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What You Should Do If You Are Rear Ended In Your Car

Being in a car accident is a scary, life altering experience for some people. The nervousness most drivers experience directly after an accident may cause someone to forget what steps they need to take to resolve the situation. An added consideration, if you get rear ended, is that the driver who hit you may or may not have auto insurance.  

Drivers without auto insurance often try to haggle with you or offer you cash on the spot as an incentive for you to not make a claim. However, it is important to remember that you should always report a rear-end collision to your insurance company and never take a bribe.

Remain calm

After a car accident, even at low speeds, you may feel jittery or confused.  Before getting out of your vehicle to assess the damage, it is advisable to take a few deep breaths in and breathe out slowly to calm yourself down, and to give yourself a few seconds to remember the steps you need to take to handle the situation.

Call the authorities and document the crash

Before reporting the accident to your insurance company, call 911 for assistance.  The last thing you want to do is be confrontational with a disgruntled or drunk driver, so it’s best to get the police involved.  If there are any injuries or damage to your car, take pictures and write down the details of the crash.  It's best to write down the details immediately while they're still fresh in your memory.  

If the car at-fault is leaving the scene while you’re on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, quickly give them the license plates number.  This way the number is documented in case you did not have time to write it down.  When talking to the dispatcher, give them as many details as possible which should include:

The road the accident happened on

How it happened

If there are any immediate emergencies

Any nearby mile markers

Getting the other drivers information

Once you exit your car, ask for the other driver’s drivers license and take down the number, address and phone number.  At the same time, write down the driver's license plate number and the make and model of their car (as well as the color).

Call your insurance company

Notify your insurance company of any rear-end collision you're involved in, whether the damage to your car is visible or not. It is quite possible to have extensive internal damage that may not affect your driving for a day or two after the accident.  Any injuries you have may also not be apparent for hours or days after the accident, so always report collisions.  

If you have a portable camera, or a camera phone, snap a picture of the accident and any damage to your car or the other vehicle.  You may need to submit this information along with your claim to the insurance company.

Last but not least, if you suffer an injury, you may want to find an accident lawyer who specializes in rear-end collisions. 

For more information on your Miami Auto Insurance or collision cover, give Allstar Direct Insurance & Financial Services a call at 855-754-7414. We are there to find you the right service at the right price, and will be there for you in the times of an accident.

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There are hundreds of ways that you can customize your home to make it more energy efficient. By installing advanced tech items in your home, for example, you can achieve serious savings on your utility bills every month. Consider that the average homeowner spends about $2,200 dollars on heating and cooling every year, and yet a basic programmable thermostat can be picked up at the local hardware or home-improvement store for around $25.  Installing a programmable thermostat in your home can even save you enough money over the course of a year to pay for a good chunk of your Miami home insurance. According to the EPA and the EnergyStar program, “Homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats and maintaining those settings.” If you spend a considerable amount of time away from the home during the week, these savings can be even higher.

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Should You Raise Your Deductibles?

There is a distinct appeal in having a reduced insurance premium. After all, with a lower premium you can still bask in the protectiveness of your policy but spend less each month for the pleasure of doing so. But, there may be a price to pay for that lowered premium—especially if you've raised your deductibles to get it.

What Is a Deductible?

Deductibles are the initial out-of-pocket amount that you must pay after an insurable incident. If the damage from an insurable incident is equal to or less than your deductible, then your insurance company may pay nothing. In some cases, the deductible is cumulative and once you have met it for the year, the insurance company will begin paying claims in full after the next incident. In other cases, such as with auto insurance, the deductible is per incident so no matter how many instances you have each year you must pay that deductible each time.

What a Deductible Means to You

At their very core, deductibles mean cash out of your pocket in the event of an insurable incident. While this is certainly reasonable, it's also quite a bit of a gamble. Not only is it a gamble in the respect that you'll need to have the cash available when an incident occurs, but it's also a gamble in that you may find that one insurable incident, such as a hurricane, results in damages to several different assets—each with their own insurance policy and deductible.

For example, let's say that there is a tropical storm that causes damage to your car, your spouse’s car, and your teenage son's car. It also tears down your fence, destroys your shed, collapses the roof on your porch and results in the flooding of a local lake that ends up soaking the entire first floor of your home. Not only would this incident result in claims being sent to your auto insurance company, your home insurance company and your flood insurance company, but you could have up to five deductibles pay. You could have one for each vehicle that was affected, one for your Miami home insurance policy, and one for your flood insurance policy.

The deductibles that you have should never be more than you can afford to pay. If you aren't certain how to evaluate the affordability of your deductibles in light of a real disaster, stop by or give us a call and allow us to help you determine their practicality.

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Your declarations pages are a very handy way to glance and get information about your policy, but they are not built to offer the same complex information as the actual policy pages. If you have questions about what your policy does and doesn’t cover, feel free to give us a call. Not only can the agents at Allstar Direct Insurance help you better understand your Miami Home Insurance policy, we can also help you determine whether your coverage is sufficient.

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Boat Safety Tips and Insurance Options

According to a report by the U.S. Coast Guard, there were 4,730 boating accidents resulting in $36 million in property damages in 2009. While accidents decreased about 1.2 percent from 2008, there were still more than enough accidents that the general boating community should be concerned about following proper safety guidelines and buying the right kind of insurance coverage for their vessels.

Boat Safety Tips

Boat safety tips can vary based on the type of boat you own, however three basic safety tips can help any boater avoid accident and injury.

Always wear a life jacket: The North American Safe Boating Campaign suggests choosing a life jacket style based on the activities that you are going to take part in as you wear it. That way you can wear the most comfortable and effective jacket for that particular activity.

Don't drink and drive: Boats are like cars at sea, and drivers still need to be in control of all their faculties in order to properly operate them. While passengers on the boat may decide to drink (while wearing life vests) the driver should always abstain.

Boat in familiar waters: GPS devices might make you feel more free in exploring, but staying in waters you are familiar with will help you keep yourself and your passengers safe while preventing accidents from boating on unfamiliar terrain and will prevent you from getting lost in the event of GPS failure.

Insurance Options

Just as with auto insurance, boat insurance offers the option to buy many different types of coverage, including:

Collision

Comprehensive

Uninsured and underinsured watercraft

Bodily injury liability

Property damage liability

Medical payments

Roadside assistance

But boats do have different needs than automobiles so there are also some special coverages designed just for boat owners, such as:

On-water towing

Personal effects (like contents coverage in a home insurance policy)

Fishing equipment coverage (this is a separate coverage from personal effects)

Repair cost endorsement (an endorsement to a boat insurance policy that covers repair work on your boat)

Boat trailer coverage

Understanding your insurance options is just half the battle. To actually have the tools to fight in the battle, you need to meet with an agent and begin the process of getting coverage. Boat often, boat safely, and boat protected with the right boat insurance.

Find out more about Miami Insurance by contacting Allstar Insurance Agency today!

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Miami Home and Auto Insurance: Umbrella Liability Insurance

Your Miami home and Miami auto insurance policies do not have unlimited benefits. In order to control the amount of risk these policies are exposed to, and in order to determine a meaningful premium, insurance companies must place limits on your coverage. These limits put a cap on the amount of benefits that can be paid out to you or anyone you are liable to through an insurable incident.

But just because an insurance company has declared a limit to your benefits doesn’t mean there is a limit placed on the amount of money you could be liable for if someone is injured at your home or in an auto accident in which you are determined to be at fault. It also doesn’t put a cap on the amount of personal property damage you may be liable for. So what happens to any amount that exceeds the insurance company’s limits? The insured must pay for that out of his or her own pocket.

Naturally, this strikes fear in the hearts of many who realize that there could be no upside limitation on the amount of money they may need to pay to another party in liability damages. But there is another resource that could help protect the wallets of many: umbrella liability insurance.

Umbrella liability insurance is a supplemental insurance policy that can add an additional $1 million or more in coverage above and beyond your home or auto policy limits. In essence, umbrella policies fill the gap that’s left by traditional home and auto policy limits.

With up to $5 million in additional coverage available, umbrella policies create a very generous cushion between your insurance policy limits and your wallet in the event that you are ordered to pay an expensive claim. These policies can prevent the liquidation of your personal assets in an effort to comply with a judgment to pay and best of all, umbrella policies are affordable. Because they aren’t responsible for the first $1 million or so in damages, they do not have high risk of claims, so they can be priced competitively.

Whether a liability claim comes from an accident or preventable oversight, you may be found liable for a great deal of money that your insurance policy won’t cover. An umbrella liability insurance policy can provide the additional layer of protection you need at a price you can afford.

  Make sure you have the best rate for your Miami auto insurance with Allstar Direct Insurance & Financial Services today!

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Miami Auto Insurance: 5 Things to do Before Buying a Used Car

Since new cars can lose more than 15 percent of their value once they are driven off the lot, buying a used car is often a smart financial decision to make. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to do any research before making the purchase. There are five important things you should do before you sign the papers and commit to buying a used car.

1. Talk to your insurance agent. Your Miami auto insurance agent can give you some guidance in deciding which type of car would be the most affordable as far as your insurance policy is concerned. This can be based on safety features, popularity with thieves and other factors.

2. Get a Carfax report. A used car has a secret life in the past that it can never tell you about—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t want to know about it. Carfax has a series of free and paid reports that will show you the history of your car with its previous owner or owners. This will help ensure that you don’t buy a lemon or a vehicle that may have been mechanically compromised in a way that is not completely corrected through repair or replacement.

3. Compare safety options. Not only will a car with front and rear airbags, anti-lock brakes and automatic seatbelts help keep you and your family safer, it will also reduce your insurance premiums. Because used cars can be decades old, you cannot take for granted that the one you consider buying will have the safety features you want. Make sure you research what options are available in used cars of different years and different models so that you can better focus your search.

4. Research car values. Before you spend money or get a loan for a used vehicle, make sure that you are paying a fair price based on its Kelley Blue Book value. Don’t trust that the company selling it is being completely fair; do your own research and, if necessary, get ready to haggle.

5. Take the car to your mechanic. Your mechanic can tell you whether or not a used car you are about to buy is worth purchasing or if it’s better left in the lot. He or she may charge you a small fee to give the car a look, but it would be well worth it to avoid potential repair fees beyond the basics that any used car buyer should expect.

Used cars may be a fiscally responsible choice, but it is still a big decision to make when buying one. Put the time in and do your research so you can drive off the lot with full confidence, an insurance policy you can afford, and an intact wallet.

Make sure you have the best rate for your Miami car insurance with Allstar Direct Insurance & Financial Services today!

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Homeowners Insurance Declaration Page? What Is It?

A Declarations Page is the section of a policy that itemizes your pertinent information.  In detail, a homeowners declaration page will keep record of your name, your house address, your policy number, the effective and expiration date of your policy, the premium for the coverages you have obtained and the limits of each of those coverages.

Language you may discover on your Declarations Page:

Named Insured - this is the person or company that is recognized as the insured.

Additional Insured - sometimes you can add an extra person to your policy because particular coverages on the policy can be provided to them.  For example, if you lease a car, the leasing entity may need to be recorded as an additional insured.  The leasing entity is the titleholder of the car, as a result, they can be responsible for damages caused by the car.  Being made as an additional insured on your policy will cause your policy to provide some coverages to the leasing entity in the occurrence they are sued.

Endorsements - There can be times where standard policy language needs to altered. Rather than creating a new policy, the insurance company adds endorsements.  They are basically amendments added to the insurance contract that can modify the coverage or terms of the policy.  Your Declarations Page will detail which endorsements are relevant to your policy.

Make sure you have the best rate for your Miami FL Home Insurance with Allstar Direct Insurance & Financial Services today!

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How is my Homeowners insurance premium determined?

How insurance premiums are computed can vary from company to company. However, a majority of insurance companies will use the following criteria when deciding what to charge you for your homeowners insurance.

Location – Insurance companies will consider the crime rate in your area, how close your home is to a fire department, and the likelihood for weather-related claims.

Type of construction – Companies will check to see whether your home is made of wood, stucco siding, brick, or stone.

Age of home – Newer homes can typically qualify for reduced rates. • Amount of coverage – the amount of coverage you purchase on your home, the contents within the home, and the liability limit will all contribute to the cost of your policy.

Loss valuation – the way your policy will pay for your home in the event of a claim–whether it will pay the actual cash value or the amount it costs to replace the items lost.

Deductible – how much of a loss you are willing to pay before you insurance begins to chip in. If you have a mortgage on your home, the greatest amount of your deductible will many times be imposed by your lender.

Make sure you have the best rate for you Miami FL Home Insurance with Allstar Direct Insurance & Financial Services today!

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Common Types of Commercial Vehicles Insured

If you own a business and have a vehicle that you use for or within that business, then you must consider the purchase of a commercial auto insurance policy in order to protect your business from the financial losses associated with a damaged commercial vehicle.

Many business owners aren’t sure what they should consider a vehicle and what they should consider equipment when it comes time to get the proper insurance coverage. Here is a brief guide to give you an idea about how to differentiate.

Vehicles by Ownership Status

You can insure a commercial vehicle that you hold the title for, but you don’t need to own a vehicle in full before you add it to your commercial auto policy. You can insure leased vehicles, hired or rented vehicles and in some cases, even vehicles that you borrowed for the purpose of your business.

Types of Vehicles

There is almost no limit to the kinds of vehicles you can insure under your commercial vehicle policy. Here is a list of some of the most common vehicles insured:

Private passenger vehicles. As long as the automobile is used for business purposes, a private passenger vehicle can be covered.

Delivery vehicles. This might include vans, trucks, cars, motorcycles—even scooters.

Trucks. If your business uses dump trucks, panel trucks, tow trucks, or any other type of industrial truck it can go on your policy.  

Trailers. Trailers are considered vehicles and can be covered on a commercial auto policy.

Buses. Whether you use the bus for private charters or daily passenger transportation, you can protect it with your commercial vehicle policy.  

Some earth moving equipment. Not all earthmoving equipment qualifies for coverage under a commercial auto policy,

Find out more about the kinds of vehicles covered and  coverage types for commercial vehicle insurance.

Call us at 855-754-7414 to get a free Florida business & commercial insurance quote.

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Miami FL Home Insurance

Sinkholes are big business for lawyers, public adjusters

There's a rising tide of media reports covering the sinkhole threat facing Florida's homeowners. Don't believe the rhetoric that we have a sinkhole crisis in Florida, because we don't. The more accurate assessment is we have a sinkhole claims crisis that has created a cottage industry that now threatens Florida consumers.

The Office of Insurance Regulation, recently reported to the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee that annual sinkhole claims increased from 2,360 in 2006 to 7,245 in 2009, totaling 24,671 claims throughout that period.

What's more troubling is OIR discovered sinkhole claims have surfaced in areas not historically wrought with sinkholes, like Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The number of claims from these two counties in 2009 was seven times what it was in 2006.

There is no geological cause behind these significant increases in claims, especially in areas that are not generally subject to sinkhole activity like South Florida. Yet, more than $1.4 billion in sinkhole losses were incurred over this four-year period beginning in 2006.

by Don Brown - Sun Sentinel

Be sure you know about your coverage and your own Miami FL Home Insurance with Allstar Direct today!