The Leslie Corrigan Insurance Difference
April 12, 2011 | 
Author 
Do you remember the movie Ground Hog Day? The one with the infamous Ned Ryerson character. Whether Ned makes you laugh or wince, or simply makes you want to run the other direction, he represents the stereotype of my chosen profession, the Insurance Agent. You have to love him a bit because he cares so much about selling insurance. But on the other hand he’s a consumer’s nightmare, the sales guy who won’t go away, the one who cares more about making the sale than he cares about the needs of his client.
In addition to the pushy sales person we also have the competition in the form of Flo, Cavemen, and Lizards. What we are at Leslise Corrigan Insurance is real. We take pride in being honest and professional. And isn’t that what you want your insurance agent to be? We strive to work individually with each of our clients to be sure they have the right protection for their situation…and every situation is different!
We will be using this blog to educate you on insurance and things you should think about as you make insurance decisions. Insurance is an important part of our lives. Some of it is mandatory; e.g., auto and home insurance, but many others are not; e.g., life and health. And it’s those others that are as equally important as the mandatory.
Leslie Corrigan
Agency Owner
Posted in 
The Most Common Types of Lawsuits
This is why insurance matters!
Here’s our list of some of the most common types of personal injury lawsuit cases:
Automobile Accident Lawsuits
Automobile accidents are one of the most common personal injury cases. They can involve high medical bills that may make it difficult for you to pay living expenses, keep you from working temporarily or permanently, and often leads to stress both emotional and financial. The lawsuit process for auto accidents is often lengthy, and may take several years.
Injuries to Children
Injuries to children are perhaps one of the hardest types of injury cases in which to receive financial compensation, just because there is much to prove in regards to who was at fault.
While judges and juries have sympathy for children, they also consider that the adults may be pursuing the case only for the money. In addition, insurance companies sometimes contend that an injury to a child is a result of his/her own negligence.
For example, if a child got hit by a car, the insurance company might say the child ran into the street and call it a “pedestrian dart-out” case. On the other hand, personal injury lawyers will normally call this a “pedestrian knock-down” case.
In cases where children have been injured, it is important to take photos of the accident scene and talk to any witnesses. This will typically help strengthen your defense. The younger the child is, however, the weaker your case is for non-negligence in most instances.
Slip and Fall
Slip and fall cases are very common.
In a slip and call case, a common defense is to contend that “comparative negligence” was involved.
What is comparative negligence? It essentially means that the victim might have had an accident because they failed to avoid the hazard when in fact it could have been evaded. When this defense is used, juries will take into account whether the plaintiff’s negligence contributed to the accident.
Slip and fall cases our often complex. For example, a person may have tripped when entering a store. Here, it is important to prove that the store knew that the slippery floor was a hazard, and should have put a floor mat down or otherwise tried to fix it.
Customers are often referred to as “business invitees,” which means businesses are responsible for their safety. There is also “attractive negligence” as well. Even if someone is trespassing, the owner may be held responsible. As such, if a child wanders into an unfenced pool, the owner could be held liable. Read the rest of this entry »
The importance of a Home Inventory
Did you add new items to your home in 2011? New TV? New computer? New jewelry? Take the time to update or create a home inventory.
Replacing our homes after a loss is very important but replacing our contents is one the most important aspects of picking up the pieces and putting our lives back together. Be prepared. We suggest using an online website such as www.knowyourstuff.org to inventory all of your possessions. We also recommend you take digital photos and/or videos and upload them to a secure website such as www.box.net.
And we will be there when you need us. The process of building trust and peace of mind begins the first time you sit down with one of our agents. It’s not about selling you a policy it’s about you knowing what to do and who to turn to for advice and assistance in the event the unthinkable happens.
What is a “Mutual” insurance company?
As a client of the Leslie Corrigan Insurance Agency you more than likely have one or more policies with Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. The word “mutual” has significance. This means that you and the rest of Nationwide’s policyholders have ownership of Nationwide Insurance. Did you know that?
This differs from insurance companies that are owned by shareholders. These are “stock” owned insurance companies.
One major difference between a mutual insurance company and a stock insurance company is that you do not have to own an insurance policy to be a partial owner of a stock insurance company. Acquiring ownership of a stock insurance company is as easy as placing a trade for shares of that company’s stock. On the other hand, if you want to own a portion of a mutual insurance company, you must become a policyholder.
Stock companies are obligated to focus on the wishes and desires of the shareholders, which may not always be in line with what is actually best for the consumers and policyholders of the insurance company.
Each type of company has a Board of Directors. A stock company’s Board of Directors must answer to the shareholders for its actions and decisions. On the contrary, a mutual company’s Board of Directors represents the policyholders. To see who the Nationwide Board of Directors are Click Here.
Cutting the cost of Teen Drivers
Cutting The Cost Of Teen Driving might not be as difficult as you think. Find out if your teenage driver is eligible for these policy discounts.
With high unemployment, plus concerns over rising gas prices and inflation, parents are seeking ways to cut the costs associated with getting teen drivers on the road.
A recent Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company survey shows that households with teen drivers shell out an average of nearly $3,100 each year to allow their teens to drive. While other factors are involved, the cost of having a teen driver is a major one.
On average, parents of teens pay or will pay nearly two-thirds or more of all costs associated with their child driving, ranging from auto insurance to gasoline. Further, 40 percent of parents will pay for all the costs associated with their child driving, while 33 percent will share these costs with their teen. Only one in six parents of teens say that their teen will pay for all the driving expenses.
To help offset the cost, here are a few tips to manage the cost of car insurance:
Good Student Discounts:
Nationwide Insurance offer discounts for young drivers who excel academically. These good student discounts reflect that responsibility in the classroom often leads to responsibility behind the wheel. Nationwide offers a 25 percent reduction in premium for drivers under age 21 who maintain a B average or better.
Education Pays Off:
Some insurers provide a discount to families that register their teen to participate in a driver certification program.
Family Plan:
Check to see if your insurer provides a family plan that provides discounts earned by the adults in a household to their teen driver(s). Discounts extended to teens as a part of the family plan include multicar, multipolicy and financial responsibility. These reductions can help save up to 25 percent on auto insurance premiums.
Multiline Discounts:
Bundling policies—such as home, auto and life insurance products—with one company is a great way to save money on the overall cost of insurance.
Deductible Options:
Having a higher deductible on an auto policy, combined with programs such as Vanishing Deductible and Accident Forgiveness, can keep out-of-pocket expenses stable. For example, those who can afford to pay $500 when a claim occurs may want to select this as their deductible amount in order to lower insurance premiums.
Other Discounts:
Having your payments made electronically can save you up to $48 annually.
Understanding “replacement cost” versus “market value” of your home
My home is only worth $170,000. Why does my insurance company want me to insure it for $220,000?
One of the biggest questions consumers have regarding homeowner’s insurance revolves around the amount of insurance to place on their dwelling (home). When purchasing a house, the mortgage company requires the homeowner to obtain insurance prior to closing. Most consumers assume the amount of dwelling coverage will be equal to the amount they paid for their house. This is incorrect in most cases.
Many homeowners equate the “worth” of a home to its market value, especially if the home was a recent purchase. While market value is a valid calculation of a home’s worth for buying and selling, it has little to do with the cost of rebuilding. The estimate you are providing is the amount to reconstruct the home at today’s costs.
Why is reconstruction cost more expensive than new construction?
Rebuilding a home includes many factors and expenses not considered in new construction.
Economies of scale – It costs more for a contractor to build one home at a time because materials are not purchased in bulk. A single household item that matches the one that’s been destroyed will nearly always cost more than if it had been part of a larger purchase.
Top-down versus bottom-up – Repair work for a partially destroyed home is done from the top of the home down. This is more time consuming and labor-intensive. Read the rest of this entry »
You don’t have to be a millionaire to be sued like one!
You’ve insured your car and your home, but what if?
What if you fall asleep at the wheel when driving home and cause an accident that seriously injures several people?
What if you have been meaning to fix the deck in your backyard, but a guest walks over it and falls through?
In these cases, the injured parties may sue you for amounts above one million dollars. Your auto insurance will offer you some liability and will pay up to the amount of liability you posses. Likewise, your homeowner’s policy will pay out at the liability rate you have purchased. In these cases, a Personal Umbrella Liability (PUL) policy can help you survive a lawsuit without losing everything you own.
Personal umbrella insurance acts as protection once your other policies have been exhausted. In cases where personal umbrella insurance is not purchased, causing an accident can result in your surrender of all your material goods in order to assess their value. Most often the property assessed is your home, cars and boating goods. Other property like jewelry and assets may also be part of the pot a person in a lawsuit can claim. Additionally, a portion of your salary may need to go to any successful claimants for many years, if not for the rest of your life.
Even if a lawsuit does not result in a huge reward, court costs are frequently high and exceed amounts an auto or home insurance will allow. Personal umbrella insurance will also step in to allow for repayment of court costs without your needing to sell assets to meet these costs.
Contact us today for a Personal Umbrella Liability quote. We think you’ll be surprised at the affordability for the protection it provides!
Your Security is Our Responsibility!
Leslie Corrigan Insurance is Proud to be an on Your Side® Certified Agency
What does it mean to be On Your Side Your Side Certified?
- Our staff is highly trained to provide you with only the best service.
- We take the time to explain insurance – without the jargon.
- We carefully customize each and every policy to fit our client’s unique needs.
To be considered On Your Side Certified, our agency commits to stringent customer service training and standards and are open extended hours. As part of our customer service commitment, we provide annual On Your Side Reviews to our clients and any other consumers looking for insurance assistance.
These reviews involve looking at the client’s current situation, any recent or expected life changes, and their current insurance coverages to make sure they are properly protected and to identify whether there might be ways they can save.
Your security is our responsibility!
What to do when you hear a tornado warning
If you hear a “Tornado Warning” seek safety immediately!
Indoors:
- Abandon mobile homes — they are not safe even when tied down. Go to a designated shelter
- Go to a basement or interior room on the lowest floor (bathroom or closet without windows, under stairs). Get under a sturdy piece of furniture.
- Cover yourself with a mattress or blanket
- Put bicycle helmets on kids
- Put on sturdy shoes
- Put infants in car seats (indoors!)
- If you have time, gather prescription medications, wallet and keys.
- DO NOT open your windows!
In a vehicle:
- Leave the vehicle for sturdy shelter or drive out of the tornado’s path
- DO NOT hide under overpasses — they provide no shelter
- Last resort actions – stay in your vehicle or abandon for a roadside ditch
Outdoors:
- Find a culvert or cave.
- Find something to hang onto.
- Lie flat in a ditch.
- Cover your head.