As if learning that an employee was involved in an accident on company time isn’t alarming enough, what happens when you find out the at-fault driver doesn’t have coverage or is underinsured? While most states require drivers to maintain auto insurance, according to a 2011 Insurance Research Council (IRC) study, t one in seven motorists remain uninsured.

The IRC study indicates that the magnitude of the uninsured motorists problem varies widely from state to state from 4.5 percent in Massachusetts to 28 percent in Mississippi*. Uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) are coverage options added to your commercial auto policy for transferring risk in such unfortunate circumstances.

Coverage Overview
In the event a driver or passengers are injured due to the negligence of an uninsured or underinsured driver, you may seek compensation for injuries and damages through the UM and UIM portions of your policy.
• Uninsured motorist coverage is used when the at-fault driver can’t pay due to lack of insurance.
• Underinsured motorist coverage is used when the driver’s liability limits are lower than the costs of the accident.

The coverage typically has two components, but it varies from state to state:
• Coverage for bodily injury provides insurance for medical bills, funeral expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, disfigurement and permanent or partial disability.
• Coverage for property damage provides insurance for auto repairs, total loss, rental car and damage to personal items carried in the vehicle.

Additional coverage considerations include: 
• For UM/UIM to pay, it must be established that the other driver was at fault. Comparative negligence allows for more than one person to be at fault for an accident. As a result, your company can reduce the settlement of your uninsured/underinsured motorist claim by the percentage of fault attributable to you.
• UM coverage pays losses up to the coverage limits from an accident caused by a hit-and-run driver, but be sure to report the accident promptly.
• Commercial excess liability policies typically exclude UM/UIM coverage.

Coverage Limits
A risk management best practice for UM/UIM is to set the limits equal to your commercial auto bodily injury and property damage limits. Since UM and UIM coverage protects you, adequate limits are critical. Please contact us to learn about all the limit options available. 

Knowledgeable and Trustworthy
Whitaker-Myers Insurance Group understands state automobile policy coverage requirements and will work with you to ensure you have the right coverages and limits in place that minimize your uninsured/underinsured exposures on the road. Contact us at (330) 345-5000 to learn more.

*Estimated Percentage of Uninsured Motorists for Ohio is 16% based on IRC.  IRC  estimates the uninsured driver population using a ratio of insurance claims made by individuals who were injured by uninsured drivers to claims made by individuals who were injured by insured drivers. Based on 2009 UM to BI frequency ratios, released April 20, 2011.

Does your business have potential automobile loss exposures that you are not aware of? You’ve taken all of the necessary steps to ensure that your own fleet operation is properly covered in the event of an accident. But what about the potential loss that arises from individual employees who operate their own personal vehicles for company business?

There are many situations that present a potential for you to be held accountable for the actions of your employees while they are driving their own vehicles.
•,Do administrative employees use their own vehicles to go to the post office or bank on your company’s behalf?
•,Do you occasionally send an employee to pick up a visiting client at the airport?
•,Have you sent employees to pick up lunch, drop off mail or pick up office supplies?
•,Have you ever rented a vehicle while on a business trip?
•,Do you have a sales force to which you provide a car allowance for business use of their personal vehicles?

If an employee has an accident under any of these situations, your business can be held accountable and sued for damages. Basic business automobile policies only cover employees while they operate company-owned vehicles to perform company business. Your best protection: non-owned and hired automobile liability coverage. This type of coverage will kick in if there is an accident and your company is found legally liable. Typically, an employee’s personal automobile insurance will provide primary insurance to both the employee and the business if the employee is using their own vehicle on company business. However, there is the chance that charges will exceed the employee’s policy limit and would then be passed on to the company. Without non-owned and hired automobile liability coverage you may be vulnerable to a potentially costly exposure.

Non-owned and hired automobile liability insurance covers bodily injury and property damage caused by a vehicle you hire (including rented or borrowed vehicles) or caused by non-owned vehicles (vehicles owned by others, including vehicles owned by your employees). This coverage is typically added to your business automobile policy; however, it can be added to your general liability policy if you do not have a business automobile policy. It protects your company if it is found legally liable as a result of an automobile accident that you or your employee has in a hired or non-owned vehicle while on company business. Hired automobile coverage replaces or augments the liability coverage offered by automobile rental agencies.

Non-owned and Hired Automobile Coverage: The Basics

Who needs non-owned and hired automobile coverage?
If you or your employees ever drive vehicles not owned by your business for business purposes, then you need non-owned and hired automobile coverage.,

What is non-owned automobile coverage?
Non-owned automobile insurance provides liability protection when an employee occasionally has to drive his or her personally owned vehicle for business purposes. It assumes that the vehicle is not owned, registered or contracted in your name or on your behalf.

What is hired automobile coverage?
Hired automobile insurance provides liability protection when you or an employee is driving a rented, hired or borrowed vehicle.

Next Steps
If you do not already have this type of coverage and your employees occasionally use their own vehicles for business purposes — even quick errands — consider adding it to your business insurance package today., Consult with Whitaker-Myers Insurance Group to review your business automobile and general liability policies to ensure you have adequate coverage and liability limits for non-owned and hired automobiles.

Any type of loss exposure, no matter how small, is too big to ignore. Call us today at (330) 345-5000 to ensure that your automobile coverage meets your needs.

Your livelihood is dependent on the survival of your business, so it is imperative that you protect it against any potential threat – big or small. For instance, a fire could destroy your business’s warehouse and the contents inside, or a burst frozen pipe could damage important documents and valuable papers. Worse, you could have trouble paying your employees during a loss because your funds are devoted to repairing damage.

If self-insuring is not an option to combat these risks of loss, it is wise to obtain Property Insurance. This coverage comes in many forms to suit your specific needs. Before purchasing coverage, take a complete inventory of all your business property to determine how much you need to insure. This important step ensures you will have adequate coverage to continue your business in the event of a covered loss.

Types of Property you may Need to Insure
• Buildings and other structures (leased or owned)
• Furniture, equipment and supplies
• Inventory
• Money and securities
• Records of accounts receivable
• Leasehold improvements and betterments you made to the rented premise
• Machinery/boiler
• Electronic data processing equipment (computers, etc.)
• Valued documents, books and papers
• Mobile property (construction equipment, etc.)
• Property in transit
• Cargo
• Satellite dishes
• Signs, fences and other outdoor property not directly attached to the building
• Intangible property (goodwill, trademarks, etc.)
• Business contingency for suppliers
• Ordinary payroll
• Extra expenses as a result of loss

Types of Property Insurance Policies
Basic Property Insurance covers losses due to fire or lightning, including the cost of removing property as a way to protect it from further damage. Should you want to purchase more than basic coverage, you can buy a standard policy that provides coverage for extended perils, such as floods, windstorms, hail, earthquakes, acts of terrorism, explosion, riots, smoke, civil commotions and vehicles that damage your property. Beyond that, coverage for vandalism and malicious mischief can also be included.

Are You Buying Enough?
One of the most important aspects of purchasing Property Insurance is making sure that you have purchased enough coverage to be adequately protected. A typical policy will provide the replacement cost value for your building and the actual cash value for your business property. Replacement cost value is the amount that is necessary to replace or rebuild your building or repair damages with similar materials, without considering depreciation. Actual cost value, on the other hand, is the value of your property when it is damaged or destroyed. This amount is typically determined by subtracting the depreciation from the replacement cost value.

Most property insurance policies include a coinsurance clause, which requires you, the policyholder, to share the cost of covered services up to a moderate percentage of the actual cash value of the property. This will allow you to receive full coverage for your losses. Should you decide to purchase inadequate coverage for your property, you may be obligated to pay a percentage of all losses, even if they are listed in the policy.

Whitaker-Myers Insurance Group understands that determining your business’s value is critical, so we’re here to help. Contact us today at (330) 345-5000 to learn more about our Property Insurance and loss control solutions to protect your business.

Heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined., Wear Red on National Wear Red Day to promote awareness about Heart Disease.,

HEART ATTACK WARNING SIGNS

CHEST DISCOMFORT -,,Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

DISCOMFORT IN OTHER AREAS OF THE UPPER BODY -,,Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

SHORTNESS OF BREATH -,,with or without chest discomfort.

OTHER SIGNS -,,May include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

STROKE WARNING SIGNS
If one or more of these signs is present, don’t delay:
,- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden sever headache with no known cause

CARDIAC ARREST WARNING SIGNS
SUDDEN LOSS OF RESPONSIVENESS – No response to tapping on shoulders.
NO NORMAL BREATHING -,,The victim does not take a normal breath when you tilt the head up and check for at least five seconds.

For more information about Heart health and what you can do to build awareness and lower your risk please visit:, http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

Brought to you by Whitaker-Myers Insurance Group in Wooster Ohio.

It’s a new year, and Mother Nature can be unforgiving in the winter months. To protect against frostbite: 1.Dress properly by protecting your hands, feet, nose and ears. 2.Bundle up in warm, layered, loose-fitting clothing. 3.If you are doing activities outside, periodically go inside to warm up. 4.Remember that wet skin and clothing will increase your risk of getting frostbite, so try and keep your skin and clothes as dry as possible. 5.Do not drink alcohol before or during exposure to cold temperatures; your body may not be able to realize that it is getting too cold. 6.Avoid smoking in cold weather. The nicotine affects your blood vessels and increases your chance of frostbite. Keep a close eye on your body; if your skin begins to turn red, it may be an indication that frostbite is developing. Head indoors immediately and get warm. Brought to you by Whitaker-Myers Insurance in Wooster Ohio. © 2011 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.

Hartford has created a short video to help address some of the common misconceptions about cyber risk.

The video will help you develop a basic understanding of cyber risk, the types of companies that are commonly exposed, what happens when a company faces a breach and the importance of having cyber liability coverage to protect their business.

For more information or to inquire about adding Cyber Liability to your Insurance Policy, please contact us at 330-345-5000.

Brought to you by Whitaker-Myers Insurance Group and The Hartford.

The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) unanimously voted to ban the use of all portable electronic devices (including cell phones and hands free devices) for all drivers. Exceptions would be made for emergency situations and for devices, such as GPS units that are designed to support the driving task.

The ruling was made following an investigation into the August 5, 2010 vehicle accident involving a school bus, a bobtail and a passenger vehicle in Gray Summit, MO. Click here to access the report.

Recently, bans have been proposed for commercial truckers but this proposal reaches ALL drivers. Many states have already adopted laws that require drivers to use hands free devices but this new proposed ban from the NTSB will no longer permit the use of hands free devices.

What are your thoughts on this new proposed ban? Good? Bad? Indifferent? We’d love to hear your thoughts, just click her to share your comments.
Brought to you by Whitaker-Myers Insurance Group Wooster Ohio and Westfield Insurance.

Lisa Mundt is a Senior Risk Control Representative for Westfield Insurance based out of our Atlanta, Ga service office. Lisa has over 9 years of risk management experience servicing a wide variety of customers, such as small business, traditional mid market, technology as well as the construction industry.

We’ve heard it before, from scouting groups, government agencies and even the media: Be Prepared – which is good advice, yet so easy to ignore … until it’s too late and you are stranded on the highway with a flat tire in the dead of night.

As winter approaches, some employees at the Westfield Insurance home office are remembering a night last year where a nearby interstate became a parking lot. Many people were stuck in their cars for more than eight hours that evening. The question for the rest of us is, “Had you been in that position, would you have been prepared?”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) suggests these simple steps to be prepared for emergencies:

1. Put together an emergency supply kit.
2. Develop a family communications plan.
3. Stay informed about the risks and emergencies in your community.

Do you keep an auto preparedness kit? Even if you already have a kit, remember to check and update your supplies and tools – it’s better to be safe than sorry. Also, be familiar with their use before you need them.

In bad weather season, never let your car’s gas tank get under half full, and don’t forget to give it a quick walk-around when you are leaving work to check for flat tires or other problems. As always, in the event of an emergency, call 911. It’s also a good idea to have emergency numbers programmed into your phone.

Things you might put in your own emergency car kit:

* Flashlight with extra batteries
* Jumper cables
* Basic tool set
* Spare tire, jack and lug wrench
* First aid kit
* Blanket
* Cell phone charger or extra battery
* Duct tape
* Extra windshield fluid
* Paper towels
* Bottled water

Visit the link below to share What items do you have in your emergency car kit? Have you ever needed to use them?

http://losscontrol.westfieldinsurance.com/2011/12/whats-in-your-emergency-car-kit-for-winter.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LossControl+%28Westfield+Risk+Factors+Blog%29

Brought to you by Whitaker-Myers Insurance Group in Wooster Ohio and Westfield Insurance.

In most of the United States, even as far south as Texas and Florida, there is the probability of winter weather, ice storms and even arctic freeze conditions. Power failures can be a direct result of these events.

For tips on minmizing the effects of power failures due to ice storms and winter weather please follow the link to Travlers risk control article.

Brought to you by Whitaker-Myers Insruance Group Wooster Ohio.

 

Colder weather increases the chance that your water pipes might freeze, especially if you have the gas service disconnected at a vacation home over the winter. Here are some tips to help you avoid or deal with the problem:

For normal precautions:
• Insulate exposed pipes with heat tape, newspapers or rags.
• Place a 60-watt light bulb close to the water meter to keep it from freezing.
• If pipes are close to an exposed outside wall, open the cabinet door to let room heat in.
• Use a hair dryer or turn up the heat in your home to 75 degrees to thaw a pipe; do not use a torch.
• If a pipe bursts, shut off the main valve, usually located near the meter.
• Be aware that leaks sometimes don’t show up until a pipe thaws, when they can cause extensive damage to plaster walls.

If you’ll be away for the winter:
• Drain pipes completely.
• Pour a cup of antifreeze into the draintraps, toilet bowls and tanks.
• Make sure the main shut-off valve is turned off.
• Open all faucets.
• Drain the hot water tank.
Source: Columbia Gas of Ohio

Brought to you by Whitaker-Myers Insurance Group in Wooster Ohio and State Auto Insurance.