accident – Susman

January 9, 2017

Yes, You NEED Car Insurance

Have you ever been in a car accident? I have.
Luckily, I have never been at fault, but unfortunately, I have been hit more than once by a driver that didn’t have insurance.

Imagine this scenario:
You are the first car at a complete stop at the red light of a major intersection. While listening to your favorite radio station and waiting for the light to turn green, SMASH!
You get rear-ended.
The driver behind you was busy looking at a text on his cell phone and didn’t realize he needed to actually stop his car prior to hitting you.
Once the realization of the hit and whiplash registers, you step out of your car. There is severe damage to your vehicle, yet barely a dent to his. Of course. You start the process of exchanging information, but notice that he starts to get really uncomfortable. Clearly, he doesn’t have proper car insurance. In fact, he admits that he doesn’t have any auto coverage.

Car insurance is important and necessary.
Why?
To start, it is the law. Most states require that all drivers carry minimum liability coverage. Driving without insurance means you are breaking the law and if you get caught, it can result in substantial fines, increased insurance premiums, and even a suspended license. Outside of it being the law, your vehicle is a very important part of your life. They are an expensive investment that need protecting. You would probably have a very hard time functioning without your car. Cause an accident and be at fault – it could get so expensive that you can’t afford your other bills and worst-case scenario, have to file bankruptcy. Making a small monthly payment toward your total premium now, can save you a ton of money later on. HUGE expenses can results from being in a car accident. With over 6.5 million car accidents happening every year in America alone, you need the coverage for you, the car, the passengers, and property. It provides peace of mind knowing that you are financially protected and have the assistance of an insurance agent to help you through the claim process.

Do you still need other reasons?
Your car insurance provides a level of legal protection between you and other drivers that wouldn’t hesitate to sue you for even the most ridiculous reasons.
It also offers protection from the nasty acts of Mother Nature. Hail, flood, icicles piercing your windshield, swept up by a tornado, etc.…you really want to have that coverage in case Mother Nature strikes!
Bottom line – ALWAYS HAVE CAR INSURANCE!

October 21, 2016

Protected Traveler

Summer is long over and most of our travel and vacations have come to an end.

For now.

Holiday travel is quickly approaching. Some trips might just be a drive down the street, while other holiday travel might take you to another country.

Do you know if you need travel insurance?

Do you know why you need travel insurance?

Travel insurance can minimize financial risks associated with travel – especially out of the country. Often times the minute we leave US soil, health insurance says goodbye and you are on your own if you get sick or injured. Travel insurance can help protect you in instances of accident, illness, missed flights, canceled tours, lost baggage, theft, terrorism, travel-company bankruptcies, emergency evacuation, and getting your body home if you die. For some travelers, getting travel insurance is a no-brainer and something they do for every trip. For others, it is something they pass-up without hesitation, thinking “nothing will happen to me.” This isn’t a scare tactic to force you into getting travel insurance. We just want to educate you on why it might be beneficial. Are you willing to take certain risks when you spent a ton of money on a big trip?

Getting travel insurance through Susman Insurance is easy. You can speak to us directly or get a quote online. All we need to know is your destination, departure date, return date, age of travelers, zip code, trip costs, and the type of product (insurance) you need. EASY!

Everybody loves to travel and deserves the peace of mind knowing that even on vacation, you are protected.

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August 11, 2015

Disability Insurance

Disability can occur at any time. While many people take their body and health for granted, serious accident or injury can happen to anyone and if you find yourself disable, for a short period or long term, how will you cope?

Disability insurance is a sub set of health insurance that will provide the holder with income should they become disabled and thus unable to continue earning a living. If this were to happen to you, do you know what you or your family would do for income?

If you are aged 40, there is a higher chance that you will be disabled, and thus unable to work for a period of 90 days or more, than of you dying before the age of 65. There are three common ways of insuring against this risk.

Employer’s Insurance

The first is to receive insurance from your employer. This is required by law in many states. It comes as a form of short or long term paid sick leave. Larger employers can have even more generous terms. For example, a common policy might offer you 60% of your salary for five years, or maybe even all the way up to retirement. While not everyone is lucky enough to work for such a company, it is worth checking with your employer to find out what your protection is and whether or not its something you wish to provide for yourself.

Long Term Disability

The second common protection against this type of risk is social security and disability benefits. This usually only covers employees whose disability lasts for a period of 12 months or more. It also must be shown to be so severe that you cannot find gainful employment. Therefore there are some gaps here that you may be more comfortable providing for with private insurance.

Individual Policies

The third method of dealing with this risk is with an individual disability insurance policy. This means taking out a private insurance policy yourself. You should shop around to make sure you get the best deal available, but at least you will have the peace of mind of knowing in what circumstances you are covered and what the terms of the policy cover.

There are some other sources of protection. Workman’s compensation policies will sometimes step in to cover you if the injury occurred at work. Auto insurance may provide coverage if the injury occurred in a car accident and the Department of Veteran’s affairs can advise you if you think the disability is related to service in the armed forces.

May 20, 2015

Car insurance for lady drivers

Car insurance companies prefer lady drivers to their gentlemen counterparts because they are considered as much less risky drivers. It is not that the accident rates of ladies are low. They face as many accidents as males do. However, the damage caused by them is not as much in most of the cases. So, their claims after the accident are also less. That is why on an average women’s car insurance premiums tend to be 30% lower than that of the male counterparts having same demographic profile.

They drive at speeds lower than men. Hence, accidents caused by lady drivers are not serious. So, even if they might claim as often as males do yet, in all they claim less amounts, giving insurers lesser premiums. Since the male drivers drive at higher speeds so even if they crash on their own, the loss is high. In case, the accident involves two vehicles in high damage state, it becomes an insurance company’s nightmare.

A lady is regarded to be a better risk right from the age of 17. There are many premium discounts available for a young lady driver, like pass plus certificate. It is a series of extra lessons that a young lady driver learns following their test. It can gain you a discount of around 30% for the first year.

Some car insurance companies specialise in auto insurance for women drivers. Literally, these companies try to insure women drivers only. They don’t even encourage getting a lady insured with her husb and under combined policy. Because they can’t give too much discount, as they have to think about her husb and’s high risk factors as well. So, they would prefer woman with woman. It means providing less risk in total, meaning lower premiums in total. That really clicks for them.

So, the calculation is simple – the lower premiums might mean that they don’t make much profit. However, if they can get as many women as possible, then the volume of business can go high. Look out these companies if you are a woman. Lady car insurance quote includes legal cover as well. It helps you to claim back your excess from the third party in the event of a non-fault claim. You can further lower your premium by parking your car overnight in the garage, by getting extra driving license course, and maintaining a good driving record.

May 18, 2015

Car Insurance FAQs

Can I insure a modified or classic car; who will offer insurance cover?

Yes, you can insure a modified car but because your car is a specialist car, not all auto insurance companies might be willing to provide coverage for it since it requires high price replacement parts and also skilled labor if the car is involved in an accident. Thus, you have to take a special car insurance that is designed especially for modified and classic cars.

How can I cut down my car insurance premium?

If you wish to cut down on your car insurance premium you must take care of a few things. Park your car overnight in the garage rather than leaving it on the drive. Fit insurance approved anti-theft devices; consider Third Party Fire and Theft for older cars. Find out discounts offered by the insurance provider when requesting quotes. Young drivers (under 25), who are often charged extremely high premiums, should have an extra driving course certificate.

What is ‘excess’?

It is the amount you have to pay when you make a claim for the loss or damage to your car. It can be voluntary or compulsory. If someone else causes the accident you may be able to reclaim the excess through the legal cover, which can be taken out with your car insurance policy. Otherwise you lose the excess. Voluntary excess is the amount you agree to pay to the company. It offers premium discounts. Compulsory excess is generally imposed to young drivers. Because their risk factors are high and the companies don’t want to insure them. So, in order to insure, they have to surrender with this payment.

What is legal cover?

It provides expertise and assistance required to recover uninsured losses such as medical costs, loss of earnings and excess payments where the fault was not yours. It is available as an optional with most car insurance policies.

Can an insurance company cancel my auto policy?

Yes, you auto insurance policy may st and canceled if you fail to pay the premium or if your consumer’s license has been suspended or revoked during the term of an auto policy. Also, if there is a fraud or serious misrepresentation when completing the insurance application, if the you are convicted to a crime, or if changes are made to the property that increase the risk of loss then the company may cancel your insurance policy.

July 26, 2013

Take a photo with your phone if you are in a car accident

In the old days, a car accident often came down to your word against the other driver’s, unless of course, you had a credible witness or a camera. Of course, if you could talk the other driver into waiting around for half an hour while you run home to get your camera and come back to take the pictures that prove that the whole thing was his fault, you would be fine, too. Nowadays, things are quite a bit easier.

Just about everybody carries a cell phone these days, and just about every cell phone has a camera.This is great news, since the National Association of Insurance Commissioners recommends in their consumers guide that one of the first things you should do when you’re involved in an accident is to take a picture of the accident scene. Obviously, with a cell phone, that’s pretty easy. If you’re really good, you can take a picture and text it to your insurance agent instantly. Even if your tech savvy is limited to taking the picture and having your kid print it when you get home, using your phone to take a photo when you’re in a car accident is always a good idea.

April 15, 2013

After an accident

Move out of the way of traffic and turn on your hazard warning lights.

Call the police even in a minor accident. If someone is injured, request medical assistance. If fire is involved, request fire department aid.

Do not discuss the accident with anyone other than the police or your Travelers representative.

Exchange necessary information with the other driver(s). Be sure to write down the other driver’s name, address, phone number, license plate number and insurance information. Also write down the contact information of all witnesses.

Report the accident to Travelers as soon as possible. Call 800.CLAIM33 (800.252.4633). The faster you report your claim, the sooner we can get you back on the road.

June 29, 2012

Road Rage

Road rage. You hear about it, you know what it is, however when is the last time you actually were involved in it? Being in the insurance industry, you can bet that I hear about road rage, its effects on driving habits, premiums for auto insurance and so on. I’m a trained professional, so I would never fall into that trap I know so much about and take it out on another driver, or would I?

I’m driving home from the office, minding my own business. The street I’m driving on begins to narrow, well it always does that after all. However today there appears to be some parties in progress. There are rows of cars parked on both sides of the street and I immediately notice no less than ten valet scurrying up and down the street picking up and dropping off cars. Being the careful, well trained vehicle operator that I am, I slow down for safety.

After a few moments, I’m at a complete halt; not really much of a choice with cars on both side of the already narrow street and people walking around and valet personnel hopping and jumping about. Soon I’m inching my way up, taking turns with cars coming down the street, I pull to the left, the car passes, I migrate up a car length while the opposing traffic does the dose-e-do with me. This is the safe, polite and in all truth only way to slowly crawl up the street and we’ve all done it before. Haven’t we?

From what appears to me as out of the blue, a car whips around the corner and I would have sworn connected its front bumper to my rear bumper. As I’m inching my way along, this car is for all intense and purposes, attached to me. After a few duck and cover operations trading space to let oncoming cars go by and then moving along myself, this car, or more accurately this driver starts honking at me. It’s a shame that a car horn only signify objects in front of you and not behind, because if I had the ability to honk back at him, I would certainly have opted to do so.

After honking at me for a solid minute give or take, I would have loved to let him pass, however alas, there is barely enough room for one car to get by let alone one car pass another. So, I do what any conscientious law abiding driver would do – I stop. Completely stop and wait for my little attached to my bumper tumor to take a few breaths and relax. Sure, in hindsight, I can see how this would probably not accomplish that at all, and in fact it didn’t. It royally pissed this guy off.

Being the uber-social fella I am, I figure if I roll down my window and wave to him, smile, perhaps make the “calm down” gesture, he will get my drift and actually, well, calm down and relax. After rolling my window down I do just that and wouldn’t you know it, I can hear him, well, saying, cursing at any rate, trying to communicate back to me. Ok, so maybe I should just keep moving then. So I keep moving up, stop, pull to the right let a car go by, go up a little more, rinse and repeat.

At long last I make it to a place where there actually is room for a car to get around me, apparently a spot a valet didn’t yet fill and my little growth takes the opportunity to speed right around me. I’m expecting “the look” or worse, so I put on my best and most friendly smile. Instead of any communication human to human, he instead pulls infront of me and slams on his breaks bringing me and all cars behind to a halt. I can’t say screeching halt, as much as that would make this sound so much more dramatic, after all we are only going a few miles an hour at best. I sigh and say to myself, ok, get it out of your system and we’ll all move on. Sure enough, after a minute or so and people behind me begin to honk, he starts moving along. All is forgotten and we’re all moving along again, same pace, just a new leader in the pack, him.

Uh oh. Now he pulls over and waits to be passed. I exhale and just drive on past, not even turning my head to engage him. Sadly, he is not ready to live and let live. Tires smoking leaps behind my car, almost hitting the car that was behind me and again re-attaches his front bumper, fugitively speaking, to my rear bumper. Now I’m spooked. I’m not going to let this dude follow me to my front door, so I take the first opportunity to turn on to a street, hoping he will pass. Nope. No dice, he turns with me.

With my luck for the day, I have turned onto a cul-de-sac and have no choice but to turn around and head back and surprise surprise he has pulled over and rolled his window down to have a little chit-chat with me. So be it. I slowly pull up, with no other option, and our two driver windows are only a foot apart. I stop and open my window.

He asks what I was doing, and although I think it was pretty self evident, I decide to give him an honest answer. I tell him I was driving carefully up the street. He says I was holding up all the traffic, and I explain to him that I was really going as fast as was physically possible and he really should just relax, it’s always better to drive and error on the side of caution. Next he wants to know why I had the “audacity” to stop in front of him. Again, I smiled and gave him an honest answer, “to give you a few seconds to calm down.” He tilts his head to the side studying me to see if I’m serious and then smiles and says, “ok, well take care and have a great day.” Not even the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice either, oddly enough. I pay him the same respect back and we both pull away.

I notice he drives the other way, back down the street, meaning he actually was following me, at least for a while to follow me, not to get to anywhere specific in the direction I was traveling. That won’t give me too many nightmares.

At the end of all of this, I’m left in my driveway thinking it all over. What did I do wrong, where did I go wrong? Leave a comment below and you tell me who you think was in the right, or wrong.

Karl Susman, Agent

Yes, You NEED Car Insurance

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