There are three main categories of risk for business owners: people, environment, and company.  Business owners have the responsibility for each of these categories and should follow simple steps to ensure safety.

Keeping your employees and customers safe and healthy is as important as running the business itself.  Keep these tips in mind:

• Have options in place where injured employees or customers can receive immediate treatment.
• Constantly search for and eliminate workplace hazards.
• Offer early intervention and rehabilitation programs for drug and alcohol abuse and mental health problems.
• Make free flu shots available.

Heavy equipment, electrical hazards, even keyboards can pose health threats to employees.  For a safer workplace environment:

• Conduct routine maintenance and housekeeping measures.
• Frequently check for proper ergonomic conditions.
• Check all equipment for unsafe wear and tear.
• Educate workers on identifying hazards and risks.
• Make sure employees wear necessary protective equipment.
• Create and rehearse a worksite disaster plan.
• Control and eliminate toxic chemical use where you can.
• Make the workplace smoke-fee.

Safety starts with company leadership.  To establish company safety:

• Keep confidential and medical information protected
• Thoroughly analyze accidents for prevention
• Have a zero-tolerance policy for workplace violence
• Offer access to cost-effective health care benefit programs
• Begin an employee assistance program

By: RJ Muto

Eastgate Insurance Inc.

As our lives change, so do our insurance needs. Speaking to your ERIE Agent about these changes can ensure that you have adequate coverage. In some cases, your agent can also offer safety guidance.

The following situations are examples of when to check your coverage:

1. Remodeling or Building an Addition to Your Property - When you hire the contractor, request a certificate of insurance to confirm their liability coverage. Review the certificate and your homeowners policy with your agent. In some cases, remodeling projects can increase your home’s reconstruction value.

2. Teen Drivers – If a teenager in your home is learning how to drive, even with a learner’s permit they need insurance. Your agent can also provide materials about safe driving behavior.

3. New Swimming Pool – Your agent can recommend steps that you can take to help keep your backyard safe and determine whether additional liability coverage should be considered.

4. New Work Location – If you have accepted a position where you will have a shorter or longer commute to work, call your agent. A significant change in annual mileage could warrant a change in your auto policy.

5. Retirement – When it’s time to retire, you may be able to maximize the benefits of your retirement plan with a life insurance program.

6. A Change in Vehicles – If you’ve purchased or leased a new or used vehicle you should contact your agent as soon as possible. Car dealers are required by law to confirm insurance coverage, but only you can make the necessary changes to your policy.

7. Home or Auto Refinancing – When you’re taking advantage of lower interest rates by refinancing your home or vehicle, your policy will need to be updated to reflect the new lien holder.

8. Just Married or New Baby – When you get married or welcome a new baby to the family, the new responsibilities may warrant a change in your home, auto and life insurance coverage.

9. Purchasing Valuables – When you purchase valuables such as a diamond ring or a rare piece of art, you should contact your agent. Your homeowners policy covers personal belongings and furnishings, but higher-valued items may have coverage limitations. An endorsement may be advisable for more costly or unusual items.

10. Home Business – If you are starting a business in your home, you should call your agent.  Depending on equipment and the nature of your work, an endorsement or separate policy may be necessary to protect your investment and liability exposures.

Reviewing your insurance policy with Eastgate  is always a good idea when these changes occur or whenever you have questions about your coverage.

By: RJ Muto

Eastgate Insurance Inc.

Fivestar Contractors

ERIE’s Fivestar^SM contractors program is designed to meet the insurance needs of today’s contractors. It includes coverages for your property, income protection and liability needs.The coverage can also be tailored to meet your specific needs with a wide range of optional endorsements.

Property Coverage

ERIE’s broad building definition, in addition to covering your buildings, includes permanent attachments to the buildings, building equipment and fixtures servicing the premises, personal property you have for the service and maintenance of the building, and building glass and glass wall cabinets including lettering, ornamentation and burglar alarm foil.

Your business personal property and personal property of others will be protected by your Fivestar^SM policy as long as it is located in or on your premises or within 1,500 feet of your building.

Additional property protection is provided in the additional and supplemental coverages as well.

• Coverage is provided on a replacement cost basis, which eliminates any deduction for depreciation should a loss occur.
• Coverage is provided on a comprehensive basis, which provides coverage against all causes of loss, including theft, except those specifically excluded in the policy.
• You will not be penalized for non-compliance with the standard coinsurance clause because this policy does not contain one. However, for your protection, it’s important to insure to value.

Income Protection

Because the income derived from your business is of vital importance to you, income protection coverage is offered in your Fivestar^SM policy. This important coverage benefits you in the following ways:

• It guarantees your income to continue up to the limits shown on the declarations while your business is suspended if damage to your property interferes with normal operations.
• During the critical seven-day period after a loss, ERIE will advance up to $100 per day while you determine your actual loss.
• ERIE will reimburse you for extra expenses incurred to continue nearly normal operations.
• Actual loss of income for an additional 30 days, if your income after you resume operations is less than it was before your loss.

Mechanical and Electrical Breakdown

The Fivestar^SM policy provides coverage for your boilers, pressure vessels, refrigeration systems, piping, and mechanical and electrical machines or apparatus used for the generation, transmission or utilization of mechanical or electrical power caused by mechanical or electrical breakdown.

Additional Property Protection

This protection only applies if building or business personal property is covered by your Fivestar^SM policy.

• Fences,walks and unattached outbuildings – Up to $15,000
• Trees, shrubs, lawns and plants – Up to $2,000 for any one loss
• Merchandise in shipment
• Refrigerated items
• Moving

Supplemental Property Protection

Your ERIE Fivestar^SM policy is a comprehensive protection package. It includes all of the following important coverages as additional amounts of coverage.

• Exterior sign, lights and clocks – Up to $5,000
• Peak season – Increases coverage for business personal property 25% during a peak season
• Temporarily off premises – Up to $15,000
• Debris removal – Up to 5% of the total coverage amounts for your buildings and business personal property, plus $5,000 for clean-up after a loss
• Pollutants clean – up and removal – Up to $10,000
• Demolition cost – Up to $15,000
• Newly acquired property – Up to $500,000 for buildings, up to $250,000 for business personal property and up to 250,000 for loss of income
• Fire department service charges – Pays the fire department service charge incurred as a result of an insured loss
• Non-owned detached trailers – Up to $5,000
• Accounts receivable – Up to $5,000
• Valuable papers and records – Up to $5,000
• Plus many more additional property coverages

Liability Coverage

Included in this Fivestar^SM coverage part are the following liability coverages:

• Bodily injury and property damage
• Personal and advertising injury including libel, slander, false arrest, defamation of character, malicious prosecution, and invasion of privacy
• Products and completed operations coverage
• Host liquor liability coverage
• Medical payments coverage
• Fire legal liability coverage
• Blanket contractual liability coverage
• Independent contractors coverage
• Elevator liability coverage
• Non-owned and hired automobile coverage
• And more

Optional Protection Features

Fivestar^SM Contractors coverage can be endorsed to increase your protection or tailor the policy to meet your specific needs. Some optional coverages available are:

• Fivestar^SM contractors enhancements endorsement
• Builders risk
• Installation floater
• Contractors equipment coverage
• Contractors tool coverage
• Electronic data processing equipment coverage
• Employee dishonesty
• Mine subsidence coverage
• Voluntary property damage liability coverage
• And more

What to Do After a Car Accident

If you have ever been involved in a car accident, you may remember feeling angry, panic-stricken and uncertain of what to do. By following a few simple steps after a car accident, you can prevent additional injuries, reduce costs and expedite vehicle repairs and your insurance claim.

Erie Insurance also offers the following suggestions to help you stay composed after a car accident:

• Pull over. Pull your vehicle off the road and out of harm’s way.
• Check for injuries. Check to make sure no one was injured in the car accident. If someone was, dial 911 for help.
• Call the police. No matter how minor the car accident seems, call the police to report the car accident. This will help to expedite your insurance claim later on.
• Exchange insurance information. Check the date on the other driver’s insurance ID to make sure his or her insurance is not out of date. As a backup measure, record the other driver’s phone number, address, license plate number and the make and model of each car involved for your insurance company’s reference. Do not discuss who is at fault; leave that decision to the police and the insurance investigators.
• Record the details. Immediately record the details of the car accident including the date, time, location and weather conditions. For insurance purposes, it is always a good idea to keep a disposable camera in your car or carry a cell phone with a camera to take photos of your vehicle from every angle.
• Talk to witnesses. If you notice any witnesses, take down their names and phone numbers.
• Obtain a copy of the police report. After the police have completed the report for the car accident, ask for a copy for your insurance company. Write down the officer’s name, department and incident number.
• Call your insurance company. Be sure to call on the day of the car accident when everything is still fresh in your mind. Report all of the details to your insurance company.

Ultracover

Erie Insurance’s premier package offers the highest levels of security for you and your home. Coverages include:

• Your home and any attached structures. (Replacement Cost Settlement)
• Other structures at your premises that are separate from the dwelling. (Replacement Cost Settlement)
• Personal property wherever it may be. (Replacement Cost Settlement)
• Loss of use, which covers the additional living expenses you incur due to temporary relocation.
• Personal liability for bodily injury, property damage or personal injury claims brought against you anywhere in the world.
• Medical payments to others who are injured in an accident arising from your premises or personal activities.

Xtra Features

An Ultracover policy secures you and your family with over 50 Xtra protection features, including:

• Coverage up to $2,500 for loss due to theft, forgery or unauthorized use of a credit card and unknowingly accepting counterfeit money.
• Payment up to the personal property limit for loss to contents of a refrigerator or freezer from either power or mechanical failure.
• Coverage up to $3,000 for theft, misplacing or losing of jewelry, watches and furs.
• Reimbursement for fire extinguisher recharge after a fire loss.
• Payment for replacement of automatic garage door transmitters which have been stolen. Coverage is also provided for cost to reprogram the frequency on additional transmitters and/or the control unit box.
• Coverage up to $3,000 for theft, misplacing or losing of guns and related equipment.

Optional Coverages

Your home is unique and so are your protection needs. Some optional coverages you may choose to add to your Ultracover Policy include:

• Sewer or drain back-up
• Incidental business occupancy
• Earthquake coverage
• Scheduled personal property
• Identity recovery coverage
• Enhancement endorsement
• Expanded endorsement
• Personal computer coverage endorsement
• Dwelling and other structures siding and/or roofing restoration coverage

What is it and Why do I need it

EPL protects employers from employees’ claims of discrimination, wrongful termination or harassment. EPL insurance pays for liability damages and defense costs due to charges brought by full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees, applicants for employment and recognized volunteers.

In employee lawsuits, owners and managers are typically named as defendants. Having this insurance may either give you protection or motivate plaintiffs to focus on corporate responsibility — because they know the “deep pockets” of insurance will be involved.

Not only are the costs of defense high, but the claims can be astronomical. Back pay is much less than front pay which is theoretically unlimited. The case law usually limits it to three years, but decisions vary widely. Fines, penalties, and taxes are often added. Eligible business, most businesses are eligible. Rates are per employee for risks with 50 or fewer employees.

Protect yourself and your business.

• Maintain fair, compassionate and scrupulous human resource practices. Employ the best people and keep them content.
• Provide employee handbooks and/or offer letters. If you assert at will employment status, be sure it is prominently stated and clearly explained in your handbooks and other applicable employee communications. Some firms ask workers to sign an at will agreement, so they can’t ever deny knowledge of it.
• Rely on an employment lawyer. Having a lawyer review your handbook is additional assurance that your policies are legal.
• Give workers the tools they need to succeed. Provide honest feedback, and access to mentors, managers, information and training.
• Document performance. Hold regular performance reviews and document people’s failures thoroughly. Giving workers raises and glowing performance reviews, only to fire them, will not stand up well in court.
• Don’t make promises you might not keep. Don’t let supervisors or managers promise eternal employment for a job well done. Such statements may constitute a verbal contract, nullify people’s at will status, and give them more protection from termination.
• Offer employees second chances. Give people time to improve performance, set deadlines for positive behavior changes, and don’t “sucker punch.” Surprise firings are inhumane and tempt legal battles.
• Be careful about dismissing employees during economic downturns. If it’s difficult for dismissed workers to find new employment, making a claim becomes even more attractive.
• Treat people as if they’re “for cause,” but hire them “at will.” That way, if you’ve followed all of the appropriate measures, and you still have a bad apple, you have more flexibility to terminate an at will employee.
• Consider offering employees a generous severance package when they are fired. Short-changing people only leaves them more aggrieved.

There are a lot of choices for purchasing home owners’ insurance in the Rochester Region.  My Dad always told me to buy local whenever I could for several reasons; I would be supporting the local economy, I would be dealing with folks that were my neighbors, and it would be easier to build a trust relationship with someone I could deal with face to face than with someone that I had to contact over the phone, especially when there was a problem.

Eastgate Insurance is locally owned and operated in Ontario, New York, and serves 5 Counties. We are your total Auto, Property and Business Insurance Agency, backed by Erie Insurance – one of the nations leading Insurance carriers.  We are conveniently located at 1266 Ridge Rd in Ontario.  And we are looking forward to serving you as your one-stop hometown location for your homeowners’ insurance needs.

We carry a wide variety of insurance to help you meet all your coverage needs.  But, for this blog, stop and think about how important it is for you to have the right coverage for that biggest financial purchase you probably have or will ever make – your home.  Buying homeowners insurance in our Rochester region can be a frustrating and confusing experience if you don’t know what you are doing, aren’t comfortable dealing with strangers (especially over the phone), and aren’t aware of all the important nuances of insurance buying.  Our expert staff can and will guide you though the process.  But, to help you be comfortable with the whole process, here are a couple of things perhaps you should think about before you even stop by if you’re shopping for home insurance.  You should always insure your home for 100% of what it will cost you to rebuild.  You should  consider flood and earthquake insurance which is not normally covered (with any company) under your basic policy.  Make sure to ask about this.  To come up with an adequate coverage amount for the contents of your home, we suggest you consider a value that is half of the value of your home.  We also suggest keeping your deductible high.  This does help to lower the premiums quite a bit. Consider everything you are receiving for the money you will be spending and remember that the value of your comfort and peace of mind is in direct relationship to the entire home insurance package – the coverage, the cost, and the comfort level you feel with the people you are dealing with.

We do hope you will consider Eastgate Insurance, your hometown insurance company, a company who knows and understands the homeowners’ insurance in and around Rochester and, specifically, right here in Ontario.  But, even if you don’t, we do want you to be comfortable and fully protected.  Feel free at any time to stop in, introduce yourself, and ask any questions you may have.  We will be happy to take a look at your current policy and give you a professional and unbiased opinion of the coverage you now have.

Why do you need homeowner’s insurance coverage? For one thing, you probably can’t buy a house without it because most mortgage holders require you to have it.  But honestly—why wouldn’t you want home insurance? Your home is one of your largest investments you’ll ever make during your lifetime. Makes sense to protect it, doesn’t it?

So, why again do you need homeowner’s insurance?  Well, think for a moment about the big three reasons, the kind of things that can keep you up at night – Fire, Theft, Accidents.  Those are three reasons that normally come to mind and are normally covered by your basic homeowner’s insurance policy in and around the Rochester area.  Those first two threats cover damage to your home and property.  The personal liability portion provides coverage is someone is injured accidentally on your property.

Those threats are what are usually called “named perils” by your insurance company and are almost always spelled out specifically in your policy/contract.  There is also what is called broad or broad category coverage which is coverage for things that are not specifically spelled out as being covered AND are not specifically mentioned in the contract as things that are excluded from or not covered by your homeowner’s insurance.  For example, while not specifically spelled out in your homeowner’s insurance policy in the Rochester area, damage to your roof caused by a wind fallen tree could be covered but, coverage by flood might be specifically excluded in your policy and, therefore, not covered.  You should always consider what kinds of coverage you want and think you might need – and you should always ask what coverage is excluded in your contract!  Guaranteed Replacement Cost is different then Replacement Cost. Is your Homeowners a H03 or H05? If you don’t know what this is then you need to talk to your agent today. Any questions and concerns you may have should be immediately, honestly, and thoroughly answered to your satisfaction.

When you are considering purchasing that homeowner’s insurance policy, you should also be aware of and comfortable with contacting your agent quickly and reliably should questions arise, how you will file claims and with whom, how they will be settled, and what the result of filing claims will be as far as your policy and your policy costs.  My suggestion to you is that you find a local agent, one in your hometown or nearby in the Rochester Area to whom you can speak face to face and begin with him or her.  You should be comfortable with dealing through them when there is an urgent need to do so or whether you’d rather talk to someone thousands of miles away where you are just a number!

Following is what could be considered to be an amusing article regarding the Insurance Industry…  Read the article and then we’ll discuss why we say it could be an amusing article:

Rash of dog bites cost insurers $412 million in 2009; bite claims up 30% from 2003 to 2009.

Man’s best friend is shaping up to be an insurer’s worst nightmare.

According to new statistics released today by the Insurance Information Institute (III), dog bite claims are chomped on insurers’ legs to the tune of $412 million in 2009, an increase of 6.4% from 2008. Bites also accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claims paid out in 2009.

The III’s analysis of homeowner’s insurance data found that the average cost of dog bite claims was $24,840 in 2009, up slightly from $24,461 in 2008.  Since 2003, the cost of these claims has risen nearly 30%. Additionally, the number of claims has increased 4.8% to 16,586 in 2009 from 15,823 in 2008.

More than 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs annually, resulting in an estimated 800,000 injuries that require medical attention, the III says, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“With over 50% of the bites occurring on the dog owner’s property, the issue is a major source of concern for insurers,” the III says in its report.

It is estimated that about 12-15 people die each year,
because of various problems and infections from dog bites.

Actually, there is nothing amusing about the article if you stop and think about it.  Yes, from an Insurance Industry point of view, dog bites are a very expensive and troublesome thing.  But, consider this:  If you are a dog owner and do not have insurance that covers the damage and injury that could arise if your beloved pet does, as many dogs do, bite a friend, neighbor, stranger, or even a child.  Think, for a moment, about the resulting medical bills that could easily fall into the $20,000.00 range.  Beyond that, there could be compensation required for lost work, physical disfigurement, or even death.

Yes, we know that your beloved pet would never intentionally bite someone, but, no matter how well trained – how well behaved your dog is, a dog is still a dog and his first instinct is to protect you and your home if he perceives a threat in his doggie mind.  Or, what if he gets carried away and overly excited during play time?  Or, for some reason, decides the UPS guy is an enemy?

If you’re like us…like most people we know, your savings account would be totally eradicated were you to suddenly find yourself responsible for medical bills in the thousands of dollars – or worse!  Think for a moment about the legal fees surrounding a law suit!

Don’t you think it might be worth your while to talk to your Agent to find out what kind of coverage you have or need so that you might be equipped to handle an accident of this kind?  We, at Eastgate Insurance, will be happy to meet with you and help you find the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are covered!

Where do dogs attack?

• 25% chained dogs
• 25% dogs loose in their yard
• 23% occurred inside the home
• 17% dogs roaming off their property
• 10% leashed dogs or miscellaneous circumstances

Who is attacked?

• 79% of all fatal attacks – children under the age of 12
• 12% elderly, aged 65 – 94
• 9% 13 – 64 years old