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You’ve probably heard about the lawsuits involving fast food customers getting burned by hot coffee or pub patrons getting injured in a bar fight. The reason these cases came to fruition is because businesses are legally liable for providing a safe place for patrons of all types; a place that also serves safe food and/or creates safe products. The idea of a liability issue may seem unlikely, but the truth is that these types of lawsuits are becoming more and more common in today’s litigious society. So what can you do to protect your business from the costly expenses of a lawsuit? Purchasing commercial general liability insurance can protect your business from a variety of events that may result in third party injury or property damage. Specifically, this form of coverage can help protect against the resulting expenses if your business is held liability for injuring a third party or damaging their property. To clarify, general liability insurance does not prevent a customer from filing a lawsuit against your business. However, it can cover legal fees, medical expenses, awarded settlements and—in some cases—PR services to repair your company image following such lawsuits. Without general liability coverage, these costs could grow high enough to cause significant financial concerns, even if a lawsuit winds up being frivolous. Are you ready to learn more about protecting both the safety of your customers (as well as other third parties) and the interests of your business? Consult your independent insurance agent to learn more about general liability insurance today. We’ve got your back. Call Skogman Insurance at 319-366-6288 for more information on general liability insurance.

The school year is winding down and for many that means it is time for a summer road trip. Of course, you want to make sure your trip to and from your vacation destination is safe. Here are some tips to help you have an accident-free summer trip! Planning Plan as much detail as possible in advance so there’s no need to figure out where you are going while you are driving. Before you leave, map out your trip. Find out if you should expect any extensive construction on your drive. Look into options for places that you can stop and take a break. Consider restaurant options for meals. In addition, if your drive is very long, consider breaking it up into more than one day with a hotel stop in between. If you don't want to stop overnight, make sure you switch drivers so one person doesn't become too fatigued. Check the Vehicle Condition Check to make sure you have enough windshield washer fluid and that your last oil change was done recently. Measure the tire air pressure to verify it is adequate. Consider having an inspection done if you are concerned about the way the car is running before you leave. You really don't want to have a breakdown on a highway. If you wind up in that situation, make sure you pull off as far as possible. Getting completely off the highway is ideal since the shoulder is not very safe for car repairs. Always Buckle Up Make sure everyone is properly buckled in the car every time you are driving, including short excursions such as a trip from the hotel to the beach. Children need to be properly restrained in the correct car seat. If necessary, pull off the road to handle a dicey situation! Consider the drive as part of the adventure and don't try to rush it. Take it easy, enjoy the drive and have a wonderful, safe vacation! Don’t forget about your coverage. Contact Skogman Insurance for any questions about your auto insurance before you hit the road.

While it is great to have a business owner’s policy (BOP) to protect your company against loss, it is just as vital to take steps on your own to prevent a claim. These four methods are a great way to ensure tools and supplies don’t mysteriously disappear without your knowledge. Here are a few tips on how contractors can reduce theft claims. Increase the Amount of Lighting at Job Sites and Consider Cameras Law enforcement often touts that light is the biggest way to prevent would-be theft. In the case of construction sites, this is incredibly true. Ensure your work yard has proper security lighting during the overnight hours. It can help to keep away potential thieves. You can also consider adding smartphone accessible cameras to keep an eye on things when you’re away. Check Inventory Regularly and Be Present as a Manager It doesn’t matter if you’re a construction company owner, superintendent, or job site manager. Checking inventory regularly and being consistently present is incredibly important. Why? Many BOP claims include thefts by employees and subcontractors. If you monitor those who regularly work with your business and your involvement is commonly known, you can help reduce the chance of an incident happening. Keep Clear Records Another way to prevent theft claims against your business is by keeping records. Know exactly when supplies arrive at a job location and log the names of all employees involved at the time. This ensures that if anything ever comes up missing, you know who was around when it happened. Remember Protection Even on Small Jobs Not all contractors have large construction sites to monitor. Even if your job is on the smaller side, it is still important to take the necessary precautions. If your client is still living in the renovated home, ask them to keep an eye on things for you, as well. Final Thoughts – Having the Right Business Insurance Having a business owner's policy is a great way to protect yourself against risks, and enjoy plenty of protection for your business property, including tools and supplies. But that isn’t the only place you need a high level of coverage. Things like workers' compensation insurance, commercial auto insurance, and excess liability coverage are all still an important part of your overall protection portfolio.  The biggest part of making sure you have enough business insurance coverage starts with talking to an agent. Contact our team today to schedule an appointment.

Life insurance provides a wide range of benefits for individuals throughout their lifetime. When you are younger, it’s an incredibly valuable investment because it helps ensure your loved ones have the financial means to live the lifestyle they are used to even if you are no longer there to help them. If you carry debt, life insurance is also valuable because it can help to pay off those debts. But, what happens as you get older? As an empty nester, do you need to keep these policies in place? There are many instances in which you should consider maintaining life insurance. Here are some examples. Cover Debt : One of the times when it makes sense to maintain life insurance is when you still have a significant amount of debt. This may be a mortgage, significant credit card debt or other loans. Most homeowners will need to maintain this coverage until their home is paid off. Meet Blackout Periods : In some situations, the biggest risk comes when a spouse dies during that blackout period between when the kids are grown and gone and before he or she qualifies for Social Security. Often times, it’s best to maintain insurance to meet financial needs during this period of time. Supplement the Cost of Living : Many Americans face financial risk even when they are receiving Social Security. The funds you get during this time may not be enough to live your current lifestyle. Life insurance policies can help cover those costs and safeguard your loved ones if necessary. Fund Your Estate : Life insurance is an excellent way for you to leave behind funds to meet your estate goals. For example, you may want your policy to cover your grandchild's college expenses. You may want the funds to be in place to go to your heirs for other needs. Life insurance is not something to consider just when you have children or other dependents. There are many instances in which maintaining these policies throughout your lifetime is beneficial. If you are unsure, talk to your financial advisor or your insurance agent about the options and your specific needs.

For many people, the investment in their home starts outside. You’ve installed beautiful landscaping surrounding your home. You have raised garden beds, beautiful waterfalls, and perhaps even a pond added to the layout. You love the way your home looks now, but do you have the right type and amount of home insurance to help protect these valuable investments? Your landscaping may or may not be a part of your home insurance plan and it’s important to know now if it isn’t in place. What Does Home Insurance Cover? Most of the time, your standard home insurance policy can provide protection for some components of your landscaping. This includes plants, trees, and shrubs up to some level. It may protect these types of components from risks such as fire, vandalism, riot, theft, damage brought on by another person’s vehicle, and even lightning. In many situations, the plan should limit the amount of landscape coverage you have, such as at a value of 10 percent of the home’s insurance coverage. What happens if you have more expansive or higher value landscaping? If you’ve installed bigger features throughout your landscaping, this can add value to your home. However, these may not be covered outright in your standard policy. You may need to purchase an additional rider or obtain coverage that offers a high enough limit to protect you from losses. When you work with your home insurance agent, you can specifically include most types of assets. Keep in mind that some assets raise your risks (and therefore your costs) as well .  For example, if you install a pond in your backyard, you may boost the value of your home. But, you also are adding a risk to the space because someone can drown in it. Any time you add a risk like this, update your home insurance policy to reflect it. Otherwise, if something should happen, it is unlikely that you’ll have the comprehensive protection you need to pay for the losses. Working with your home insurance provider, you can customize your home insurance to reflect the value of your landscaping. And, after all of the hard work and money you’ve invested in this space, it may be well worth doing just that! Need more information? Call Skogman Insurance for a home insurance quote.

Once animals begin coming out of hibernation during the spring, your risk of hitting one with your car goes up. Therefore, if you were to hit a deer when out on the road, your vehicle might sustain significant damage, and you might cause harm to other drivers and their vehicles, too. Therefore, you’ll want to have assistance available to help you pick up the pieces. The good news is that your auto insurance can be there to assist you when animal strikes occur. There’s a catch, however. You must ensure that you have appropriate benefits in the first place, and this will require getting a type of coverage known as comprehensive physical damage insurance. Comprehensive Insurance and Animal Strike Coverage If you have comprehensive physical damage coverage on your auto policy, that does not mean that you have auto insurance for 100% of your losses. It is a specific benefit within an auto insurance that is designed to insure your vehicle against physical damage that is not related to a wreck (I.e. storms, fires, theft). Animal strikes will have coverage under this benefit, even though they might be perceived as collisions by the affected driver. If you only have a minor collision with an animal, then you might find that there’s only minor damage, which might not necessitate filing an auto insurance claim (particularly if you have a high deductible on your policy). However, were your vehicle to sustain severe damage, then your comprehensive coverage can ensure that you receive a substantial settlement for the requisite repairs. What Happens if I Hit Another Vehicle? Maybe when you hit a deer, you swerve into oncoming traffic and hit another vehicle. Under the circumstances, you might be at fault for the other driver’s vehicle damage, since you hit them. Even though you were not necessarily in full control of your vehicle at the time you hit the other car, the fault lies more with you than the other driver. Therefore, your auto liability insurance will provide property damage and bodily injury coverage that pays for third-party losses when you are deemed at fault for the accident. However, this coverage does not pay for damage to your own vehicle, so you must carry both comprehensive and liability coverage within your policy if you want a more expansive policy. What Should You Do After an Animal Collision? After you strike an animal, immediately call the police and emergency services. They will respond to the scene, direct traffic and help you document the accident. Afterwards, contact your insurance company to learn what your next steps will be. They will start the claim and analyze the cause and effects of the accident. They will then determine exactly how much your policy can aid you for the ramifications of this accident.

A home security system is a good investment to protect your home and family from crime and may qualify you for a homeowners insurance discount. Insurance companies offer discounts because security systems make it less likely that a burglar will want to enter your home and even if they do, many will immediately leave after hearing the alarm. This minimizes property loss and therefore your likelihood of filing an insurance claim. Choosing a suitable system can be very confusing because of the many types of security systems available today. A major choice that homeowners face is whether to get a hard wired or wireless system. This choice will depend on a number of factors. Installation A hard wired system will require physical work installing the components and wiring. This will include drilling holes into your walls. Unless you are experienced at such work, you will have to hire a professional installer which can be costly. The systems themselves are generally less expensive than wireless. Wireless systems are designed for easy installation. No drilling or placing of wires are required. Components will either attach to a wall with a few screws or with a sticky adhesive backing. Additional components are also easy to install. Reception Wireless systems rely on good cell phone reception for contacting professional monitoring services. This may be a problem for some people in rural areas. Hard wired systems use land lines. Portability For renters, a wireless system can be easily installed when they move into an apartment and just as easily removed when they move out. Wireless systems also make sense for people whose jobs require them to move around a lot. Power Supply The individual components of wireless systems are powered by batteries. Good systems use batteries that last for years but you will want to make sure that they will alert you when their batteries run low. Hard wired systems don't rely on batteries but tap directly into your home's electrical power. By applying the above features and requirements to your situation and needs, it should become very clear which type of system is best for you. Protect your family. Call Skogman Insurance at 319-366-6288 for more information on home insurance.