Reduce Your Social Host Liquor Liability Exposure
This Month's Tip Reduce Your Social Host Liquor Liability Exposure The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ estimates that nearly 13,000 people per year (about 35 per day) are killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Many of these tragic accidents happen after an inebriated person leaves a party -- an event in which the host of that party might be held liable for injuries and deaths to innocent parties. Although there might be coverage under your personal auto policy or homeowners policy if you (as the host) are held legally responsible for such a terrible accident, a wiser risk management strategy is to avoid or reduce the chance of loss altogether. With that in mind, here are some tips to consider if you (or a resident family member) occasionally host social events involving alcohol. Surveys of youth indicate that the most common source of alcohol is the young person's own home. Thus, closely monitor social events your youth hosts to make sure there is no drinking allowed -- particularly any type of illegal underage drinking. It is wise to not allow your teenager to host a party when you are out of town. Limit the amount of alcohol at your event. If alcohol is served at your party, make sure that there is plenty of food. The consumption of food slows down the absorption of alcohol. Encourage designated drivers and provide nonalcoholic drinks for these guests. Look for signs of intoxication. An intoxicated person often has trouble walking, has slurred or loud speech, or is atypically uninhibited. There is not, however, a fool-proof method of determining whether someone is intoxicated because exceptionally tolerant individuals often do not show signs of tipsiness even though they are intoxicated. Restrict alcohol to any near-intoxicated or intoxicated persons by offering instead some food or alternative nonalcoholic drinks. Consider hiring trained bartenders. As they are trained to recognize and deal with intoxication, using professional bartenders can significantly reduce the risk and may help in defending a claim should there be one. If you have a cash bar, use tickets and issue a limited number. Don't price alcohol too low because this encourages excessive drinking. Do not allow the intoxicated guest to drive away from the event even if you have to take away his or her car keys. Instead, offer to drive them home or provide a free cab service. Soliciting the help of the guest's spouse or a close friend may help. Get more personal lines insurance and risk management tips and ideas from IRMI. Copyright 2009 International Risk Management Institute, Inc.
Interesting article from today's South Florida Sun-Sentinel regarding the liability risks of blogging and tweeting (Click on the Blog Headline to link to the article). Are you covered if you get sued because of something you or a family member posted. Personal Injury protection provides coverage- check your homeowners policy to make sure you are covered. You should also check your umbrella- also referred to an excess personal liability policy. Call Patrick McNamara at Burke, Bogart and Brownell to review your coverages- (561) 392-8888. Labels: Liability Coverage
Microwaving Water
We received this blog from across the great internet. I am not sure where this originated, but it seems important enough to post. A 26-year old man decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done numerous times before). I am not sure how long he set the timer for, but he wanted to bring the water to a boil. When the timer shut the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup, he noted that the water was not boiling, but suddenly the water in the cup 'blew up' into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand, but all the water had flown out into his face due to the build up of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face which may leave scarring. He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye. While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc.., (nothing metal). General Electric's Response: Thanks for contacting us, I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it. To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds! before moving it or adding anything into it. Here is what our local science teacher had to say on the matter: 'Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup). What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapor bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point. What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken.
Shop and Beware!
Is your policy being dropped?...If your policy is being non-renewed you may want to contact Burke Bogart & Brownell and speak with one of our agents. We represent a number of companies that can tailor coverage from a number of sources, including state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens). And...we can often obtain other discounts available for your other exposures like auto, boat, or personal umbrella—thus lowering your total premium for all three.
Purchase Special Insurance for Your Home-Based Business
The United States has experienced a rapid growth in home-based businesses in the last decade. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that there are now more than 11 million home-based businesses in the country, a figure that is expected to rise in the coming years. But if you run a home business, losses associated with that business may not be covered under your homeowners policy unless special coverage endorsements are added. Some insurers sell an endorsement that covers losses associated with a home-based business. We can quickly find out if such an option is available. What if you are operating a home-based business without your insurer's knowledge? Suppose you had a small fire that damaged your home office and computer and resulted in some lost income. Once your insurer sends an adjuster who, while investigating your claim, discovers your business, your insurer may deny some or all of the claim because of business-related exclusions and restrictions found in many homeowners policies. Conversely, if you paid the additional premium to add a home-based business endorsement to your homeowners policy or you bought a businessowners policy (BOP), your loss would likely be covered—even the loss of income. (A BOP is a separate policy form designed to insure the property and liability exposures of small businesses.) And do not forget about liability. If you have business visitors in your home and they get hurt, many insurers' homeowners policies will not cover those injuries because of the business-related loss exclusion found in the personal liability section of the policy. Again, it is necessary to purchase a special endorsement to the homeowners policy or a separate BOP. Also, if your activities give rise to any type of errors and omissions or professional liability exposures, they are not likely to be covered under either your homeowners policy or a BOP. A separate errors and omissions (E&O) policy will need to be arranged for this loss exposure. Different insurance companies have different criteria for excluding business-related losses from their policies. If your current insurer cannot respond to your coverage needs, we can present several options to you. But the important thing to remember is this: if you are running a business out of your home, call us. We will work hard to assure you are properly protected. Get more personal lines insurance and risk management tips and ideas from IRMI. http://www.irmi.com/Expert/Topics/PersonalLines/PersonalRiskManagement.aspx Copyright 2009 International Risk Management Institute, Inc. http://www.irmi.com/
Antique and Collector Vehicles
Is your antique car properly insured? If you are a relatively new collector, you should be aware that this type of vehicle often requires specialized coverage, which we can help you obtain. Remember that collectible cars, defined as those built 30 or more years ago, have unique insurance needs compared to traditional automobiles. As you know, regular use vehicles are on the road every day but antique or classic cars are typically used for limited pleasure driving, auto shows, and parades. In addition, while normal vehicles depreciate in value, antique or collectible vehicles often significantly increase in value over time. The following are some issues to consider when procuring coverage for collectible cars. * Vehicle Condition -- Many specialty insurance companies may want to insure only classic cars that are in mint condition; if your collectible has prior damage or shows extensive wear and tear, it may be difficult to purchase coverage. But most specialty insurers are willing to provide coverage (with increasing values) if you are actively renovating the vehicle. * Vehicle Usage -- Most specialty insurance companies stipulate maximum mileage limits per year, such as 3000 or 5000 miles. Thus, it is important to verify the limits and keep track of the mileage on the vehicle. * Vehicle Valuation -- Agreed-value policies are better than stated value policies. Agreed value policies guarantee that, in the event of a total loss, the insurance company will pay you the full amount listed on the policy, less any applicable deductible. Stated value policies, while rare, are often open to interpretation concerning the vehicle's value. You should also consider inflation guard coverage (automatically providing increasing limits every quarter or year) for your vehicle. * Vehicle Storage -- Antique and collectible insurance companies normally require that these vehicles be stored in a fully enclosed, locked garage or storage facility when not in use. Failure to abide by this requirement could jeopardize coverage. Finally, please call us concerning your collectible; we can assist in the arrangement of the best insurance at the best value for your car collection. Copyright © 2008 International Risk Management Institute, Inc.
STEPS TO TAKE AFTER AN AUTO ACCIDENT
While we certainly hope that you are never involved in an auto accident, we realize that they do happen. That's the reason we're in business; that's the reason you trusted us to find the right auto insurance for you. If you are ever involved in an accident, the following suggestions will help the claim process move ahead smoothly. Please print this out and keep a copy in your glove box.1. Make sure that everyone is unhurt -- in your car and any others involved. If anyone is injured, call 911 immediately. Even if you think your injuries are minor, it is probably a good idea to have them checked out -- either at the hospital or with your family doctor. A seemingly minor injury could turn out to be more serious. 2. Call the police. They can help defuse a difficult situation and also ascertain who is at fault. Make sure that police on the scene get the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all other involved parties. Ask for a copy of the police report from the officer. 3. If you happen to have a camera with you -- or a cell phone that is camera ready -- take some photos of the vehicles involved, the general area where the accident occurred, and skid marks. 4. If possible, safely move the cars out of the way of traffic. 5. Do not admit or discuss liability with anyone other than staff at our office or your insurer. 6. Get the following information about everyone involved in the accident: name, address, driver's license number, license plate number, description of car, e-mail address, all phone numbers (home, work, and cell), and auto insurance information. Also obtain contact information from any witnesses to the accident. 7. Report the accident immediately to our office. (561-392-8888). 8. While the details are still fresh in your mind, write your own account of the accident. Be sure to make note of anything the other involved parties said about their injuries or as to how they may have contributed to or avoided the accident. Copyright © 2008 International Risk Management Institute, Inc.
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