How would we insure Santa Claus?

Well, I have officially been in the insurance business too long!  While most people enter the holiday season excited about time off with family, tasty holiday meals and gifts under the tree, I find myself pondering the question, “What if Santa Claus needed to buy insurance?”  Not only that, but what kind of insurance would he need and for that matter would he even qualify?


Right off the bat, Santa’s house and workshop are located in a protection class 10.  In general terms, this means there would be no responding fire department in the event of a fire at his dwelling or workshop.  While Santa would need property insurance protection, he would find himself limited to high risk property markets that may struggle to establish an accurate value for his home and business property.  He also doesn’t need a personal auto policy as his only vehicle – his sleigh – is for business use (this is, however, a commercial auto exposure, which I will address later).

What’s left? Maybe life insurance?  I’m pretty sure Santa would have a tough time finding coverage based simply on his age and, not to be rude,  he would also be a few pounds over the maximum acceptable weight.

Sounds like he’s going to face some barriers when it comes to personal insurance, but maybe we could help him out with his business insurance. We already know the property policy is going to be a tough one to write for the workshop, but what about general liability?  Santa is a toy manufacturer and that’s not an easy class of business to write.  His products are used by children, distributed worldwide, and failure of or injuries from his product could be subject to multiple jurisdictional lawsuits.  I’m afraid that, with the type of product he is producing and his worldwide distribution, this would also be a tough policy for him to procure.

Santa may also have a need for errors and omissions or professional liability insurance.  He claims he knows when you are sleeping and knows when you’re awake.  He also claims to know if you’ve been bad or good…so be good for goodness sake!  What would happen if Santa arrived when you were awake or, even worse, you had been good but yet your gift was delivered in error to another party currently on the naughty list?  Without proper professional liability protection and the Ebenezer Scrooge of attorneys, Santa might find himself in some serious litigation without the proper cost of defense being provided.  Now you may be thinking, “Who would take Santa to court?” but may I remind you that this would not be his first time!  You may remember he appeared in court to face some identity theft claims that arose while he was working for a department store on 34^th street.  The charges were later dismissed, but there were still defense costs associated.

Now let’s explore that business auto policy.  We have some big problems here!  First, Santa uses a custom vehicle mainly for delivery purposes and while it’s only used one day of the year, his delivery radius is huge, he travels many miles, and let’s not forget about those icy conditions.  Santa also has some potential loss and MVR issues.  The claimant’s grandson insists that Santa was involved in a hit and run when his Grandma got run over by a reindeer while returning home on Christmas Eve. Santa also had a theft claim when it was reported the Grinch attempted to steal Christmas. Then there’s the problem of trying to put a value on his vehicle.  All in all, I think a commercial auto policy is out of the question.

Now what he might want to consider is an aviation policy, although he’ll need to go to a specialty market for that.  Maybe we could do something to help with his eight reindeer, although I doubt there are any livestock mortality tables for flying reindeer. Perhaps we could try to offer him some kind of equipment breakdown coverage? No, that won’t work – all manufacturing is done by hand not by machine.

This leads me to another tough policy – workers’ compensation.  Oh my, where do I begin? Santa’s work force uses older manual tools and would be subject to repetitive motion and other injuries.  We also have a potential issue as his entire workforce has a height challenge.  Hopefully he is in compliance for that but I’m not familiar with what OSHA or ADA requirements exist in the North Pole.  Santa may need to consider an Employer’s Protection Liability policy.  Santa has an aging workforce and, let’s face it, with a diet of mostly candy they could have a lot of potential health issues, so I’m pretty sure work comp and group health are going to be tough to get.  I guess Santa could look to a disability policy for himself, but treading across icy roof tops and sliding down into confined spaces I’m sure will make even the most warm-hearted underwriter still issue a decline notice.

Well one thing is clear: being Santa’s insurance agent or company would be a difficult task.  I guess Christmas is not meant to be underwritten but to be enjoyed in the company of our loved ones.   So parents, assure your kids that Santa will be passing through yet another successful year without incident, albeit self-insured, and, in his words, a Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964

Yappy Canine Christmas!

You would want to bite somebody too if you had to dress like this... Our Canine Liability program can at least help provide peace of mind - and coverage - for the owners, in case their dogs decide to be naughty! Try a quote today!!

Seek Those Personal Auto Insurance Discounts

There is a good chance that you may be paying too much for your personal automobile insurance. This is particularly true if you are unaware of the numerous auto insurance discounts out there in the marketplace. The following are discounts to ask us about. Some may not be available in all states and from all insurers, but it doesn't hurt to inquire about them. These discounts may significantly affect your insurance premium.

• "Defensive Driving Discount." This discount can save you 10 percent on most of the major coverages under your auto policy, such as liability, medical payments, and collision coverage. Defensive driving courses can cost as little as $20 and last as few as 5 or 6 hours, and the discount normally applies for 3 years.
  
  
• "Good Student Discount." Statistics show that good students tend to be more reliable and mature than students with marginal grades, leading to better driving decisions. Therefore, many states allow a 5 to 10 percent discount if your student driver makes good grades, usually an overall "A" or "B" average in high school or college. If your child has to pay his or her own automobile insurance, this can be another motivator for him or her to make good grades.
  
  
• "Auto Safety Features." Most insurers recognize that owners with cars containing safety features may have fewer accidents and reduced injuries. Many insurers encourage drivers to purchase cars with antilock brakes by giving small discounts for these safety features. Other insurers give discounts for vehicles with daytime running lights.
  
  
• "Accident-Free Discount." Many insurers offer discounts of up to 10 percent for remaining accident free for a period of 3 to 5 years. These are sometimes called "good driver" discounts.
  
  
  Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620
  
  Bob Lancaster Insurance
  Serving Florida since 1964
  
  

Tuesday's Tips - Year End is coming! 5 Financial and Tax Planning Things to Do Right Now

The clock is ticking and the year is winding down. Don’t let December 31 take you by surprise. Act now to solidify your position for the year.

1. Meet with your CPA

Work your tax advisor to map out some year-end tax planning strategies so you’ll minimize your tax bill for 2014. This may require you to spend more money to reap tax savings, so make sure you have the cash flow to support the strategies. The sooner you schedule an appointment, the more time you’ll have to take action.

2. Review your balance sheet

If you may need commercial financing next year, your year-end balance sheet may be a key factor in securing a loan. Review what’s on the balance sheet so you can make favorable changes. It could mean, for example, paying an outstanding loan.

3. Finalize year-end bonuses

Decide who will get bonuses and how much. If your calendar-year business is on the accrual basis for accounting purposes, then bonuses paid to rank-and-file employees within the first 2-1/2 months of 2015 are deductible on your 2014 return. The bonuses must be reflected in the minutes of your company’s annual meeting. Bonuses to a S corporation owner are not deductible until actually paid.

4. Face your inventory challenges

Have you been sitting on inventory that just hasn’t moved despite your best marketing efforts? In order to make adjustments to closing inventory by writing off obsolete items, you must offer them for sale at least 30 days prior to the end of the year (the date you take the write-off).

5. Fix benefit plans for the coming year

Are you offering health care coverage? A retirement plan? Now’s the time to act. If you plan to offer employees health care coverage in 2015, you must give them 30-days notice of the coverage so they can decide what to do (e.g., opt out if a spouse’s coverage is better). Also, if you don’t yet have a qualified retirement plan, you must sign the paperwork by December 31 if you want to make 2015 contributions. So talk to an insurance broker for health coverage information and to a financial advisor for retirement plans so you can get started immediately.

Conclusion

Don’t wait until you’re thick in the midst of the holiday season to attend to your tax and financial matters. Do this now!

Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964

Environmental Exposure Focus: Shopping Centers

In the past, stores were often stand-alone structures, which meant that whatever environmental issues they experienced were typically contained within their own property boundaries. Today, stores are usually part of large shopping malls or strip malls. They no longer stand alone and the environmental impact of one retail establishment will often affect other establishments in their vicinity. Tenants at shopping centers that could pose a significant risk for environmental impact may include: dry cleaners (solvents), restaurants (grease, cleaning solvents, mold), nail salons (solvents), auto parts stores (oils, solvents, batteries), as well as many others. Environmental exposures could stem from the following areas:   Product/waste transportation Spills of products or waste during transportation. These products or wastes may be hazardous or non-hazardous and still require cleanup in the event of a spill or cause natural resource damages (ex. In the past, milk spills have caused natural resource damages, etc.). Waste management Businesses that typically generate hazardous wastes include: dry cleaning operations, pharmacies, photography kiosks, printing establishments, paint kiosks, plant nurseries, and pet groomers.   Product selection Paints, solvents, fertilizers, pesticides, and other products may spill outdoors during loading or unloading activities. Often, these chemicals can persist in the environment for long periods of time and contaminate soil, surfaces, or groundwater.   Product handling and storage A national retail chain settled a pollution claim for over $30,000. The claim was made against them by state regulators for accidentally discharging ammonia into a creek. Employees were replacing safety valves on an ammonia refrigeration system when ammonia and drinking water leaked into their parking lot and into the creek.   Facility management Indoor air quality issues can stem from improper management of asbestos, lead paint, and water intrusion which may lead to mold, microbial matter, or other indoor air quality issues. New shopping malls often have building components that off-gas such as drywall, carpet glue fumes, paint emissions, wood adhesives, or preservatives.   The environmental insurance policy that is most applicable to addressing shopping center concerns is a Premises Pollution policy. This product is designed to provide coverage for unknown, historical, and future environmental liabilities such as claims for bodily injury, property damage, and cleanup costs as a result of a pollution event. Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620 Bob Lancaster Insurance Serving Florida since 1964

'Tis the season for cyber attacks: 6 ways to protect against breaches

Online holiday sales in 2014 are estimated to rise between 8% and 11%, reaching as much as $105 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. Because shoppers are expected to do much of their holiday shopping online, this presents a heightened concern over cyber security.
Businesses should prepare against cyber attacks all year long, but they should be especially diligent during the holiday season when employees are at their busiest.

• Train employees to protect sensitive information. All employees—even seasonal ones—should learn the importance of protecting the information they regularly handle to help reduce exposure to the business. This includes everything from locking up customer records to keeping passwords strong and confidential. Employees should also be taught how to handle a breach if one occurs.
• Halt systems changes until the end of the year. Make sure your software and other technologies are running smoothly and avoid implementing new systems at this time. Of course, there may be exceptions to address critical new patches.
• Ensure systems have appropriate firewall and antivirus technology and that security software patches are updated in a timely fashion. After the appropriate software is in place, evaluate the security settings on software, browser and email programs. In doing so, select system options that will meet your business needs without increasing risk. Regularly maintaining security protections on your operating system is vital to them being effective over time.
• Monitor use of mobile devices and public Wi-Fi access for employees. Establish usage standards and be sure they are clearly communicated. For example, to avoid security breaches, employees should be instructed to use public Wi-Fi only in very limited circumstances. Hackers can easily intercept public Wi-Fi, so it is imperative that employees cautiously use the Internet and transmit information. To reiterate, any data that shouldn’t be made public, such as proprietary business or customer information or credit card numbers should not be transmitted or accessed through public Wi-Fi.
• Insure that your season is protected. Insurance coverage typically includes liability protection for when customers or other individuals who have been affected hold a company responsible for information stolen during data breaches or other network intrusions. A cyber policy can also include coverage for a forensic investigation, litigation and remediation expenses associated with the breach. In addition, a cyber program may include coverage for business interruption, which is critical during the holiday season.
• Have a plan in place to manage a data breach. If a breach occurs, there should be a clear protocol for which employee is managing the situation, and what action should be taken, such as informing the insurance provider, etc.

Work Comp Wednesday - New Osha Reporting Requirements Go Into Effect January 1st

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is charged with ensuring that all employers provide a safe workplace for their employees. Under federal law, all employers, regardless of size or industry type, must report to OSHA all fatal work-related accidents and work-related hospitalizations of 3 or more employees. 

Starting January 1, 2015, all employers will be required to report work-related fatalities within 8 hours and all in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye within 24 hours of finding out about the incident. 

Employers have 3 options for reporting these incidents to OSHA:

• Call the regional OSHA office in Atlanta at 678-237-0400
• Call the 24-hour OSHA hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742)
• Report online at osha.gov/report_online

Under Florida law, employers must also report all workplace fatalities to the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation by calling 800-219-8953. Alternatively, employers can fax a First Report of Injury form containing the fatality information to 850-413-1980.

In addition to these reporting requirements, employers who have workers’ compensation insurance are also required to report all workplace injuries to their workers’ compensation insurance company. By law, employees are required to report work-related injuries to their employer no later than 30 days after they happen. Employers must then report work-related injuries to their insurance company within 7 days after learning of the injury. Late reporting of claims to your insurance carrier can result in the state assessing penalties and holding the employer responsible for paying part of the injured employee’s benefits. 

Employers should report all claims from employees to the employer’s insurance company, including claims in which there are no witnesses of the injury or illness. It is the insurance company’s responsibility to then investigate all claims and determine if employees are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. 

Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964

The 2014 insurance fraud hall of shame

America's most notorious insurance schemers have earned leadership of their moral wasteland by induction into the Insurance Fraud Hall of Shame.

The No-Class of 2014 was chosen by the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. The Shamers come with a warning sign: “Do Not Touch: High Revoltage.”

They represent the most brazen, vicious or klutziest insurance cons of the last year. Small wonder, they inflicted costly fakes and pains on consumers and insurers throughout the nation.

America's pharaohs of fraud possess an uncanny drive to connive in pursuit of the immaculate deception. But the newly inducted meaculprits received a loud break-up call: They were convicted last year thanks to the tireless efforts of fraud fighters.

The Hall of Shame draws public attention to an $80-billion annual fraud spree that many consumers and policymakers think is a harmless and victimless crime. Most Americans are honest, but unacceptably large percentages tolerate fraud — a kind of outrage deficit disorder, research shows. The Hall of Shame presents true-life stories to convince more consumers that insurance fraud is deviant and intolerable behavior.

Storytelling is humankind's oldest and most-effective form of communication. Our brains are biologically wired to think in narratives. Stories also are 20 times more likely to be remembered than hard facts.

Humans thus have fashioned stories to interpret and remember events since the first cave people sat around the campfire to talk about the day's woolly mammoth hunt.

Herewith is the hunt for the Coalition's newest moral invertebrates, the No-Class of 2014.

Dr. Spyros Panos | Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Malpractice Fraud

The orthopedist made more than $35 million in false claims for thousands of botched and faked surgeries. He rushed up to 20 surgeries in a day — as many as other orthos normally perform in a month. One surgery lasted seven minutes.

Panos bounced from operating room to operating room in quick sequence. He performed substandard surgeries, or just sliced open patients and stitched them up without making repairs. Panos also billed routine arthroscopic procedures as expensive open surgeries.

Christine Steele had two useless knee surgeries and has been unable to work full-time ever since.
Chris Hanson never recovered after three surgeries, including two knee repairs. He can't work at age 55 and has trouble walking. Panos also operated on both Achilles tendons of a senior. She is in constant pain and can't even play with her grandchildren.

Panos received 4½ years in federal prison and faces about 260 malpractice suits.

Angela Garcia | Cleveland, Ohio Insurance Fraud

Garcia let her infant daughters, Nyeemah and Nija, die in a house fire she set for just $64,000 worth of insurance money. Garcia had overvalued the contents of her home on a renter's insurance claim.

She made claims for possessions she didn't have. Garcia also removed valuables before the fire. The girls had died of smoke inhalation by the time firefighters pulled them from their upstairs bedroom.
Garcia tied Nyeemah with the cord from a window blind to keep her from escaping the fire, prosecutors charged. She showed no grief or other emotions, freely socialized afterwards, and filed her claim within weeks of the girls’ deaths.

The fire may have started from an unattended candle in the dining room, Garcia claimed. Yet arson investigators found two burn patterns started by a flammable liquid.

Garcia also said she crashed through a second-floor window and slid down the porch roof to the ground. Yet she had little or no soot on her, and required no treatment for smoke inhalation. Nor did she have cuts from shattering the windowpanes.

Garcia no longer wanted her children and had tried to give away custody, prosecutors also charged. She was convicted of insurance fraud and killing the kids. Garcia received life in prison.

Andy Lee House | Galveston, Texas Insurance Fraud

House drove his rare Bugatti Veyron into a swampy lagoon to collect $2.2 million. He told his insurer that a low-flying pelican forced him to swerve off the road into the muck.

But a car enthusiast just happened to be driving by and was awed by the sleek Bugatti. He videotaped House roaring into the lagoon. The video shows no pelican in sight. Nor were there skid marks or other evidence that House tried to brake


He also left the engine running for 15 minutes in the lagoon. The salt water filled up the engine and ruined the vehicle. House lied that he was too busy fighting mosquitoes to turn off the engine.

The Veyron is one of the world's fastest street-legal production cars. It has an everyday top speed of 213 miles per hour — and was built to reach 253 mph. Only 300 were made. House pleaded guilty and faces up to 20 years in federal prison when sentenced.

Joseph Haddad | Bridgeport, Conn. Medical Insurance Fraud

Retribution crashed into personal-injury attorney Joseph Haddad for running a crime ring that stole millions of insurance dollars by giving useless and inflated treatment to crash victims his paid recruiters delivered.

He erected a large and complex network of doctors, chiropractors, diagnostic clinics and recruiters. Providers diagnosed victims, often without exams, then billed insurers for months of phantom or useless treatment. Runners typically appeared at police stations each day to buy police crash reports that identified the victims. The runners then badgered victims to sign up at Haddad's office.

But Haddad fell hard once federal agents infiltrated his ring by acting as crash victims. One agent was billed for 11 chiro exams even though he only received four treatments. One of Haddad's doctors, meanwhile, was operating with a suspended license.

Haddad was whacked with 51 months in federal prison and must repay $1.8 million.

Christopher Inserra | New York, N.Y. Workers’ Compensation Fraud

The former New York cop moonlighted and gyrated as the lead singer for a punk rock band while collecting more than $31,000 in workers’ compensation money for a supposedly injured arm.
Inserra said he hurt his right arm while taking an injured Port Authority employee to a medical facility. He lied that he had a “tremendous amount of pain” around his right elbow and lower bicep. More medical exams found no serious injuries, but Inserra kept complaining he couldn't even bend his arm.

Yet he kept performing. Photos show him “repeatedly moving his arms in a punching motion” and “violently flailing his arm in an up-and-down motion” on the stage. The band hit the road for a tour called “Miles of Mayhem.” Video from concerts in Athens, Ga., Cocoa Beach, Fla., and elsewhere shows him fist pumping and thrashing around. Inserra lucked out with three years of probation. His band's name: Cousin Sleaze.

Sara Ylen Port | Huron, Mich. Healthcare Fraud

Cancer enshrouded Ylen, who lay near death after developing cervical cancer stemming from her being raped in a store parking lot. How tragic. Except that Ylen invented the convincing drama.

Her insurer paid more than $120,000 in useless hospice care. The community also rallied around Ylen. A church raised $10,000 to pay other bills, and other well-wishers raised thousands more. A local newspaper wrote an award-winning series about her seemingly valiant fight against her stage-four condition.

Ylen's testimony sent innocent James Grissom to jail for nearly 10 years as her falsely charged rapist. But tests soon showed Ylen didn't have cancer and her life wasn't in danger. The hospice kicked her out. A probe of her computer found search terms, images and URLs proving she’d researched cancer. Ylen also said certain doctors had diagnosed her, but the docs denied involvement.

Ylen pleaded no contest and received a year in jail.

Dr. Farid Fata | Detroit, Mich. Medicare Fraud

Seniors received painful and debilitating chemo therapy for cancer they never had. Cancer specialist Fata made $225 million in false Medicare claims. About half went for needless chemo and other cancer treatments. He deliberately misdiagnosed patients who were in remission or had no chance of surviving.

Medicare paid out more than $91 million, and Fata billed private insurers as well.

Fata gave one patient 155 chemo treatments over 2½ years — though the patient was cancer-free.

Other patients were pumped with useless blood therapy and iron treatments. And one patient fell down and badly injured his head at the office. Yet Fata insisted that the patient receive his chemo before going to the ER.

Fata also faked anemia and fatigue diagnoses to justify giving patients dangerous levels of billable drugs. He faces up to 175 years in federal prison when sentenced.

Suzanne Basso | Houston, Texas Life Insurance Fraud

Buddy Musso was a grocery bagger and had the IQ of an eight-year old. He stayed at an assisted-living home near upper Manhattan.

Buddy dreamed of being a cowboy singer. He enjoyed singing slightly off-key versions of country-western songs he heard on the radio.

Suzanne Basso befriended Musso. She lured him to Houston with a false promise of marriage. He was in love with her and wanted to marry. She was in love with the insurance money.

Basso and her cohorts secretly took out $150,000 worth of life policies on him, upped the policy with a $60,000 violent-death clause, then tortured and killed him. Buddy's body was found in a ditch — lacerated, beaten and doused with bleach.

Basso tried various dodges to avoid trial: She used a wheelchair and claimed paralysis. She also pretended to be blind, or had regressed to childhood and had the voice of a little girl. The court-appointed psychiatrist said she was faking. Basso was executed by lethal injection in February 2014.

Pamela Phillips | Aspen, Colo. Life Insurance Fraud

The former Aspen socialite will socialize with prison inmates after car-bombing her ex-husband for $2 million in life-insurance money to fund a jet-setting lifestyle.

Phillips and Gary Triano lived large in the posh foothills of Tucson, Ariz. Gary was a wheeler-dealer, creating businesses, running Indian bingo casinos and playing a lot of golf. They were rich and rubbed shoulders with well-known figures such as the Trumps.

But Triano's business ventures collapsed and he went broke. Phillips had no more need for Triano. His car exploded as he left his country club after golfing. Phillips had paid ex-boyfriend Ronald Young $400,000 to carry out the hit.

Phillips moved to Aspen, where she became a well-known socialite. Financial records and phone conversations that Young secretly recorded during talks with Phillips exposed the deadly ruse. She once said how easy it would be to hire someone to kill Triano, a longtime friend also testified. Phillips received life without parole.

Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964

Thanksgiving Travel Tips

Thanksgiving is upon us. One thing we are thankful for: getting to spend time with our families and eat a lot great food. One thing we aren’t thankful for: holiday travel better known as bumper-to-bumper traffic.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, 91% of holiday travel between Thanksgiving and New Years is by car. And the busiest days of all? The Wednesday before Thanksgiving through that Sunday.

So if you are among one of the many who will be traveling this holiday, follow some of our tips to make your trip one full of blessings.

1. Plan ahead. If possible, plan on leaving Tuesday night or even first thing Thursday morning to avoid the crazy Wednesday rush.
2. Do a home check. Before leaving, make sure everything is turned off or unplugged in your home, and you have locked everything up. Keep curtains closed so people can’t look in, and consider asking a trusted neighbor to keep an eye out for you.
3. Don’t Spread the Word. With the popularity of social media, people freely put information on the web. Making posts about being out of town for a couple days is asking for trouble. So as excited as you are and as much as you want to brag, keep it on the down low.
4. Tip off the police. You can, however, inform your local police department that you’ll be leaving the area and ask them to do drive-bys if they are in your area.
5. Hide the Spare Key. Your hiding place under the doormat is not that great. Remove your outdoor spare keys or leave them with a relative or trusted friend.

Thanksgiving is a time to be with family, watch football, overstuff yourself with delicious foods, and count blessings. Keep your mind at ease knowing your home is safe.

Happy Thanksgiving from Bob Lancaster Insurance!

Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964

Marketing Monday - Lights, Camera, Smartphone!

There's no need for a studio budget, or expensive equipment to film your big debut for your website or YouTube channel. Use your smartphone. Be sure to keep your phone stable, and monitor the audio and lighting to capture quality video. You can film from your office, while you're on the go, or with a client.

 

When it comes to filming video on the fly, your smartphone is your best bet. Here are some quick tips to capture great footage:

1. Audio

One of the most important aspects of filming is being able to hear your subject. To set the tone for your video:

• Film in a quiet location, where the background noise won’t drown out what you’re trying to communicate to your viewer; and be aware of the location of the microphone on your Droid or iPhone. While filming you want to be sure you’re not blocking the sound with your hand. If the sound still doesn’t come out clearly enough, you may want to use an external mic.

2. Stability

When using your smartphone you want to make sure your video is smooth and visible:

• Use both hands to hold your phone. If you have shaky hands, make sure you anchor your phone against a table or something steady. When holding your phone, make sure your hands aren’t covering the microphone or the camera lense!
• You can also purchase a tripod for your smartphone if you’re worried about your video being wobbly.

3. Form

Try to make your video easily viewable for your audience:

• For video, you want to hold your smartphone horizontally. That way the video can be easily viewed on your computer or television. Vertical footage wouldn’t provide the widest view of your subject.
• Keep consistent in the format that you choose. If you start filming horizontally don’t cut the take then move your phone to vertical view. Stay with your original idea.

4. Zoom

Not a lot of smartphones a zoom feature when they’re in video mode, so here are some ways to overcome this:

• Be within reach of your subject when you film. Keep the distance in mind when you map out what you want to do.
• If you want to ‘zoom in’ while filming, or just get a closer look make sure your shots are in focus and your transitions are smooth. Keep your smartphone stable during any movement to prevent a shaky video.

5. Storage Space

Before you start to film, make sure you have enough free memory space to capture your entire video.

• When you film, make sure you know how much memory you can use for your video. If you’re unsure you can check your smartphone to find out how much memory you have left. You can also get an additional memory card so you don’t run out of room.
• After you upload your video to YouTube or your computer, you can delete the file from your smartphone to free up more space.

6. Lighting

Nothing affects a video more than the light in your shot.

• Film with the light behind you to ensure your subject isn’t too washed out or isn’t in the shadow.
• Try to catch the best daylight, either early in the morning, late afternoon or early evening. Never film directly at noon, since the sun is directly overhead. This creates shadows that won’t work on camera.

By using your Droid or your iPhone to capture video you can share some great content with your customers as well as the small business community!

Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964

Thanksgiving Guests

With Halloween just behind us, you know Thanksgiving is not far behind. Is your home ready for holiday guests?

Your family may be used to those little quirks around your home like the hallway rug that’s quick to slide or the bathroom faucet that runs too hot, but your guests may not.
To help your family and holiday visitors stay safe, do a quick home inspection and make minor changes as needed. Here are tips to get you started:

• Secure throw rugs using sticky padding or double-sided carpet tape.
• Make sure electrical cords are out of the way or taped down.
• Add night lights to your guest bedroom, bathroom and hallways.
• Use stick-on non-slip strips in showers and bathtubs, plus consider adding a grab bar.
• Adjust the thermostat lower on your hot water heater, if the water runs too hot.
• Tell your overnight guests if you set your home alarm when going to bed. Then they will know ahead of time what not to do, such as open their bedroom window for a breath of fresh air at midnight.
  
  Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620
  Bob Lancaster Insurance
  Serving Florida since 1964

Does a "Duties after Loss" provision Obligate the Insured to Produce Documents to the Insurer Unsolicited?

When a loss occurs, policyholders must always be mindful of their property insurance policy’s section titled “Duties after Loss.” A policyholder is required to perform specific duties after a loss and failure to meet the obligations may jeopardize a claim.

In a recent case before Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal, an insurer argued that a policyholder was precluded from recovery of damages because they withheld an expert report until after they commenced a lawsuit and this was a breach of the requirement in the policy’s Duties after Loss section. In Herrera v. Tower Hill Preferred Insurance Company,¹ the insureds submitted a claim to their insurer, Tower Hill for damages resulting from a sinkhole at their home. Tower Hill retained an expert who concluded that a sinkhole was not the cause of damage to the home. Tower Hill told the insureds that they could participate in neutral evaluation. They also advised the insured that if they demanded additional testing, Tower Hill would continue its investigation subject to a reservation of rights pending a determination of sinkhole activity.

The insured did not notify Tower Hill of any objection to the insurer’s expert report, and did not demand neutral evaluation or additional testing. In the meantime, the insured retained its own expert to review Tower Hill’s expert’s report, to perform testing and to investigate further the damage to their home. The insured’s expert concluded that sinkhole activity caused the damage to the home. The insured commenced a lawsuit for breach of contract against Tower Hill. In opposition to Tower Hill’s motion for summary judgment, the insured attached their expert’s report as an exhibit, which Tower Hill had never seen before. Tower Hill alleged that the insured breached the following policy provision:

SECTIONS I AND II- CONDITIONS

* * * *
2. Concealment or Fraud.
a. Under Section I - Property Coverages, with respect to all “insureds” covered under this policy, we provide no coverage for loss under Section I - Property Coverages if, whether before or after a loss, one or more “insureds” have:
(1) Intentionally concealed or misrepresented any material fact or circumstance . . . .

The trial court granted Tower Hill’s motion for summary judgment and held that the insured’s failure to disclosed their expert’s report to Tower Hill before filing the lawsuit constituted a concealment precluding coverage. On appeal, the Second District reversed the trial court’s ruling and held that the policy did not require the insured to provide the report to Tower Hill “unless they had the report at the time of the claim but before insurer denied it” and that the “Duties After Loss” provision of the policy required the insureds to respond to requests but it did not obligate the insureds to produce documents to Tower Hill unsolicited.

Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964

Be Spooky, But Safe

Keep everyone safe this Halloween by following these simple tips for your family and pets.

Most kids love Halloween and the chance to dress up in their favorite costume to go trick or treating. You probably already know the basic safety rules, like only visiting the neighborhoods you know and carrying a flash light or glow stick. When shopping for your little one's costume this year, you may also have seen many costumes for your four-legged family members which are increasingly popular.

Keep everyone safe this Halloween, by following these simple tips for your family and pets.

• People (and pet) costumes should be non-flammable.
• Err on the side of caution - not fashion - when selecting costumes for your two- and four-legged family members. To be safe, masks and costumes should not interfere with either vision or movement.
• To help avoid mishaps, accompany your pet at all times while he or she is wearing a costume.
• If you are new to a neighborhood, consider attending local "Trunk-or-Treat" events hosted by community centers or local churches.
• Parents should inspect candy before it's eaten.
• Remember, pets should not eat any candy. Sugar substitutes such as xylitol are toxic to pets; eating chocolate can be deadly for both dogs and cats.

Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964

Ghosts, Goblins, and Scary Insurance Scenarios – Oh My!

From freaky masks, to black cats, to scary costumes, around the end of October things seem to spook us out a little more than usual. But things can happen year round that without insurance in place could be very scary.  Don’t be a Halloweenie. Make sure you have the right insurance coverage in place to protect you, your family, and your belongings from spooky life situations!

Scary Scenario #1
Your neighbors are taking a walk through your neighborhood before the trick or treaters hit the streets. Your dog, which happens to be having a ‘ruff’ day, sprints out the door and ends up biting one of them. Are you liable?
Answer:  As the insured, you would be liable for failing to secure the dog. Liability and potentially Medical Payments coverage could also be triggered. You would need to have the dog liability endorsement, and the dog would need to be other than an excluded breed.

Scary Scenario #2
All the great candy you are serving at your house makes the tick-or-treaters start pushing each other first dibs. A kid dressed like a witch falls and breaks her wrist. Are you liable?
Answer: Assuming there were no obstacles (decorations, pumpkins, altered lighting such as black lights etc.)  contributing to the fall, there would appear to be no liability on the insured.  Since Medical Payments is not conditioned on liability, Medical Payments coverage would likely apply as the injury occurred at the insured premise.

Scary Scenario #3
Some older kids from the neighborhood decide to play the role of trickster. They end up spray-painting your garage door in the shape of a giant pumpkin. Are you covered?
Answer: This is considered vandalism and could be subject to AOP deductible.
Make Halloween safer! Make sure the kids have adult supervision, only visit the lit houses, look both ways before crossing the street, use a flashlight if needed, and stay on sidewalks.

Hoping you have a Halloween filled with sugary treats and goblins of fun!

Disclaimer: Keep in mind : The above scenarios are examples; each real loss posses unique characteristics requiring a full investigation and specific application of a particular policy’s terms.

Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964

They covered what? You'll never believe these 11 home insurance reimbursement stories

Home insurance coverage doesn't end at the structure itself. Furniture, rugs, clothes ... everything within the home is covered as well.

And that's where things get interesting.

When it comes to homeowners insurance claims, it's rarely a straightforward case of covered or not covered. Insurers often have to make judgement calls on reimbursements when faced with wildly unique situations.

   

Insure.com recently gathered some of the more incredible homeowners insurance claims stories. Check out their top 10 below.

 

1. Eaten jewelry

 

"Although animals are typically excluded from coverage, I had a case where a dog allegedly ate a piece of jewelry and the insurance company wanted to buy the dog at an unbelievably high price. The insurance company claimed a right to salvage of the jewelry in the dog. This is typical to some property, like a car, if they pay for the value of the car," says Chip Merlin, president of Merlin Law Group in Tampa, Fla.

“After the owner refused, the insurance company continued in its claim that the dog with jewelry in it was salvage and demanded the dog be turned over. I don't know for certain what they were planning to do with the dog, but the insurer quickly backed down after a phone call from me. They paid for the lost jewelry, which may or may not have been sitting in the poor dog's stomach."

2. A relocated wedding

"Under the ‘loss of use’ coverage, an insured was supposed to have a wedding in their back yard for their daughter but because of a fire, they had to move it to a hotel. We ended up claiming the increased cost for having it at a hotel," recalls Diane M. Swerling, principal at Swerling Milton Winnick Public Insurance Adjusters Inc. in Wellesley Hills, Mass.

3. Interior designer fees

"Consumers might not know that they can ask for decorator fees, which are covered if the insured did use a decorator before,” says Dick Burr, director of claims at Young Adjustment Co. in Philadelphia. ”This can be quite a big expense that will be incurred again once repairs have been made, so we have requested reimbursement for interior design fees several times."

4. Beanie Babies

"People have asked for just about anything,” says Burr. “At one time, someone asked for $30,000 worth of Beanie Babies. We collected; however, today's new policies restrict that. We now have to deal with hoarders. That is another world when you walk in and there is nowhere to walk."

5. A dump truck

"We once got a full-size construction grade dump truck covered under personal property because it was not registered for the road and the person legitimately used it to move firewood to and from his wood-burning stove,” says Greg Raab, manager at Adjusters International in Utica, N.Y. “Per policy language, it was covered, just like ATVs or lawn mowers that are used for property maintenance would be."

6. Spoiled wine

Ron Reitz, a public insurance adjuster and president of Quality Claims Management Corp. in San Diego, recalls, "We had an interesting wine loss. The wine was heated to an approximate temperature of 85 degrees for a period of 10 days after a backup and overflow of a sewage pipe caused flooding and other damage.” The repair crew used heat to speed up the drying process.

“Of course the effect of heat on wine is not good. We had a challenging time convincing the insurer of the magnitude of the loss since we were essentially arguing the value was gone because the wine could not be sold in a secondary market and it was prematurely aged, but in the end, the client did get reimbursed."

7. Imported olive oil

"Expensive cooking ingredients such as imported olive oil are covered at full value, as long as the homeowner is not running a business out of the home (i.e. catering, etc.). So if you're shopping at Whole Foods, we recommend that you keep your receipts,” says Raab.

8. Pairs or sets


Losing one item in a pair or set doesn’t mean you have to live with a mismatched set.
"If one of a pair gets damaged, then both have to be replaced. I've seen this used to claim custom-made lanterns, antique candlesticks, etc.,” says Reitz. “I had a client who had some beautiful lighting on the walkway of their house. The lanterns were original and hard to replace, but one of them was damaged in a storm. Well, you can't just go out and buy one more, so the insurance company had to pay to replace both of them.”

9. Bug-repelling basement

"Years ago a client had a house fire at their 500-acre horse farm. He had pesticide stored in the basement before the fire. After the fire, I noticed that swarms of flies would come in to the basement and die almost immediately,” recalls Ronald Papa of National Fire Adjustment Co. in Amherst, N.Y. “We had experts from Cornell University examine the site. Although the shelf life of this chemical was only supposed to be six weeks, it turned out that when it was heated by the fire and it dissolved into the concrete, it remained potent for months. This was also toxic to humans. As a result, the house had to be demolished and rebuilt from the basement up."

10. Marijuana

"Our client thought of himself as a green thumb and took to growing marijuana plants in his attic. One day, the lamps got too hot, caught fire and took the whole home with them,” says Raizner. “The illegal plants were discovered after the blaze and the insurance company refused to pay for damages. Our client was charged in the incident but was able to plead the case down to a misdemeanor. The insurance policy [excluded] coverage for damage that resulted from the commission of a felony, so while they were a bit irked, the insurance company agreed to pay and the case was settled."

11. Security

"Security service for your damaged home is covered under building coverage,” says Burr. “These services can help keep out looters who may steal items and cause further damage to the property. The insurance company usually pays for this so it can be very beneficial to use these services."

                                        Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964

          

Florida Now Requires Parasailing Firms to Carry Insurance

Florida parasailing operators are now required to have up to $2 million in liability coverage under a new law tat took effect Oct. 1.

The White-Miskell Act regulates the state’s estimated 100 commercial parasailing operators that offer thrill seekers the opportunity to soar above the state’s coastline while suspended under parachutes.
The bill is named after Kathleen Miskell who died in 2012 after her parasail harness broke and she fell 200 feet into the Atlantic Ocean. It also memorializes Amber White and her sister who lost their lives died in 2007 when their parasail rope broke.

Under the new regulations, the owner and/or operator of a parasailing vessel must maintain a bodily injury liability policy of at least $1 million per occurrence for an annual aggregate amount of $2 million.

The operators are required to have proof of insurance from a state-licensed insurer or eligible surplus lines carrier available at all times. Customers who request the information must be provided with the insurer’s name, address and insurance policy number.

Owners or operators of a parasailing vessel must also maintain a valid license issued by the United States Coast Guard authorizing them to transport paying customers.

In addition to those requirements, the new law requires parasailing firms to monitor weather conditions and cease operates in certain situations.

Under the new regulations, a parasailing vessel must be equipped with a VHF marine transceiver and a separate electronic device capable of receiving National Weather Service forecasts and current weather conditions.

Parasailing is prohibited if the currently observed winds reach a sustained wind speed of more than 20 miles per hour or if wind gusts are 15 miles per hour higher than the sustained wind speed and if the wind speed during gusts exceeds more than 25 miles per hour.

Additionally, parasailing is prohibited if rain or fog results in a visibility of less than a half a mile or if lightning storms come within seven miles of the parasailing area.

Florida Senator Maria Lorts Sachs (D-Delray Beach) told reporters earlier this year that most parasailing accidents are due to fast-moving storms that catch parasailing operators and consumers unprepared.

“We all know that you can be laying on the beach and 20 minutes later a thunderstorm comes up,” said Sachs. “You don’t want to be 200 feet up when that comes up.”

Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964

Work Comp Wednesday - Workers' Comp Coverage Requirements for Non-Construction Sole Proprietors and Partners

Sometimes it is difficult to determine the workers' compensation coverage requirements for sole proprietors and partners who are not engaged in the construction industry. The general rule is that it is the type of work being performed by the business owned by a sole proprietor/partner as well as and the number of employees working for the sole proprietor/partner’s business that determine when workers' comp coverage is required.

Under Florida law, a sole proprietor or partner not involved construction industry who employs three or fewer full or part-time employees is NOT required to have workers' compensation coverage. And in the non-construction industry, the sole proprietor or partner is NOT counted in the employee count. (Non-construction sole proprietors and partners are automatically excluded from workers’ comp coverage; in fact, they have to file an Election of Coverage if they want to be covered under workers’ comp.)

However, if the sole proprietor or partner engages in the construction industry, they are not eligible to file for a workers’ comp exemption, and they, along with any and all of their employees, must be covered by a workers’ comp insurance policy.

>>For a list of what types of work the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation considers to be construction, please click here.<<

To learn more about Florida's workers' compensation requirements, visit the Division of Workers' Compensation's website at www.myfloridacfo.com/division/wc.

Contact us for all your Insurance needs! (321)725-1620

Bob Lancaster Insurance

Serving Florida since 1964