Homeowner's InsuranceInsurance AdjustersLife InsuranceUmbrella PoliciesHomeowner’s InsuranceWhen you buy homeowner's insurance, you are buying protection for your property and your personal liability. There are several different types of homeowner's policies offered by a wide variety of insurance companies and not all coverage’s are the same or are available in all states. The basic limits of liability on a homeowner's policy cover damages to dwelling, other structures, personal property, and loss of use. Personal liability coverage within the homeowner's policy covers bodily injury or property damage that you are legally responsible for. For example, your dog bites someone, a guest falls down your front stairs, etc...You should speak directly with an independent agent about your specific coverage needs.
Homeowners insurance provides seven types of protection. First it protects against the loss or damage to the structure of your home by fire, storm, etc and protection against the loss of the content by calamity or theft. In order to assist with the loss as a result of theft, you should keep a photo record of your property or a list of property and purchase receipts. Homeowners also provide liability protection for members of the household. Examples of liability situations that arise in reference to homeowners insurance are numerous. If an individual is bitten by a dog of known bad temperament, the injured individual may recover from the dog owner's homeowner's policy. If an individual is injured by a child who has been negligently allowed to play with a Beebe gun, the injured person may be able to recover from the child's parent's homeowner's policy. If an individual suffers injuries from an unsafe swimming pool or any other unsafe condition or property, the injured person may be able to collect from the homeowner’s policy. Numerous situations and in fact circumstances exist where injured persons are able to recover under homeowner's policies. If you or a person you know has been injured due to another's negligence, you should consult with an
attorney concerning the possibility of recovering damages under a homeowner's insurance.
Back to TopInsurance AdjustersIf you or someone you know has had the misfortune of being involved in a dispute with an insurance company, you should contact an attorney to discuss your legal rights and the avenues which are open to resolve the dispute. Disputes arise in all typed of claims including automobile accident claims, slip and fall claims, property claims, arson claims, and worker's compensation claims. You may feel that the insurance adjuster is not being fair in evaluating your claim. You must realize that the insurance adjuster is a trained professional whose goal is to save the insurance company money by holding down the amount paid on claims. The adjuster deals with claims on a daily basis and has a great advantage over the average person due to his or her's training and experience. Because of the unequal leverage and bargaining position, people turn to an attorney to protect their rights, pursue their claim and give proper evaluation to the damage factors. Persons who are involved in disputes with insurance companies should consult with an
attorney for protection of their rights and evaluation of their claims.
If you have been injured, an insurance adjuster for the person who wrongfully caused your injury has approached about settling your claim. What is your claim worth? Should you settle now? These are hard questions that for a person inexperienced in the legal arena to answer, especially since the person you are negotiating with is a professional representative of an insurance company who has a good deal of experience of evaluating claims. The first consideration is whether or not the person who injured you is clearly at fault. Do you have any fault of share in the accident or occurrence that caused your injury? How much are your medical expenses? Is your doctor confident that he or she has fully assessed the problem that you have or will have in the future? What will be your expenses in the future? Have you lost time from work? Will your ability to make money in the future be effected as a result of this injury? Are you impaired from doing the normal tasks that make your life full such as playing with your children or bowling with your friends? Do you have scars that embarrass you? All of these are considerations that should be taken into account when putting a value on your personal injury claim. The adjuster is aware of this and is attempting to pay so that his or her company can avoid the cost and exposure of litigation. There is nothing wrong with an insurance company wanting to settle with you, the question is the insurance company being fair in the amount of money being offered. You must remember that the insurance adjuster is not representing you but rather looking out for the best interest of the insurance company. These questions are best answered by an
experienced trial attorney.
Back to TopLife InsuranceLife insurance is insurance which provides benefits under the death of the named insured. Legal questions often arise as to whether or not a life insurance policy was enforced at the time of an individual's death and who are the legal beneficiaries. The duty of making a claim is placed on the beneficiary and with most insurance policies certain conditions may have and must be met prior to recovery. An
attorney can help make sure that the rights of the beneficiary are protected.
Back to TopUmbrella PoliciesUmbrella policies supplement liability coverage you already have through your home and auto insurance and provide an extra layer of protection for anyone who has assets that might be at risk if they cause a serious accident. Certain umbrella policies also provide coverage if you face liability from your service on a board of a civic, chartable or religious organization. Although umbrella policies are relatively inexpensive, the question remains as to whether you really need one. Before making a decision, compare the umbrella premium with the cost of raising the liability limits in your homeowner's or auto policies.
If you were ever sued, your standard home owner's or auto policy will usually provide you with liability coverage which pays for judgments against you and your attorney's fees. However, in this litigious world we live, you may want to have an extra layer of protection. That is what a personal umbrella liability policy provides; it kicks in when you reach the limit on the underlying liability coverage in a homeowner's, renters, condo or auto policy. An umbrella policy will also cover you for things such as liable and slander. If you feel insecure with the amount of insurance you have, then you should consider purchasing a personal umbrella liability policy. For about $150-200 per year, you can buy a $1 million personal umbrella liability policy, the next million will cost about $75 and $50 for every million after that. Because the personal umbrella policy goes into effect after the underlying coverage is exhausted, there are certain limits that usually must be met in order to purchase this coverage. Usually the typical minimum required on homeowner's liability is $100,000. The auto liability minimum is usually about $100,000 bodily injury per person with $300,000 bodily injury per occurrence and $25,000 property damage. Talk to your insurance agent about more information on liability insurance.
