In Case of Disaster

Posted on September 6, 2011 by admin

CALL US AT (410) 465-4300 IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY

As Hurricane Irene approached our area, we posted important announcements for you on our website and Facebook page. Rossmann-Hurt-Hoffman put detailed disaster plan in place, so even in the event we suffer a loss, you will still be able to reach us for assistance. We are here for YOU!

Here are some steps you can take to stay safe.

Preparing Your Family
• Check your disaster supplies and replace or restock items as needed.
• Talk with members of your family and create an evacuation plan.
• Make sure you know where the closest local shelter is located.
• Put together an Emergency Supply Kit that includes the following:
- Water-at least a 3-day supply; one gallon per person per day.

- Food-at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable, easy-to-prepare
   non-perishable foods such as cereal or crackers, and canned goods.

- Can opener

- Flashlights and extra batteries (Count on the power being out for at least a
   day or two)

- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio,

- First aid kit,

- Medications (7-day supply) and medical items (hearing aids with
   extra batteries,

- glasses, contact lenses, syringes, cane),

- Sanitation and personal hygiene items including toilet paper

- Cell phone with charger,

- Extra cash (remember that ATM’s will be non-operating),

- Emergency blankets,

- Map(s) of the area,

- If needed, baby (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers) and pet
   supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl),

- Extra set of car keys and house keys,

- Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes,

- Rain gear.

- If you have children – computer games will operate for only a limited amount
   of time. Consider packing board games, a deck of cards, arts and crafts
   supplies and crayons.

If you need to leave your home be careful to avoid flooded roads and washed out bridges.

Preparing Your Home
• Bring in or secure anything that can be picked up by the wind (bicycles, lawn furniture).
• Close your windows and doors. If needed or advised to do so, windows and doors can be boarded up with plywood.
• Turn the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting and keep them closed as much as possible so that food will last longer if the power goes out.
• Turn off all propane tanks
• Fill your car’s gas tank.

General Safety Information
• Drive only if necessary
• Keep far away from loose or dangling power lines and report them immediately to the power company.
• Stay out of any building that has water around it.
• Use flashlights in the dark, avoid using candles.
• Before preparing food or drinking tap water make sure it is not contaminated.
• Watch animals closely and keep them under your direct control.
• Use the telephone only for emergency calls.

Preparing your business
Consider taking the following precautions to help protect people and property and guard against disruption of operations:

• Review your business continuity plan and communicate emergency evacuation and business interruption instructions to employees. If you don’t have a written plan, now is the time to create one. Each business should have an emergency plan including a detailed procedure for evacuation, a checklist for shutting down processes and protecting buildings, contents, equipment, and yard storage. Procedures should include salvage instructions to follow post-event.
• Back up critical data and computer records off-site so that operations can continue after a disaster. Consider keeping a backup generator and plenty of batteries on hand so your business can continue to operate after a power loss.
• As a hurricane approaches, quick actions should to be taken to install temporary protection features including:

- Shutter or board up windows to protect them from flying debris

- Clean out floor drains and catch basins to ensure maximum drainage

- Anchor structures, trailers and yard storage so they are more likely to stay
put during high winds

- Fill emergency generator and fire pump fuel tanks

- Shut down production processes safely

- Shut off all flammable and combustible liquid and gas lines at their source

- Shut off electrical power at the main building disconnect before the
hurricane strikes.

• Once the storm has subsided and it is safe to return, a salvage team should be assembled and repair work prioritized, assuring proper supplies are available and safety procedures followed.

These and other tips on how to stay safe during hurricanes and other natural disasters are available on the FEMA website. There is no harm in being overly cautious. Please be safe!

Rossman Hurt Hoffman Insurance

Posted on August 20, 2011 by admin

Rossman, Hurt, and Hoffman Insurance known as RHH Insurance offers several personal insurance coverage options. Events in life are sporadic and unexpected. That’s why it’s important to be protected at all times. It’s better to have, than to not have by being prepared and feeling safe. RHH has homeowners insurance to protect your really important and valuable personal property, such as, your home and any buildings that sit on your property and even, what it holds including – clothing, furniture, and appliances. They offer auto insurance covering bodily injury to others and personal injury protection. Optional coverage components can always be added, make sure you let them know specifically what you want insured.

Additionally, RHH offers life insurance to provide for your surviving loved ones upon your passing. This is crucial to cover any estate costs, pay for burial and for any other bills your family may incur. Health insurance is also another product to help cover health care costs. It’s very important to have in the event of unforeseen medical emergencies that could potentially be extremely expensive. By having health insurance you would then alleviate much costs and future debt. RHH even has a wedding protection plan.

RHH is upfront and honest and is sure to provide you with the necessary details to ensure you choose the right coverage plans. Their website provides informative feedback with a Frequently asked Q & A section. An added feature is their online insurance quote form. You can input your information in and receive a quote instantly without leaving home but if you want to speak with someone you can always call them using their toll-free number 1 (866) 847-0449. RHH insurance agents will be happy to explain all policy information to make sure there is no content that’s unclear to you. Go ahead and get your price quote today. http://www.rhhinsurance.com/personal-insurance.html

Professional Liability Insurance

Posted on August 10, 2011 by admin

Professional liability insurance is also known as professional indemnity insurance (PII). It is liability coverage that aids in covering professional advice as well as service-providing companies and individuals from bearing the full financial brunt of having to defend themselves against a negligence claim made by a client and any damages that are awarded in negligence civil lawsuits.

Professional liability insurance concentrates on the supposed failure to carry out on the behalf of, monetary loss caused by and error to omission in the service or product sold by the policy holder. These are actions that have the possibility to lead to legal action that wouldn’t be covered by a more basic liability insurance policy which focuses on more direct methods of harm.

In most cases professional indemnity coverage also allows for defense costs, including when the legal action brought up turns out to be baseless. This kind of insurance does no include criminal prosecution. It also does not include a massive variety of possible liabilities under civil law that are not listed one-by-one in the policy coverage, but which may be subject to particular types of professional practice, and in some cases is necessary under binding legal documentation by other companies that are the direct beneficiaries of the service or counsel.

Professional indemnity insurance could also have varied forms and names in accordance to the profession. In the medical profession, for example, it is known as malpractice insurance, consultants, lawyers and brokers call it errors and omissions (E&O) coverage. Other professionals who usually have need of professional liability include maintenance and contractors, financial and accounting services and transport.

The main rationale for professional liability coverage is that a normal general liability insurance policy will only cover physical harm, damage to property, advertising injury or personal injury claim. Other kinds of insurance protect employers and public and product liability. There are different kinds of professional services and products that can lead to legal claims without any of the enumerated types of harm covered by such policies occurring. Normal claims that professional indemnity insurance covers include, misrepresentation, negligence, violation of good faith and erroneous advice.

For more information, visit: http://www.rhhinsurance.com/professional-liability.html

Wedding Insurance

Posted on July 29, 2011 by admin

For most people, a wedding day is the single most expensive day of an entire lifetime of expenses. When planning a wedding, there are outrageous expenses at every turn, from booking the venues to contracting service providers. Enormous amounts of money can be spent quickly to make everything perfect for a couple on their special day, and though hopefully everything will go exactly as planned, there are so many emergencies that can pop up. The smartest thing that anyone who is planning a wedding can do is purchase wedding insurance to cover all the expenses that will be paid for.

Wedding insurance is a little known type of insurance coverage that can be priceless should anything at all go wrong on a wedding day. For the couple themselves, this insurance can help to protect their financial investment and future should anything unexpected happen on their wedding day. And for parents of the wedding couple, wedding insurance can both protect their financial investment and help to insure that the wedding day is perfect.

There are generally two types of wedding insurance that are offered, and most providers offer them both individually and as a package in order to offer the insured the right coverage for their event. Wedding liability insurance is the first type of wedding insurance that is generally offered. This insurance offers coverage for the wedding couple, or their parents, should they be held responsible for property damages or personal injuries either at the wedding or as a result of the wedding. This type of coverage usually also covers alcohol related incidents that can occur at or after the wedding. This coverage is important, as many venues now require renters to have it.

Wedding event insurance is perhaps the more popular of the two types of coverage generally offered. This covers the entire event from planning through wedding day, and insures against extreme situations. It covers illness, disaster, or military deployment that can lead to postponement. It also covers all the deposits paid to vendors in the event that they go out of business, are unable to serve a wedding, or simply do not show up.

Wedding insurance is the smartest purchase anyone who is planning a wedding can make, and will protect the interests of a couple on the most important day of their lives together.

The Importance of Restaurant Insurance

Posted on July 18, 2011 by admin

If you own a restaurant, you will need some type of insurance policy to protect your investment. Restaurant insurance is designed to safeguard your business from a number of problems. The type of policy you will need depends on the location of the restaurant. If you are under the obligation of a bank loan. you will also need insurance coverage according to the bank’s guidelines.

There are numerous types of restaurant insurance policies you can choose from. It is best to understand the laws in your locale prior to picking a policy. There is no need to opt for coverage you may not need in your situation. Consider the type of business you will be running before you choose a policy. It is a good idea to work with an insurer who can provide protection that is specific to your needs.

The most essential types of coverage are general liability, workers’ compensation and property insurance. General liability protects you from lawsuits should anyone get injured or sick in your restaurant. Workers’ compensation provides a similar type of protection for your employees. Property insurance safeguards the building and property in the event of a fire or other disaster.

There are many other types of protection you can use to augment your insurance policy. If you sell alcohol in your restaurant, most states will require you to purchase liquor liability insurance. This protects you if a customer becomes injured after drinking at your establishment. Insurance to cover food contamination due to loss of power is also a good investment. Additionally, specific peril insurance will protect your business from natural disasters.

Restaurant insurance will cover anything from liability issues to faulty equipment. As a restaurant owner, you are obliged by the law to protect your business with insurance coverage. For added protection, consider obtaining a life insurance policy to protect your loved ones from financial obligation. Before you open for business, it is important to determine what type of policy you should commit to. Procuring an insurance policy will safeguard your livelihood so you can reap the rewards of running a profitable business.

Is Your Home Energy Efficient?

Posted on June 16, 2011 by admin

Is your home energy efficient, or are you wasting money on energy bills and not sure what you can do to reduce them? If you live in Howard County, click here and read this article to find out how to apply for a FREE home energy audit through the Howard County program that began June 14th.

If you have had a home energy audit done in the past, tell us what suggestions were made to make your home more energy efficient….and did it help lower your energy bills?

NOAA hurricane outlook indicates an above-normal Atlantic season

Posted on June 2, 2011 by admin

Did you know that June thru November is the “official” hurricane season in the United States? Oh, and just in case you forgot, we are already into the first week of June! During hurricane Isabella some shingles blew off my roof and water blew in my patio door damaging hardwood floors. Very small potatoes compared to the damage in many areas of Maryland and other states. Do you know that many homeowers policies have a separate “hurricane deductible” which applies to damage solely from hurricanes, and that the deductible can range from one to 5% of a home’s insured value? What is your experience with hurricanes? Have you ever had any damage caused by a hurricane or a story about going through one? Share your story here on our Blog!

The Importance of Contractor’s Insurance

Posted on May 3, 2011 by admin

In the course of doing business, contractors such as plumbers and roofers take on several risks of a financial nature as well as being subject to personal injury lawsuits. To lessen this risk, independent contractors may opt to purchase a policy that will cover their costs in the event of being sued for property damage or bodily injury.

Independent contractors provide their services in many of the construction trades, from electrical repair to road construction. Business owners, who already have enough to worry about just keeping the business operating, are going to be far more likely to hire an independent contractor who has a contractor’s insurance policy. To contract for the federal government and some state and local governments, contractor insurance is mandatory.

Contractor insurance policies are generally issued to cover the contractor, the person or company they are providing services to and any person, such as a homeowner, who is directly impacted by the work of a contractor. The policy will cover accidental property or equipment damage as well as protection from medical and legal costs brought on by a third party.

There are two areas that contractor insurance will not provide coverage for. The first is deliberate acts of negligence and the second is acts that occur due to a continued pattern of poor workmanship. However, the insurer would need to prove that such a pattern existed before denying a claim.

The average claim against a contractor often is not made until many years after the event, as faulty construction is often not evident until the finished product has been in use for some time. That is why it is important to understand how long the contractor’s insurance policy will be in place. A contractor’s insurance policy can even provide protection after the contractor has retired.

By purchasing a contractor’s insurance policy, contractors are relieved of the stress and anxiety over accidental damage to property or personal injury to others and can just concentrate on providing the best contracting services possible.

Maryland Weighs Prohibition on Insurers’ Use of Credit Scores

Posted on April 10, 2011 by admin

Maryland lawmakers are weighing whether to prohibit insurers from using credit scores to underwrite auto policies- a move insurers say is a bad idea.
The economic matters committee of the House of Delegates recently held an initial hearing on the measure, which would further clamp down on insurers’ use of credit information in a state where it’s already tightly controlled…more…
How do you weigh in on whether Maryland lawmakers should prohibit insurance carriers from using credit scores to underwrite auto policies?

Are You Ready For The Spring Flooding Season?

Posted on March 24, 2011 by admin

Springtime brings warmer weather, but also brings conditions such as fast melting snow combined with severe storms and heavy rainfall that increase flood risk. Just a steady rainfall can cause rivers, lakes or other bodies of water to overflow their banks, threatening the communities near them. In fact, you don’t even have to be near the water to be at risk! A water-main break can result in a flooding of the surrounding area causing water damage to homes and businesses.

Don’t wait for a water main break in your neighborhood or for local flooding to occur to discover that you are not covered for flood losses. Remember, it takes 30 days AFTER the purchase for a flood policy to take effect. Make that call to us today before you find yourself standing in water! (410) 504-1002

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