NH insurance | Brownell Insurance

January 9, 2018 By Brownell Insurance Center

Freezing temperatures may wreak havoc on your home.

Freezing temperatures may wreak havoc on your home, leading to interruptions in water flow or pipe bursts.

What is covered under your homeowner policy, and how can you file the claim?

This winter has brought unseasonably cold temperatures to New England. The extended period of arctic air has lead to weeks of near zero temperatures. This has resulted in battles with freezing conduits and water leaks due to bursting pipes for many homeowners. If you are among them, you may wonder what is covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy.

In general, most damage caused by frozen pipes should be covered under your policy. Not all policies are created equal, however, so you should converse with your agent. Some policies may include stipulations around minimum temperature requirements, or even insist upon thermostat alarm systems which notify homeowners when temps are too low for safe keeping of pipes and supply lines. Be sure you understand the guidelines of your policy before filing a claim.

Moving forward with your claim, you should be aware that some items may not be covered, even if your claim is approved. While insurance may cover the costs of damages or remediation, the expenses associated with new pipes or fittings may not be covered. The cost of the plumber’s time or contracted labor may also be excluded. Remember, your carrier is only obligated to cover reasonable and necessary expenses due to clean-up. This means homeowners should be aware of independent contractors providing inflated pricing for remediation and clean-up or repair services. Don’t get caught off guard by signing a service contract that will not fall within the coverages provided through your insurance carrier.

We are lucky enough to be enjoying a warmer trend in the temperatures this week. Still, it’s important to know how to protect your pipes from freezing. Insulating outside walls, or applying insulated pipe wraps to exposed pipes in unheated areas of your home can have a profound impact. Also, be sure that any pickets or water supplies outside of the house are well-drain prior to plunging temps. Here is a list of items for review to help keep your pipes in good working order all winter long:

Clean your gutters so melting snow and ice can stream freely
Turn on your faucets and allow them to drip slowly. Moving water will prevent freezing.
Heat your house to a minimum of 60 degrees in the winter; lower to a minimum of 55 degrees when you will be absent for extended periods of time.
Open cabinet doors below kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warm air to circulate.
Disconnect all gardening hoses and install covers on all outside faucets.
Identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater. (In case of emergency.)
Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or with heating tape.
Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close open-air vents. Freezing temperatures with wind drafts causes pipes to freeze more frequently.
Heat your basement and consider weather sealing your windows, and/or insulate outside walls and unheated areas of your home.
If you plan to be away from home for an extended period, shut off water supply valves to your washing machine

More from the Red Cross on how to deal with freezing pipes.

While frozen pipes, and the damage they cause, may be the most common winter problem for homeowners, it is not the only thing can cause damage. High winds, sudden hail storms and ice dams on roofs are also common winter problems. For more information on these household extreme weather incidents click here.

For the most current information regarding your current policy and the type of incidents included in your coverage we recommend speaking to your personal agent. If you would like a free policy review, or help establishing a claim please contact our office at 603.437.1992 for our Londonderry, NH office or 603.296.0077 for our Hampton, NH office. We are always available through our website, www.brownellinsurance.com

September 6, 2017 By Brownell Insurance Center

Auto Accident Damage Needing Repairs?

Not all parts are equal. Know what kind of parts will be used in your vehicle.

Murphy’s Law – It seems whenever you have a new car, you might as well have a target painted on it inviting people to hit your new vehicle? There are some important facts that you need to be aware of before you have your car fixed. In order for you to be satisfied with your car repair, you will need to know what expectations are reasonable. Collision and/or comprehensive coverages promised by your car insurance carrier are meant to return your car to you in like, kind and quality condition as you had before your accident. Most people assume that they will get all new factory-direct original parts for their damaged vehicle, but alternative parts are usually used by most insurance companies. That is okay – for you must consider that your vehicle is not brand-new. Your auto insurance company will usually use the best parts available. Nobody wants to sell or install bad parts, as consumers will merely come back with complaints or lawsuits trying to recoup dollars spent for the damage to be repaired again. Most insurance companies are committed to top-quality repairs and have guarantees that the alternative parts are in good condition. Also included in this guarantee, is a promise that if any alternative part used in repairing your car is defective or damaged, insurance will pay to replace it. This replacement usually includes the cost of the part, labor and rental of another vehicle while your car is being fixed.

Types of alternative parts used in most auto repairs:

Aftermarket – a part not manufactured by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) – the company that built your car.
Recycled – an undamaged part from another car, the same model year or newer
Reconditioned/remanufactured – original equipment manufactured part that meets product specifications using a combination of reused, repair and new parts.

Alternative parts are safe and auto and insurance industries feel should be used to help keep the price to repair your car down. Parts that insurance companies usually consider using alternative parts for repair are:

External body parts
Grills
Mirrors
Headlamps and tail lamps
Bumpers
Brackets
Wheels
Suspension parts
Axles

There are parts of your car that could change the safety integrity to your vehicle, so most insurance companies will only use original parts made specifically for your vehicle for these repairs. Parts that insurance companies don’t typically consider using alternative parts:

Steering columns
Windshields with safety stop features
Safety items
- Antilock brake parts
- Seatbelts
- Airbags
Bumper reinforcements designed for structural components of vehicle
Radiator or core supports designed for structural components of vehicle

With state regulations spotty, car insurance companies have broad discretion in deciding whether to use original equipment or manufactured parts, generic or off-brand, or recycled parts or your car repair. That which restores your car to its “pre-loss condition” so to speak, would be the method used to describe the repair. There is an upside to this reparation using alternative parts; some of these alternative parts incorporate improvements that have been made to the original manufactured part because they were found to have been operating poorly following road tests over the years. You must also consider that the older your automobile gets – the more expensive, under stocked or less available parts become. Requiring auto insurance companies to use only new original equipment parts would cause your auto repair to be either severely delayed or too cost prohibitive to fix thus totaling your vehicle.

Mr. Worter of the Insurance Information Institute states, “Elimination of the aftermarket parts industry would drive up repair costs between 50 and 100%. This would cause insurers to declare more total losses from car crashes, with a corresponding increase in auto insurance rates.” He goes on to say, “Ultimately, more cars will wind up in the junkyard and they will be junked at a faster rate than they would be without a competitive crash parts market.” With insurance companies trying to move towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, restricting the use of alternative parts would be counter-intuitive to this goal.

It is never pleasant to be involved in an auto accident. The process can be very confusing. It is always wise to make sure you have the best insurance coverage for your situation. At Brownell Insurance Center, we review your auto insurance with you to ensure that you have the best rates and coverage for your automobile. Having the best coverage will ensure that when you get your newly repaired car back from the auto shop after a nasty accident, you will be pleased that your car looks almost brand-new again, with the added benefit that all you had to pay was the deductible required by your auto insurance policy.

Dare to compare your auto policy with us –your peace of mind is a wonderful thing to have when accidents happen.

Sources for this blog are:

Insure.com | http://www.insure.com/car-insurance/oem-parts-rights.html

Safeco Insurance | http://www.safecoagentnews.com/articles/alternative-parts

August 9, 2017 By Brownell Insurance Center

Detached structures on my property. What’s the correct coverage?

Detached structures on my property. What’s the correct coverage? When you review your homeowner’s home structure coverage for “Other Structures” (Coverage B). This may make you ponder what “Other Structures” coverage is, do I need it or am I paying extra for this coverage?

“Other Structures” are part of your homeowner’s policy coverage that covers structures on your residence property separated from your home by a clear space or connected to your home by a fence, utility line, or constructed connection. The limit of insurance for all “Other Structures” combined is 10% of the dwelling limit (Coverage A.) Home construction in the United States changed during the 1970s in that during this period many contractor’s due to price or lack of space chose to build garages or man “Other Structures” directly attached to the home. Many insureds began to think that the charge for “Other Structures” coverage in their homeowner’s insurance policy was a charge for unneeded – and unusable – coverage. However, almost all property-owners need “Other Structures” coverage, for it covers many items on your property.

“Other Structures” coverage can include depending on what company your home is insured with:

Detached garages
Storage sheds
Barns
Guest houses
Pool houses
Gazebos
Fences
Driveways
Sidewalks
Patios
Swimming pools
Retaining walls

Having said that your homeowner’s policy covers these “Other Structures” at 10% of Coverage A value, this coverage has its pros and cons. The automatic coverage, which doesn’t cost you anything, might not be enough to replace the “Other Structure” but on the pro side at least you had some coverage to fix or replace your structure. For example: if your home was insured for $200,000, you would automatically have $20,000 in “Other Structure” coverage. This may be enough coverage to fix a fence, storage shed or sidewalk but would it be enough to repair or rebuild a detached garage or a barn?

Additional coverage can be obtained for these larger “Other Structures” for an additional charge. Usually it is about $4 per $1000 of coverage. It is important to note that this additional coverage can be on a Replacement Cost or Actual Cash Value basis. Detached buildings are usually covered on a Replacement Cost method. Replacement Cost will pay to rebuild or repair your building without a deduction for depreciation. “Other Structures” that are not buildings, such as sidewalks, patios or driveways are covered at an Actual Cash Value basis. Actual Cash Value provides coverage that depreciates the “Other Structure” by age and condition of the structure prior to the loss. This might mean that you will not get the entire structure replaced or repaired by your insurance.

Another consideration that you should understand is that the standard homeowner’s insurance policy only covers personal use but does not cover business use. An example: you had a storage shed on your property that contained your gardening tools. This shed would be covered if the shed and those tools (covered by your contents “Coverage C” coverage) were used only for your personal use, not if you were a professional landscaper. If you were a professional landscaper, you would need to insure the shed and the tools on a business policy.

Most homeowner’s policies require that you cover your “Other Structures” at least 80% of their value or you could receive a coinsurance penalty at the time of the loss. Basically, this means that they take the value of the building before the loss divided by the amount the building should’ve been covered for at the time of the loss. Example: you have $20,000 in “Other Structures” coverage but the insurance company states that you should have had $40,000 in this coverage due to the size of your structure. Then you had a $30,000 loss due to fire, you probably would only get $15,000 to repair or rebuild your structure. It is extremely important to have your “Other Structures” insured properly in order to get enough funds to replace or repair your structure.

So pullout your homeowner’s policy! Look at what you have for “Other Structures” coverage and take an inventory of what you have on your property. Do you have enough coverage? We at Brownell Insurance would love to discuss this with you to ensure that at the time of loss, you are properly insured. It takes only a few minutes to provide you with this peace of mind.

Information used for this blog came from websites of Travelers, Safeco, MetLife and IRMI (International Risk Management Institute, Inc.)

July 12, 2017 By Brownell Insurance Center

Renter’s Insurance = Peace of Mind

Many apartment dwellers think that renter’s insurance is too expensive and out of reach for budget conscious consumers. The truth is, renter’s insurance could cost as little as $200 annually. Is that too much money for peace of mind?

Picture this: You’re coming home from work and notice your front door ajar. When you get to the open door you find that someone has broken into your apartment. Noticing that your television set, computer and several other items are missing you begin to panic. If you are not covered by renter’s insurance, you will be without these items indefinitely, unless the police can find and return them to you. Following your report to local police, an up to date renter’s policy would help replace the stolen items.

Now picture this: Returning from an evening out, you see firefighters tackling a fire in your apartment building. Dense black smoke is pouring out of your apartment windows. As you stand there helpless, firefighters douse your apartment with water in an effort to tame the fire. It could be several hours or possibly days before you are able to get inside your apartment. Finally re-entering you discover that severe fire damage as well as water damage has occurred to your belongings thus destroying most. You will have to find temporary living arrangements and replace almost everything you own.

It is a common misconception that a landlord’s insurance will cover that type of loss. In fact, building owners carry insurance that covers the structure and equipment (such as appliances) only. Do not wrongly assume that you didn’t need renters as you will quickly learn that the damage to your personal property is not covered. All contents housed within the walls are the responsibility of the renters or lessee.

Renter’s insurance can also help protect you if you are sued due to accidents that occur at your apartment. A typical scenario might start with an invitation to several people to enjoy a party at your home. At the end of the event several of your guests leave with a blood-alcohol level higher than allowed under state law. Sadly, they are in a severe car accident resulting in many injuries. Found liable for serving alcohol and allowing people to leave drunk, you could have to pay legal fees plus any monies awarded to the victims. If you have renter’s insurance, the insurance company will provide legal protection if the claim is covered. The general liability portion of your renter’s policy will also cover any monies awarded up to the limit purchased on your policy.

An important option available on renter’s insurance is full replacement value coverage. This coverage provides full replacement value for most of your belongings. You will be reimbursed the cost to purchase new items that are comparable values. An example would be if you had a large screen TV that was for five years old. Your insurance would cover the cost for you to purchase a new large screen TV of like kind and quality. If this inexpensive option is not taken, the insurance company would depreciate the value of the television set plus minus your deductible and pay you the difference. This amount of money would not be enough to replace your television set.

Another option that you can add to a renter’s policy is scheduled personal property such as jewelry, guns, furs or other collectibles. You will need to get the items appraised and then the insurance company will insure them up to that amount. This is a very valuable option. If you were to lose a diamond ring or even the diamond out of the setting, it would not be covered under a standard renter’s policy. With the scheduled personal property option, your ring or your diamond if lost or stolen would be replaced with the same like kind and quality as you had.

In any of these scenarios, you could have help recovering from this scary nightmare. Renters insurance provides coverage for your personal possessions. Under both of these conditions, you could easily spend thousands of dollars to get back into the financial condition that you are in before the loss. With the cost to replace the average renter’s belongings at about $30,000, the cost of renters insurance seems a small price to pay for peace of mind. Renter’s insurance can ease your worries in the event that something goes wrong. We at Brownell Insurance will gladly answer any further questions that you may have. Please feel free to call us at 603-437-1992. You might also be pleasantly surprised that many of our companies will also give you a discount on your auto insurance if you purchase renters insurance. Give us a quick call today!

Freezing temperatures may wreak havoc on your home, leading to interruptions in water flow or pipe bursts.

Not all parts are equal. Know what kind of parts will be used in your vehicle.

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