How Much Umbrella Insurance Should I Carry?

If you’ve ever faced someone suing your business "for everything you’ve got," you know they do not have to win for the case to devastate you. At LG Insurance Group of Marietta, GA, we know that your homeowners’, auto, or business policies may not provide all the coverage you need for a high-value business, even if you carry the maximum protection available in that category.

What Is Umbrella Insurance?

Umbrella insurance provides additional liability protection. For example, when the value of your assets exceeds policy limits, an umbrella policy shields you from damage claims.

What Does Umbrella Insurance Cover?

Having umbrella insurance offers peace of mind by covering the difference between the total available protection in your other policies and the full value of all your assets, including your reputation. The typical policy costs $300 per $1 million. For example, a single accidental death lawsuit could cost several million dollars because Georgia allows the surviving spouse, children, or parents to sue for the tangible and intangible value of the dead person’s life. If you carry the Georgia state minimum auto policy, you would still owe everything above the $50,000/$25.000 limit.

Do Umbrella Policies Have Exceptions and Exclusions? 

Yes. Umbrella policies do not cover damages to you or your property, nor do they pay for intentional or criminal acts, 

How Do I Document My Assets?

Receipts, Bills of Sale, Titles, and Deeds help document your assets. When possible, engrave or etch items with your two-letter state abbreviation, followed by your driver’s license or state ID number. For example, if you live in Mississippi, use MS123456. If engraving might reduce the item’s value, use photos or videos instead.

Call our LG Insurance Group agents at (678)-671-8480, email us, or stop by our Marietta, GA office for a free review of your insurance. 

Side Hustles & Entrepreneurism Risks: Are You Covered?

After businesses shuttered and U.S. workers were sent home at the height of the pandemic in 2020, a report from Dollar Sprout revealed that more that 27% of those with a side hustle rely on that income to pay their bills. They might be doing anything from tutoring, freelance writing, offering professional consulting services, walking dogs or delivering groceries, to name a few.

The Dollar Sprout report also revealed that:
• Of those with a side hustle, 18% expect to turn it into a full-time source of income.
• Although 23% lost side-hustle income because of COVID-19, 42% remain hopeful about their prospects.

While the pandemic reshaped the workplace, the prevalence of home-based businesses had already given rise to ETSY, the fourth largest U.S. ecommerce site by monthly visits, where people sell everything from crafts and antiques to handmade toys and items for weddings, among other things.

The community of freelancers is increasing steadily. The Freelancers Union, established in 1995, says:
• There were 57 million U.S. freelancers in 2020.
• Americans rack up more than 1 billion freelance hours each week.
• Freelancers contribute more than $1 trillion annually to the U.S. economy.

New models of work create different insurance requirements. As individuals take on side hustles to generate more income or out of a desire to operate their own businesses, they also take on risks. If you have a side hustle, you need to insure yourself accordingly.

Liability insurance tops the list. Your Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agent® can help you evaluate your side business, assess your existing coverages, and determine if you need a professional or business liability policy in addition to personal insurance. As a highly trained professional, your Trusted Choice agent can advise you of the specific or often overlooked coverages you should consider, and then assemble competitive product choices for you from the insurance marketplace.

Why is this so important? Even the most benign gig could destroy an individual financially in the absence of appropriate insurance coverage. Imagine a child takes a nasty tumble in your home while there for a piano lesson or a client accuses you of plagiarism: You will be liable. Or consider the costs you would be responsible for if the dog you’re walking breaks loose and attacks a pedestrian. The right policy can protect you.

Cyber insurance is also a growing consideration. If you set up an online store to sell crafts or homemade baked goods and a hacker steals your customers’ credit card data, what would be the cost to you? Would you be able to recoup your losses? Cyber insurance can protect you in the event of a breech whether your computer is hacked or your phone containing private information is stolen.

Auto insurance. Some automotive policies are for personal use only. Others may cover a business-related accident, but with limited coverage. If your side hustle involves driving and you get into an accident, do you know whether your insurance will cover you? If not, check with your Trusted Choice agent before an accident occurs.

Even if you are employed as a delivery driver, you need to know whether the company’s insurance covers you and what the limits are for collision, liability and medical. Talk with your independent agent, so you’ll know if you need a commercial policy for adequate protection.

Fire insurance. You probably have a homeowners or renters policy that provides coverage for losses incurred in a fire. But what happens if you operate a home business and spent thousands of dollars on office equipment? Will the insurance extend beyond your personal belongings to cover that equipment? Or, for that matter, will it cover the materials you purchased to make the items that you sell, or the business inventory you store at home?

Find answers before you need to make a claim, and avoid potentially devastating surprises. Your Trusted Choice agent can explain where your personal coverage ends, and where the gaps are in your business coverage.

As your business grows, be sure to inform your Trusted Choice agent so they can work with you to adjust your coverages and ensure the policies keep pace with your needs — especially if you hire workers or engage a contractor. Your agent can advise you about workers’ compensation insurance and employment practices liability insurance. Your agent also can review your contractor’s proof of insurance to determine if it meets your business’s needs.

Think of your Trusted Choice agent as a business partner who has your interests at heart. Your agent will work with you every step of the way as you grow your side hustle and reap the fruits of your efforts. Contact LG Insurance Group today if you have any questions regarding your insurance needs.

Safety Makes Your Summer Party Memorable—In the Right Way

mojitosThe entertainment value in a summertime get-together can be in the camaraderie and storytelling. But don’t let your next backyard barbecue turn into a tale of woe, to be retold years from now.

One party hostess recalled a disastrous event that involved hot oil, alcohol, a paper tablecloth and fireworks:  “The oil to fry the turkey was too hot and too full. Maybe it had to do with the over-served [read: one too many alcoholic beverages] cook. But once the turkey went in, the oil bubbled over, caught the paper tablecloth on fire, and lit the grass on fire.”

The grass fire then ignited a pile of fireworks, which were supposed to be on the porch. This in turn “led to one huge fireball, screaming crying children who will probably never recover from the panic that was set throughout, which then led to roof catching on fire.”

The damage tally was: one home partially destroyed, several cars damaged by smoke, a missing dog, $2,500 worth of poorly timed fireworks and three acres of burned grass. The lessons learned, reported the wiser hostess: “We now monitor everyone’s booze intake, park cars far away, and only have one person know where the fireworks are. And I now cook the turkey with fire extinguishers nearby.”

Summer is truly party time in America. But homeowners should be aware of the risks associated with these get-togethers. Before reviewing safety tips, let’s look at three common risks for which a homeowner might need insurance coverage:

Liquor liability: Summer parties can be a breeding ground for drinking-and-driving accidents. Most homeowners know that they bear some responsibility if a guest becomes impaired after consumer alcoholic drinks at the homeowner’s house, and then causes a car accident. If the party-giver is sued, however, his/her homeowners and automobile insurance policies may not provide liability coverage. (Keep in mind that the legal defense against a claim is another significant expense for anyone who is sued in such a circumstance.)

Changes to homeowners insurance standard contracts made in 2000 may limit the coverage available under a homeowners policy. Homeowners might be well served to check their homeowners and auto insurance policies (contacting their agent, if necessary) to determine what protection they may have.

Personal accidents on the homeowner’s property: A homeowners policy and an excess liability policy (dubbed an “umbrella” policy) provide broad protection for accidents on the party host’s property. For instance, if a guest tumbles down the steps of an outdoor deck or a child is burned by the outdoor grill, the homeowners policy would pay medical costs for the guest (and, should a lawsuit follow, likely would pay the costs of defending against the lawsuit and damages awarded in the case).

No one, of course, wants to see such events occur, but accidents do happen. Homeowners coverage is designed to “make whole” a homeowner who is facing a liability claim due to an accident on his or her property.

Property damage liability: When guests drive to your party and park their cars at your home, the homeowner assumes risk. The possibilities of property damage range from a simple dent from a stray baseball, to a young driver releasing the parking brake and rolling the car into a tree, to an impaired driver going for a joy ride and damaging the car. A different example of property damage is the theft of a guest’s purse/wallet or valuable articles from the party-giver’s property.

Homeowners coverage pays for damage to another person’s property, if the homeowner is held liable. A homeowner’s negligence and omissions (i.e., failing to take steps that might have prevented an incident) are reasons that he or she can be found liable for damage to another person’s property.

To prevent accidents, consider some sensible safety precautions:

Grilling

Some 5,000 people are injured by charcoal, wood-burning and propane grill fires each year, according to the U.S. Fire Administration of the Federal Emergency Management Administration. Good safety practices include:

§  Before using a propane gas grill, check the connection between the tank and the fuel line. Make sure the Venturi tubes (where the air and gas mix) are not blocked, and check hoses for cracks or damage.

§  Never use a propane barbecue grill on a balcony, terrace or roof. And never grill/barbecue in enclosed areas, as deadly carbon monoxide can be produced.

§  Keep a fire extinguisher or a source of water (a garden hose or four-gallon pail of water) near an outdoor grill or barbecue.

§  While barbecuing, don’t wear loose clothing. Use long-handled barbecue tools and/or mitts that are flame resistant.

§  Don’t squirt flammable liquids onto an open flame.

§  Don’t leave a grill unattended.

§  Keep matches and lighters away from children. Supervise children around outdoor grills, which are objects of curiosity.

§  If using a charcoal or wood fire, dispose of hot coals properly by soaking them with water, then stirring to ensure that fire is extinguished. Never place them in plastic, paper or wooden containers.

§  Keep alcoholic beverages away from the grill since they are flammable.

Drinking

Liquids containing alcohol cause the human body to lose more fluid, say health educators. So summertime drinking in the sun or heat can present hazards to health, including impaired judgment, balance and coordination. Consider these safety tips if serving:

§  Use designated drivers.

§  Make non-alcoholic beverages as available as alcoholic drinks.

§  Stop serving alcohol before the party ends.

§  If children are attending the event, remember that alcohol may seem more available to them at a party.

Dining outdoors

Food-borne illnesses favor the hot conditions found at outdoor events where food is not refrigerated or may be undercooked. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers food safety tips:

§  Cook foods thoroughly to safe minimum internal temperatures.

§  Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Hot foods should be heated and maintained at 140 °F or warmer with chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays. Cold foods should be held at 40 °F or colder. Maintain cold by placing food dishes in bowls of ice or in a cooler.

§  Live by the “two-hour rule”: Foods should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours.

 

(Source:  Trusted Choice)