Tag Archives: howard county

ALREADY TIRED OF HEARING THE WORD EARTHQUAKE?

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Are you already tired of hearing about the earthquake that shook the East Coast yesterday? Well, this is one bit of information that will hopefully make you stop and think, “Does my homeowners or business policy cover damage caused by an earthquake?”.

Did you know that Standard homeowners and business insurance policies exclude damage to property caused by an earthquake? Since coverage is usually available by endorsement or by a separate stand alone policy, call and talk to one of our friendly account executives today at 410-465-4300.

NOAA hurricane outlook indicates an above-normal Atlantic season

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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!

10 Reasons Your Insurance May Need a Checkup

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Does your insurance need a checkup?

• Have you gotten married or divorced?
• Have you had a baby?
• Did your teenager get a driver’s license?
• Have you switched jobs or experienced a significant change in your income?
• Have you done extensive renovations on your home?
• Have you decided to buy a vacation or potential retirement home?
• Have you acquired any new valuables such as jewelry, electronic equipment, fine art, antiques?
• Have you signed a lease on a house or apartment?
• Have you joined a carpool?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, give us a call to update your policy. (410) 504-1002

How to Deal with Bed Bugs in Your Home or Business

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Here are some tips from your friends at RHH Insurance on how to deal with bed bugs. If you find bed bugs in your home or business, it’s important to get rid of them as quickly as possible, as they can breed and spread very quickly. Patience and persistence is the key to ridding your premises of bugs.  Stop bugs from hiding in your bed Double-sided carpet tape attached to the base of bed legs does not allow the bugs to crawl up to you. Also effective is mineral oil or petroleum jelly applied at the base of the bed leg. Don’t forget that crawling up a bed leg is not the only way a bug can end up hiding in a bed. Use a protective cover that encases mattresses and box springs to eliminate many hiding spots. 

Hire a pest management professional (PMP) Hiring a PMP is the best way to get rid of these pesky bugs. Licensed PMPs know what products should be used, and where. If they are affiliated with a state or national association it’s likely that they stay up-to-date on current practices. They also know best how to find bed bugs. Unfortunately, you will need more than one treatment, and potentially several. The PMP will have to come back two weeks after the initial treatment to apply more insecticides to kill any eggs that have hatched. Insecticides do not kill the eggs. In order for the PMP to do the job properly, he will require prep work from you. If the PMP does not require you to do prep work, call the next company on your list.

Cleaning Thoroughly cleaning a room can help to eliminate bed bugs. Scrub infested surfaces with a stiff brush to dislodge eggs and use a powerful vacuum to remove the bugs from cracks and crevices. This will not ensure that you’ve got all the eggs, but it will help. When vacuuming, use the smallest attachment to suck the bed bugs out of hiding. Bed bugs in the vacuum bag or canister will still be alive. Put the bag or canister contents in a sealed plastic bag and freeze for two weeks to kill the bugs.

Heat treatments Steamers and heat treatments will kill eggs and adults on contact. It is unclear how deeply the high heat of a steamer will penetrate wood and fabric; therefore, steaming may not kill all the eggs or adult bed bugs. Because steam can carry electricity, stay away from switch plates, electrical outlets, and appliances. In order for heat treatment to work, items must be in a dryer on the hottest setting for 60 minutes. Spraying The pesticides used in the middle of the century, such as DDT, have been removed from the market due to environmental and health concerns. There are sprays that claim to kill and repel bed bugs, but they are not your best defense. You should not apply insecticides on your own. You may cause the bugs to hide in different places, which will make it more difficult for a PMP to exterminate them. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite” is no longer just the rhyme it once was.

House Fires – How to Stay Safe

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The National Fire Protection Association indicates house fires are the leading cause of all fire deaths in the United States. According to the NFPA, there were 403,000 residential fires in 2008, resulting in 2,780 deaths and 13,560 injuries. The NFPA acknowledges cooking as the leading cause of house fires in the United States and heating related fires as the second most common cause.
 
Here are some safety tips, brought to you by RHH insurance, to help prevent house fires:
 
Cooking
According to the NFPA, cooking related fires account for approximately 40% of all house fires. Most cooking fires are started when an oven or stove is left unattended or when items are left too close to a heat source. To reduce the risk of a cooking related fire:
- Make sure to never leave your oven or stove unattended while it is on.
- Keep all items at least 3 feet from the heat source, including cookbooks.
- Be sure to keep a properly charged fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen.
- Consider an automatic appliance shut-off switch for elderly or disabled persons.
 
Heating
NFPA statistics show most heating related fires occur in December, January and February and the majority of these fires are caused by fixed and portable space heaters. Extreme caution should be taken whenever alternative heating units are used. Kerosene heaters, electric space heaters, wood burning stoves, pellet stoves and fireplaces all provide hazards which could increase the chance of a fire loss. To reduce the risk of a heating related fire, consider the following:
- Kerosene: Kerosene heaters are extremely dangerous and should not be used inside the home. If a kerosene heater is used in the garage or a separate structure, be sure to choose a model that has been UL (Underwriters Laboratories) listed. Also, make sure the unit has an automatic starter, a fuel gauge and a safety grill. Use only crystal clear K1 kerosene and make sure to slightly open a window for ventilation.
- Electric space heater: Electric space heaters should not be used in wet places such as bathrooms and should always be used on the floor, rather than on top of furniture. Also, be sure the plug fits snugly into the electrical outlet and avoid using an extension cord.
- Wood-burning/Pellet stoves: Have a certified professional install the woodburning or pellet stove and have a certified chimney sweep annually inspect the vent pipe or chimney. Burn only seasoned hardwood and refrain from using the stove to burn cardboard boxes or trash.
- Fireplace: Hire a certified chimney sweep to annually inspect your chimney for cracks, blockages, leaks and creosote build up. Use a sturdy screen or door to keep embers inside the fireplace and use a metal container for ash removal.
 
Electrical
Electrical related fires are also a leading cause of house fires. The most prevalent types of electrical fires involve the improper use of light bulbs and problems with the home electrical system.
- Light bulbs: Never use a light bulb that exceeds the maximum wattage listed on the manufacturer’s warning label. Also, do not place anything over a lamp, such as a towel, clothing or paper.
- Home electrical systems: Allow only qualified electricians to perform electrical work in your home and have any faulty, inadequate or outdated wiring replaced. Avoid using an extension cord to plug in an appliance.
 
Smoking
The NFPA determined smoking to be the leading cause of fire fatalities in 2008, accounting for nearly 25% of all residential fire deaths. Most smoking fires start when a cigarette, cigar or pipe comes in contact with upholstered furniture, such as a couch or a chair, or when a person falls asleep while smoking in bed. As a precautionary measure, make sure to:
- Never smoke in bed
- Require anyone who smokes, to do so outside.
 
Miscellaneous
- Kitchen oven: Never use a kitchen oven to stay warm.
- Generator: When using a generator, be sure to ventilate properly. A generator should not be kept in a garage but should be kept outside, to prevent gases from seeping into the home.
- Candles: Never leave a lit candle unattended, especially if there are pets or small children in the home. Also, extinguish any decorative candle when it gets down to the last ½ inch, as the glass may crack and allow hot wax to leak out and potentially cause a fire.

Follow these tips and a life could be protected and the risk of suffering a devastating fire loss can be drastically reduced.

Maryland Earthquake Offers Reminder of Widespread Risk

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Most Homeowners and Businessowners in Maryland and its surrounding states are NOT prepared for Earthquakes!

The 3.6 magnitude earthquake felt in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area on July 16th had its epicenter in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  While no damage was reported, it is a reminder that in the United States about 5,000 quakes strike each year.  “Since 1900, earthquakes have occurred in 39 U.S. states and caused damage in all 50″, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).

Earthquakes are not covered under standard homeowners or business insurance policies.

Coverage is usually available for earthquake damage in the form of an endorsement to a business or homeowners insurance policy or as a stand-alone policy, depending on the state in which you live.  Standard homeowners and business insurance policies may, however, cover losses from a fire following an earthquake, which would include additional living expenses and business interruption coverage.

Stock knocked off the shelves at a grocery store after an earthquake.  Does your business insurance provide coverage for this?

Call Rossmann-Hurt-Hoffman, Inc. today at 1-866-847-0449 and make sure that your home or business is covered for earthquakes.  A seldom thought of, but very real risk!

Restaurant Insurance: A Necessity for Any Restaurant

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Restaurant insurance is important to have, because it can protect your business from liability issues and lawsuits due to broken equipment. There are many common everyday scenarios restaurants face that can become easily hazardous. This article will discuss some of the great reasons to consider getting insurance for your restaurant business today.

Think about how often chefs are using the fryers in a kitchen, or how often your restaurant is exposed to open flames. Wouldn’t it be a tragedy if a fire broke out in your restaurant? Think about how your business would be severely financially affected, in addition to the injuries workers or even your customers could sustain. Having to engage in legal battles could prove to be even more expensive.

With restaurant insurance, your business is protected from common everyday scenarios like the above that can harm your business.

There are a variety of more specific types of restaurant insurance you may want to invest in for your company. Food contamination insurance is especially helpful if your restaurant happens to lose power one day. If your restaurant loses power due to a storm or fallen power lines, then food contamination insurance will cover the entire contents of your freezer in which you keep your food. Perhaps you own a gourmet restaurant and keep thousands of dollars worth of food in a freezer. This type of restaurant insurance would then cover your valuable losses and would prove to be a valuable investment.

Loss of Business insurance is another kind of restaurant insurance that protects your restaurant. Perhaps you start losing sales or customers due to a recent incident at your restaurant. Depending on what the reason is you may be able to recoup some of the losses with Loss of Business insurance.

Some types of restaurant insurance include all of the specific types in an all-in-one sort of package. This can be a highly favorable choice, if you want to cover all of your bases as a restaurant. If you place a high premium on being prepared, then all inclusive restaurant insurance is the perfect choice for you.

Other times in which restaurant may protect you are for food spoilage, liquor liability reasons, worker’s compensation lawsuits, and a plethora of other scenarios.

Having restaurant insurance is the best way your restaurant can prepare for the worst. Be prepared and your preparation may be a smart investment in the future when you need insurance most.

Stay Safe If Your Car Breaks Down

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If you are in an accident or your car breaks down, safety should be your first concern. Getting out of the car at a busy intersection or on a highway to change a tire or check damage from a fender bender is probably one of the worst things you can do. The Insurance Information Institute recommends the following precautions when your car breaks down:

1. Never get out of the vehicle to make a repair or examine the damage on a busy highway. Get the vehicle to a safe place before getting out. If you’ve been involved in an accident, motion the other driver to pull up to a safe spot ahead.
2. If you can’t drive the vehicle, it may be safer to stay in the vehicle and wait for help or use a cell phone to summon help. Under most circumstances standing outside the vehicle in the flow of traffic is a bad idea.
3. Carry flares or triangles to use to mark your location once you get to the side of the road. Marking your vehicle’s location to give other drivers advance warning can be critical. Remember to put on your hazard lights!
4. In the case of a blowout or a flat tire, move the vehicle to a safer place before attempting a repair—even if it means destroying the wheel getting there. The cost of a tire, rim or wheel is minor compared to endangering your safety.

EAT, DRINK AND BE LIABLE!

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Hidden liability comes along with holiday festivities. For those who mix alcohol with corporate or private parties, proper insurance is essential.

Holidays can be fun times filled with office and private parties, but they can also be deadly with increased drunk driving this time of year. Anyone hosting a holiday party should take steps to limit their liquor liability and make sure they have the proper insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).

Social host liability laws vary widely from state to state. Some states do not impose any liability on social hosts. Others limit liability to injuries that occur on the host’s premises. Some extend the host’s liability if the person who was provided the alcohol is killed or injured, or kills or injures another person. Many states have laws that pertain specifically to furnishing alcohol to minors.

“Most people are aware that serving alcohol to minors is illegal, yet a survey of young people shows that the most common sources of alcohol are from their own home or from persons over the age of 21 who purchase alcohol for them,” said Loretta Worters, vice president with the I.I.I. “Depending on the jurisdiction, violations of social host laws can lead to civil or criminal fines, imprisonment and monetary damages awards.”

Worters also pointed out if you are throwing a party where alcohol is served, it is your responsibility to make sure that your guests are capable of driving safely. “You don’t want to allow anyone who has been drinking to drive home and possibly kill or injure themselves or others on the road.”

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF—AND YOUR ASSETS

If you plan to host a holiday party and serve alcohol, the I.I.I. offers the following tips on how to have a successful and safe party:

  • Consider hiring a professional bartender or reliable friend to serve drinks. This will discourage your friends from mixing their own drinks and help to keep track of the size and number of drinks they consume. Most bartenders are trained to recognize signs of intoxication and will limit consumption by partygoers who have had too much.
  • Be a responsible host. Limiting your own alcohol intake will allow you to better determine if a guest is sober enough to drive at the end of the night.
  • Serve non-alcoholic beverages. Always have soft drinks, juices and other non-alcoholic beverages available for those guests who are driving or choose not to drink.
  • Don’t serve alcohol to minors. Period. The legal drinking age in every state is 21 and, as a host, it is your responsibility to abide by it.
  • Don’t force drinks on your guests or rush to refill their glasses when empty. Be a smart host; push the food, not the alcohol on your guests.
  • Always serve food with alcohol. It is proven that food can help counter the effects of alcohol.
  • Don’t admit individuals into your home who are already intoxicated. Access to more alcohol will likely create negative outcomes that you could be held liable for, such as fighting, alcohol poisoning and drunk driving.
  • Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party ends. Serve only coffee, tea and non-alcoholic beverages toward the end of your party. As the host or hostess, it is your responsibility to help your guests get home safely, so limit the amount of alcohol served toward the end of the party as guests prepare to go home.
  • Speak to each of your guests before they leave the party. If you think someone is unable to drive, call a cab and pay for it yourself, arrange a ride with a sober friend, drive your guest home, or encourage that person to stay over. This will protect your guest as well as other drivers on the road.
  • Encourage all your guests to wear seatbelts as they drive home. Studies show that seatbelts do safe lives.

“Talk with your insurance agent about your liability insurance coverage and any exclusions, conditions or limitations your policy might have for this kind of risk,” advised Worters. “Appropriate liability insurance coverage is necessary, but your insurance may not be enough to cover a judgment against you as a social host. If you are also charged criminally, then it is possible that your policy will not cover the civil judgment.”

Worters noted that party hosts should do their part to help reduce the number of DUI-related crashes by taking the necessary steps to help promote responsible hospitality over the holiday season. “It’s not just about the risk; it’s also about the responsibility. Nobody wants to feel responsible for someone else’s injury or death.”

The I.I.I. is a nonprofit, communications organization supported by the property/casualty insurance industry.