Downey Insurance Group Blog | Great Insurance People

Charlie Downey has done it again!  The 21st annual Jambone has gone off without a hitch, and I swear the quantity and quality of people are always increasing.   The Jambone has become the unofficial start of summer for those that attend every year, as they catch up with folks they may not have seen all year.   The picking is the best around whether you are playing or listening there is no better way to enjoy Bluegrass music than at the Jambone.

As the years have passed the musical stylings have expanded to include many other types of music but the heart of the Jambone will always be Blugrass music.  The sounds of the banjo, dobro, guitar, stand up bass, flute, and the mandolin lift every one’s spirits at sunset on the porch of a small cabin on the side of Mt. Ascutney.  The tents and trailers line the perimeter of the property and the children who have grown up together every Memorial Day weekend at the Jambone run free and play games as if it has not been a whole year since they have left this magical place.

Nothing can trump the music of the Jambone except maybe the food!  There is always so much delicious food at every meal that even the dogs are stuffed.  The addition of a smoker this year was excellent, and hopefully it will make an appearance next year as well.

Charlie is so gracious to host this party every year.  By opening up his property for people to camp, renting porta potties, and taking the kids to the brook to swim and cool off.  I know he enjoys every minute of it!  We all do, and we look forward to it every year.

I know one of the reasons he is able truly enjoy himself is because he knows that he has enough insurance coverage in the event of a property owners liability claim.  If anyone was hurt or injured his Umbrella Policy would kick in with additional coverage over and above his primary liability policy.  If you have assets that need protection an Umbrella policy is a must to protect yourself and your family from financial hardship in the event of a high dollar lawsuit.

Charlie has a way of making people feel welcome and taken care of in life and in his insurance business.  Some people may not think of insurance people when they think of these traits but Charlie has made it his priority.  His personal slogan “It’s all about helping the people” resonates throughout his whole organization.

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A personal umbrella policy is an insurance policy that provides additional protection to insurance holders and their families on an excess basis over different basic personal insurance policies like auto insurance policy, home insurance policy and boater’s policy. Since the umbrella policy provides excess liability insurance over the insured person’s primary policies, it is also known as excess liability insurance.
  Personal umbrella insurance coverage is usually large and is applicable worldwide. It applies to losses that have not been covered by primary personal insurance  policies. In other words, the compensation comes only after the limits of the underlying basic policies have been fully exhausted. A standard umbrella policy usually provides coverage on a single limit occurrence basis.

Befitting its name, personal umbrella policy only pays compensation for claims, lawsuits and judgments that are related to one’s personal life and affairs. Business or professional claims are not considered under the personal umbrella policy. Of course, special coverages have been arranged for some business affairs / dealings like ownership of office buildings, retail and rental residences.

What Liability Coverages Are Assured By The Personal Umbrella Policy?The liability coverages included as part of personal umbrella policies are the use and ownership of real estate nd automobiles, even boats and jet-skis. Travel activities and other civic-affair going-ons such as libel and slander allegations are also considered under the personal umbrella policy.
At times, the personal umbrella policy provides coverage for “personal injury”. Here, personal injury does not stand for any bodily injury or property damage of the insurance holder; it rather provides protection against the infringement of one’s rights, livelihood and renown. Defamation cases, false arrests/imprisonments, invasion of privacy, malicious prosecution and similar happenings are categorized as personal injury.

The personal umbrella policy pledges you financial protection against claims and lawsuits wherein you are sued for being the cause of (even though unintentionally) someone else’s physical or mental suffering (including bodily injury and damage of property).

No liability coverage is provided for damages from asbestos/lead exposures, pollution or for the transmission of communicable diseases. You will neither enjoy any protection against any kind of discrimination or against warfare. Damages for sexual abuse or for workers’ exploitation are not entertained under the umbrella policy. Other exclusions include coverage for intentional/illegal acts as well as claims for accidents/incidents taking place before the policy becomes valid.

For liability coverage/protection in any one of the above cases, you will need to make special request through your application. Your representative will take care of the rest, arranging a policy (with adequate coverage) if at all possible.

Reference:
http://www.localwin.com

 Call your agent at DOWNEY INSURANCE GROUP for more information.

Our clients are our families, Our friends and our Neighbors and it’s our obligation and commitment to all of you to protect what you have worked hard to build.

please visit our website to learn more about us.  www.downeyinsurance.com

leslie@downeyinsurance.com

Popularity: 7% [?]

Flooding is becoming an annual nuisance in New Hampshire.  The threat of damage to many homes and businesses is very real.  As you may know your standard Homeowners policy and Business policy will not cover damage caused by flood.

If you fall within certain flood lines your mortgage company will most likely require you to carry flood insurance.  Even if you are not required to carry flood insurance it is still a very good idea. The thought of your home or business being destroyed by flood is unimaginable to most.  At Downey Insurance we have the resources to assess and protect your flood risk, as well as your home.

WMUR in New Hampshire said today:

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. – Heavy rain in the southern part of the state led to flooding issues Monday, while more than a foot of snow fell in northern areas.

Residents on Beauregard Street along the Sugar River in Claremont were evacuated when the river overflowed and left the road under more than 4 feet of water. Homes in the area are above that level and weren’t flooded, but officials said there was no way to get in and out of the homes because of the road flooding.

In Newport, a couple was rescued by boat from their home on a private road. Emergency workers said they crossed about 500 feet of water that was about 4 feet deep to get to the home.

In Hooksett, a Kmart on Londonderry Turnpike was closed because of flooding. Police said water was going into the store.

The rain sent chunks of ice floating down some rivers, forming ice dams that sent water spilling onto roads. Old Sharon Road in Peterborough was flooded for about a mile when ice wedged under a bridge.

The Department of Transportation sent in an excavator to break up the ice in what safety officials called a delicately timed operation.  “Just a little bit at a time so we don’t have a big rush of water going into the downtown area,” said Fire Chief Joe Lenox.

The heavy rains Sunday and overnight created torrents of rushing water on the Contoocock River. Complicating things for public works crews, there was more than one ice dam to deal with in Peterborough alone.

John Kaufhold owns a business by the river and said he has been through this before.

“(In 2007), we had about 2 feet of water where we’re standing,” he said.

Kaufhold said ice jams Monday could spell trouble again.

“By the dam in north Peterborough, we could get an ice jam and really clog things up,” he said. “The water level will rise fast behind the dam.”

In Wilton, officials monitored an ice jam on Stoney Brook. They said water started to rise Monday morning near the downtown area, but the jam broke up, and water began to flow freely again.

North of the White Mountains, a foot or more of snow fell since Sunday afternoon. Residents said they were running out of places to put the snow after all the storms this winter.

Power outages were also reported across the state, especially in western areas and the Upper Valley.

Public Service of New Hampshire reported about 3,400. New Hampshire Electric Coop reported about 3,200, while Unitil reported no outages.

Several ski areas were also closed because of the weather. Officials at Cannon Mountain said it’s closed because of some electrical issues caused by the storm. Cranmore and Dartmouth Skiway were closed because of poor conditions.

To read the full article click here.

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Did you treat your special someone with jewelry or fine arts this Valentines Day?  If your gift is lost or stolen do you know if it is covered by your homeowners policy?  One of the most important discussions we have with homeowners here at Downey Insurance Group is the question of whether or not they should add a special schedule of insurance for their jewelry.  Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider scheduling special coverage for jewelry, art, collections, etc.

1. Most policies limit the amount of coverage for theft of jewelry. If your jewelry burns on a house fire, this is a standard cause of loss and it will be covered along with all of your other personal property that would be lost in a fire.  But if it is stolen, some policies limit theft of unscheduled jewelry to just $1,500 per item up to a maximum of $3,000 for all jewelry that is stolen. Scheduling jewelry voids/overcomes this limit.

2. Low or No deductible for covered losses.

3. Establishes a set value for the payment of the piece’s replacement cost.

4. Expands the kinds of loss covered to include mysterious disappearance, breakage and other kinds of loss. If you just can’t find your jewelry or if it drops down the sink, or if your expensive vase breaks, normal policies will not cover that. But if you schedule your jewelry or art, those kinds of losses would be covered.

Personally, I think items 1 and 4 are the best reasons to schedule certain pieces of property, especially when they are expensive. We’ve helped clients schedule computers, bikes, wine, art, jewelry, baseball cards, guns, cameras, musical instruments and many other things.

Many of the things that our clients schedule are very important to them. Insurance can’t prevent the loss, but having the peace of mind  that an important piece can be replaced is quite a comfort!  At Downey Insurance Group we know how troubling it can be to be unsure if your loss would be covered, so call us today to review your current homeowners policy.

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The unprecedented snow load on roofs in the Northeast has led to some building damage and

collapse. According to reports from several localities, schools, churches, commercial and

residential buildings, carports and awnings have been affected.

As the next in a series of winter storms moves into the region, property owners and residents

should be aware of the weight loads these storms may be creating, especially on flat roofs.

Take the following precautions to protect life and property:

1.  Watch for falling snow and ice from roofs.

2.  Don’t put untrained individuals on roofs to clear snow. Falls from roofs and possible

exposure to electrical wires while on the roof are serious hazards.

3.  Inspect roofs for leaks or structural deficiencies that may develop during the storm.

4.  Make certain gutters, drains and downspouts are clear of ice and debris.

5.  Clear snow and ice away from exhaust vents that go through exterior walls.

6.  Clear decks of snow to reduce stress on them.

After the storm:

1.  Clear areas around downspouts so that water from melting snow has a path to flow

away from the house or building.

2.  Remove snow from side walls to prevent high snow mounds from pushing them in.

3.  Temporarily shore up and brace dipping or sagging roofs or walls.

4.  Improper operation of doors or windows, deflection of ceiling finishes or exposed

beams, roof leaks or sprinkler heads moved from their normal positions could be signs

of roof failure.

Owners and residents of flat roof buildings in particular are urged to be aware of the possible

snow load danger. The threat from heavy snow weight will remain for some time after the

storm ends because cold temperatures expected for the rest of the week won’t allow much

melting to occur.

If you have questions about your building’s condition, contact a structural engineer or your

local building official for an assessment of the conditions.

Reposted from our friends at Hanover Insurance.

Popularity: 7% [?]