Many businesses are exposed to the financial consequences of their ownership, use or maintenance of vehicles used in their operations.
Most coverage needs can be handled by a business auto policy (BAP) or similar form which cover operations such as:

• Product or food delivery
• Transporting business products to wholesalers or retailers
• Retail product delivery to consumers
• Carrying persons for short, intermediate or long distance routes
• Picking up customer items for cleaning, repair, storage, etc.

Coverage is flexible. It may be purchased as a separate policy or as part of a package of coverage that can also protect buildings and business property (equipment, furniture, etc.). A BAP generally offers:
Liability Coverage–protection for physical injury to other persons or their property because of an accident related to your covered vehicle, including legal defense cost or expense.
Comprehensive Coverage–handles loss from any cause except collision. A limited, less expensive option is available. It only protects against a set of specific causes such as fire, lightening, explosion, vandalism and several others
Collision–takes care of damage from crashes with another object or overturn of the vehicle
Towing And Labor Costs–handles expenses for moving disabled vehicles
Loss of Use/Rental Vehicle Coverage–if you damage a rental car, this option helps to reimburse the rental company for income it loses because the vehicle is out of use. Also, there may be limited coverage for injury or damage that you cause to others while using a rented vehicle anywhere in the world.
Typically, a business auto (or similar form) bars coverage for the following:

• any injury/damage that you expected or intended
• responsibility for damage you assume under a contract
• losses that should be handled by a Workers Compensation, Disability

Benefits or Unemployment Compensation Law

• Bodily Injury to an employee caused by a Fellow Employee
• Damage to property that is in your Care, Custody and Control
• Any bodily injury or property damage that occurs because of Pollution
• Any loss that is related to racing, demolition or stunts

​Are you protected against business auto losses? Drive over and discuss your situation with one of our insurance agents. The trip will be worth it.

​Most insurance policies are designed to cover the following:

• single individuals
• traditional married couples
• traditional family - husband, wife, children
• relatives sharing the same household

However, when two or more unrelated individuals live in the same residence and/or share the use of the same vehicle(s), the coverage situation becomes confused. It’s still common for either policy wording or company underwriting rules to limit or bar convenient coverage for an unrelated person. Why one or more unrelated persons are together is their business; the relevant consideration is how are their insurance needs met?

Homeowners Insurance
If you share an apartment or rent a home and each of you retains separate ownership of your property, each of you should carry your own tenant's policy. If you own the home jointly, but maintain separate ownership of your personal property, you might consider the following strategy:

1. Name one individual as the "named insured" on the policy. The named insured is covered for his interest in the dwelling and personal property (such as clothes, appliances, furniture, etc.). Further, the named insured is also protected against losses involving his legal liability to others including payments for medical services.
2. Add the other owners as additional insureds, residence premises. The other owners then will have coverage for their interest in the dwelling, premises liability and medical payments to others.
3. Finally, each additional insured should buy their own tenant's policy to cover their personal property.

Auto Insurance
If each person has his or her own vehicle, the insurance question couldn't be simpler. Each vehicle should be insured by the individual owner. However, if two unrelated people share ownership of a vehicle, the policy covering the car should have a joint coverage endorsement added to it. A joint coverage endorsement (which may have various names) should result in giving the co-owners the same coverage as if they were related. (This endorsement is not available in all states.) The same strategy may be used when only one person owns the household's vehicle. The other person (who does not have his/her own car) may be added via a joint coverage endorsement. However, other options may exist such as (depending upon the insurer): the non-owner resident may be added to the owner's policy as a part-time driver or the other person might purchase a "non-owned" auto policy to get automobile coverage.
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The insurance industry is making halting steps to acknowledge a broader range of ownership arrangements, including policy forms that allow policies to reflect domestic partnerships. How can you be sure about whether your interests are properly covered? Easy…speak to one of our insurance professionals; discuss your situation in detail and then determine the best way to structure your policies.

Holidays? Vacations? Coverage?
Usually insurance decisions are made on a static basis, related to life’s milestones such as the following:

• New adults leaving home for their own apartment
• Getting a new job
• Marriage
• Children
• Major purchases
• Moving to a new home
• Acquiring cars, boats or other vehicles
• New drivers in the household
• Divorce
• Retirement 

The above events often trigger a need to evaluate one’s insurance landscape. It may spur a need to buy renters coverage, a homeowners or auto policy or secure wedding coverage, an umbrella policy or endorsements for jewelry etc.
 
However, there’s an issue with milestones. Typically years pass between these events and that may cause you complacency about your coverage needs. You may not recognize that having adequate protection is more dynamic.
 
Not to worry, there is an easy way to consider making necessary changes. Often, holidays and vacations include acquiring more personal items, such as Christmas, anniversaries and birthdays. These are times that, besides fun and memories, are also accompanied by gifts, such as jewelry or other high-value items. After these special days, take a moment to evaluate whether you received property that might make it prudent to update your coverage.
 
How about vacations? Generally any coverage concerns are unnecessary for routine trips within the country. However, what about dream vacations in foreign destinations or in-country get-aways for extended periods? In either case you may need to consider whether your existing policies cover the situation. For instance, do you need temporary, separate coverage for protection in other countries? Will your travel create any special liability issues? Did you acquire new property that needs protection? Will you be away so long that you have to address any issue created by your absence from your residence?
 
Having proper coverage means taking the steps to make sure that it protects you in the manner you need. Use these special days and events as touch points to contact one of our insurance professionals to make sure you have needed protection.
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Coverage for mobile/manufactured homes is generally offered using two approaches. Some policies include a laundry list of items (or perils) that may cause a loss. Other policies protect your home against everything EXCEPT for a host of specified perils. Either approach includes liability coverage that protects you for injuries or losses to others which you accidentally cause.
Property Insurance Needs
Any coverage option you choose is likely to reflect the fact that mobile homes are, well, mobile. Therefore coverage is affected by the fact that mobile homes:

• are able to move under their own power (or are capable of being easily transported);
• are more susceptible to wind damage,
• tend to lose value with age.

The mobility of such homes creates a special need to protect the financial interest of the business that lent the money to purchase the home. For example, a mobile homeowner who lives in Georgia decides to drive his home to Florida. The soon-to-be Florida resident "forgets" to mention his plan (and his new address) to his Georgia Mortgage Company. The Georgia lender would be out of luck if the policy didn't include protection for this whimsical act. Another way in which a mobile or manufactured homeowner policy differs from conventional homeowner coverage involves coverage for unattached buildings. This coverage is usually minimal for, say, $2,000. Such a provision helps keep the premiums for policies lower by avoiding paying claims on very low value structures. The coverage is likely to be offered on an actual cash value basis. Unfortunately, mobile and manufactured homes tend to lose value over time.
The policy is likely to include a provision that requires you to get permission to move your home. Once granted, you're likely to get thirty days of special transportation protection for collision; sinking, upset or stranding (a special, higher deductible may apply during the move). Another common coverage feature is coverage for your attempt to move the home in order to prevent damage from an insured cause of loss. For example, you move your mobile home fifty feet to get away from a neighboring trailer that is on fire. IMPORTANT: coverage for moving endangered property usually has a modest limit (several hundred dollars is typical) because of owners who may be too heroic or clumsy for anyone's good.
​Liability Insurance Needs
The liability protection connected with mobile or manufactured homes is, for all practical purposes, identical to the liability provided to conventional homeowners. Why? The likelihood of guests to be hurt at your home, or your probability of being sued, tends to be the same. The important thing to remember is that one of our agents is a tremendous source for getting the information you need to be sure that your home and property are adequately protected at a reasonable price.