Downey Insurance Group Blog | Great Insurance People

The Tornado’s that ravaged parts of Western Massachusetts have caused more damage than was previously expected by officials.  Massachusetts Insurance Claims for insured losses just keep rolling in. Although FEMA has just begun their efforts in MA they are already seeing equally astounding numbers.   You can see my previous post on applying for FEMA relief in MA.

 Viviane Lee from Boston.com said on Saturday – “Insurance claims filed by victims of this month’s tornadoes have risen to $140 million, according to state officials, dwarfing previous estimates and reflecting the devastation after the storms tore through Western Massachusetts June 1.

Victims have come forward with 8,200 claims, Joseph Murphy, commissioner of the Division of Insurance, said Thursday. The damage estimates are expected to swell as nine Federal Emergency Management Agency-operated recovery centers open in the next few days to help residents apply for federal aid.

Initial reports from June 7, more than a week after tornadoes ravaged 19 communities and left three people dead, estimated claims at $90 million just for destruction to homes. Thursday’s figure includes $5 million in commercial property claims and $15 million in auto insurance filings on top of an additional $30 million for residential damage.”

The numbers here are staggering, and the personal stories of the people that have been affected are had to imagine for most of us.  Many organizations have jumped into action to fill the needs of these people, and the local outreach to the affected communities has been tremendous. 

The Patriots Foundation for example is partnering with The Untied Wayto match contributions up to $100,000 for disaster relief!  100% of the funds donated during this drive will be used toward disaster relief efforts in MA.  There is also a Facebook page Western Mass Tornado Relief that is posting news and updates related to the disaster. 

One local Massachusetts mother Tara Barranco has been inspired to start an organization called Munchkin Love to help families with small children after the disaster.  They are collecting items such as diapers, wipes, formula, baby food, and infant medicine for donation.  They are currently distributing the items from their distribution center in Southbridge, MA.  You can find out more information about donating to Munchkin Love on their Facebook Page MunchkinLove.

If you know of any other worthy charitable organizations that are worth mentioning please feel free to post their name and website in the comments area below.

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If you filed an auto insurance claim for an at fault accident this winter you do have the right to appeal the Massachusetts DMV surcharge.  Bad weather can cause all kinds of auto accidents that under normal driving conditions would have been avoided.  Due to the number of storms we have had this season people may have tried to drive to work because they can not afford to take anymore days off.   Our Downey Insurance Group offices were closed on Feb. 2nd with our agents checking messages, following up with clients, and filing our customers claims from home.

The Massachusetts State Police said yesterday Feb. 2nd  - “Massachusetts State Police continue to respond to numerous spinouts, disabled motor vehicles and minor crashes caused by the weather. Regular snow patrols out of the barracks are being supplemented by troopers from various specialty units, including the truck team, motorcycle unit and community action teams.”

There is a $50 fee for appealing a surcharge in Massachusetts, but surcharge points on your record can increase your Auto Insurance premiums costing you more.  If you feel that your accident was weather related, you may apply for an appeal by filling out the Surcharge Appeal Form on the reverse side of your surcharge notice from your Insurance Company.   If you have any questions regarding your auto claim please feel free to call our offices of Downey Insurance Group in Marlborough, MA  Brattleboro, VT and Keene, NH at 508-485-0130.   If you are not already a valued Downey Insurance client our experienced staff is the best in the business and they would love the opportunity to review you insurance at your convenience.  Call us today or visit our website www.downeyinsurance.com.

More information regarding filing a surcharge appeal nay be found here on the Mass DMV website.

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A recent commercial by a leading insurance company had a slogan “Do you love your insurance agent?” This is a great question to ask yourself and if the answer is no, maybe it is time to find a better agent. Everyone has different expectations of an insurance agent. While it is not reasonable to expect your insurance agent to be at each accident, ( although some of us here at Downey Insurance have driven and picked up claimants from accidents and fires, etc.),  it is reasonable to expect professional service. How do you define professional service? Professional service includes:
• Timely response to questions or claims
• Easily accessible throughout the business day
• Knowledgeable with insurance products
• Ethical business practices
• Caring about the customer’s needs
. Outwardly Focused

It can be difficult to find an insurance agent that fits all of these criteria but you should not settle for any less.Most people find their insurance agent through a referral from a friend or family member – ( truly approx 63% of our new business written at the Downey Insurance offices have been from existing clients and referrals) – That’s a number consumers should ask any prospective new agent. The other Number consumers should ask is “” what is your retention rate”?  – that is – how many customers renew with you? – (throughout the Downey Insurance office we track with the national best averages of 96% and above). There are many resources online that offer you the ability to see if an agent meets your criteria. You can access his or her website. These days, their web site should reflect who they are. There is even a department of insurance for each state which will tell you if that insurance agent has had any official complaints. It may be harder to know if a particular agent will be caring about your needs but a great way to test this is to Talk and Listen to them. Do they Sound Interested? Some people only care about the price of insurance because they think it is a waste of money, that is until something happens and they need to file a claim. Rule number one when shopping for insurance is to judge a book by its cover. Do not disregard an agent by price alone. remember You most always get what you pay for. If the agent shows interest in helping you understand the policy this can be worth it’s weight in Gold. remember what you’re buying. a “promise to pay”. Call us at any of Downey Insurance offices and put us to the test. and feel free to personally let me know your results if they are anything but exemplary! Charlie Downey

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