbye to your college kids. Now let’s make sure they’re properly insured.

August, when we send our kids off to college, is one of the busiest times of year. It’s a bittersweet time too. So hard to say goodbye. You fight back tears and memories of them oh so little.

I’ve experienced this too.

We just want them to be safe and happy.

Of course, we can’t do as much now to protect them as when they were little.
​
But we can make sure that our insurance still covers them properly.
 
The Twins head for college
“The Twins,” Denise and David, packed their bags and headed off for college.

Denise is the long-distance traveler- she flew back to school at Michigan State University. She’s hundreds of miles away, and lives on-campus. No. Car. Needed. She told Mom and Dad to put her car in the garage and drop her and the car from insurance. She guessed that she would be fine.

David, on the other hand, stayed closer to home. He’s only 30 miles away at Berkeley City College. He rented an off-campus apartment. He brought all his stuff to his new apartment... and he has a lot of stuff. Expensive stuff. But he still considers Mom and Dad’s home, “home,” so he guesses that Mom and Dad’s homeowners policy covers his personal possessions just like before.
 
The Guesses and Gaps
Mom and Dad (fictional), along with Denise and David (also fictional), have made some guesses about insurance. The life changes are big. The stakes are high. And guesses can cause gaps in coverage.

Every situation and policy is different. But I’ll mention several red flags in these decisions.
 
Red flag on Denise’s decision
There are many reasons why Denise should consider staying on her folks’ policy. First, there are several benefits from her staying on Mom and Dad’s policy, even if she isn’t currently driving her car. Things like “continuous coverage” and “uninsured motorist” and other insurancy-things. An agent can explain these benefits, and why they matter.

Second, dropping all coverage on her car means that it’s not covered even for inexpensive comprehensive coverage, which would be necessary if the garage were to catch fire.

Finally, when she comes home, it’s easy to forget to add her back to the policy... and that’s a recipe for trouble. Many companies offer a discount when “Denise” is more than 100 miles away from home.

But even if they don’t, she should consider remaining on the policy. Dropping all coverage is a risk that’s often not worth the savings.
 
Red flag on David’s decision
Most homeowners insurance policies will not provide coverage for “David” if he is living in his own apartment... even if he’s in college full time. It’s not a dorm, and that can make a big difference to some insurance companies.

Even if his insurance company extended personal property protection in this situation... it’s often limited. David has expensive stuff. His guess could cost him big time.
 
My advice
Now is the perfect time to make sure there are no gaps in coverage. You’ve said goodbye to “Denise and David.” If you have a bit more time... it’s time to say “hello” to your trusted local agent.
​
Call your agent and have a chat over the phone or over coffee. Discuss the life changes you just went through. Make sure your insurance still does the job of protecting your entire family.
​
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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
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    Bruce Sackrison

    Napa, California
    (707) 931-018

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