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Archive: Dec 2016

Stay Safe This New Year’s Eve

This New Year’s Eve, we want to make sure that everyone has a great time while staying safe. Here are a few helpful tips to ensure a good time for all!

1. Don’t Drink and Drive 

We’ve all heard the adage, “drive sober or get pulled over.” If you plan on drinking, don’t get behind the wheel. There are plenty ride options to take you where you need to go without you having to worry about driving yourself.

2. Use the Buddy System

Make sure to surround yourself with friends and family members—not only for the great company, but also for your safety! Bringing along a buddy or two is always a great idea. You’ll keeping each other accountable, you’ll never have to worry about walking alone, and you get the added benefit of having a companion to enjoy your evening with!

3. Prepare for the Weather 

The only thing predictable about winter is that they are unpredictable. Make sure to wear plenty of layers so that you can be prepared for the climate both indoors and out.

4. See Something, Say Something

Be aware of your surroundings and stay away from those who may seem out of control. If need be, alert the proper authorities to any suspicious behavior. Better safe than sorry!

Pot Hole Handling Tips

Many potholes are caused when relentless freezing and thawing of water under the pavement weakens the road and causes large cracks, which, when combined with the weight of vehicles driving over, eventually turn into potholes. Because of the role freezing can play in pothole formation, severe winter weather can often lead to lots of potholes.

If you live in a city with lots of potholes, here are a few safety tips:

  • Properly inflated tires hold up better against potholes than tires that have too much or too little air.
  • If you can’t avoid a pothole, slow down before you hit it. But don’t brake directly over a pothole, which can actually cause more damage.
  • When driving over the pothole, hold the steering wheel firmly to avoid losing control.
  • Use caution when driving over a puddle of water because it might be a pothole in hiding.

Potholes can cause serious damage to my car, even if they are small, some potholes can have as much impact on your car as a 35mph car crash.

In addition to causing structural damage to the tire itself, potholes may cause additional damage to your tires if they are over- or under-inflated. Potholes may also cause alignment, suspension or steering problems.

The Car Care Council says these are some symptoms of pothole damage:

  • Bulges or blisters on the tire sidewalls.
  • Dents in the wheel rims.
  • Undercarriage damage, including fluid leaks and wear that could lead to rust.
  • Odd noises coming from the exhaust system due to dents or punctures.
  • The car pulling toward the left or right, instead of going straight, which could indicate an alignment problem.
  • Uneven tire wear, which could indicate an alignment problem.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you may want to take your car to a repair facility to have it checked for damage by a professional.

What is Subrogation?

What happens after your insurance company pays for a loss that’s not your fault?

Using your own auto insurance for a claim that’s not your fault can leave you feeling a bit frustrated, but sometimes that’s your best option to resolve a claim quicker so you can return to your normal life. If you’ve been in this situation, then you’ve probably heard of subrogation.

 Believe it or not, your claim doesn’t end once repairs are complete and the bills are paid. If you had to use your insurance for a claim for which you weren’t at fault, you and your insurance company are still entitled to receive the money paid on the claim. The process to recover that money is called subrogation.

When Does Subrogation Occur?

When your insurance company covers a loss that’s not your fault, they may pursue the at-fault party, which often is the other insurance company, to recover payments made for your damages and injuries. Insurance companies can only subrogate other parties if their customer is not at fault for an accident.

For instance, let’s say Joe rear-ends your car but his insurance company is taking too long to get back to you. Your car isn’t drivable, and you don’t want to keep asking friends to chauffeur you around town, so you decide to use your own insurance to repair your car. You pay your collision deductible, fix your car, and are back to normal in a couple of weeks.

However, you still paid out of pocket and your insurance company paid thousands of dollars for an accident that wasn’t your fault. In situations like this, your insurance company will subrogate Joe’s insurance company to recover the money paid for the accident – and that includes attempting to recover your deductible for you.

What Happens During Subrogation?

Your claims adjuster will send your file to our subrogation department (often called “subro”) once his portion of the claim is closed.

When subro receives your claim, they continue the attempts to contact the at-fault party or insurance company to resolve the claim. This may be a simple matter of calling the other party’s claims adjuster and determining when payment will be made, or it may involve repeated attempts to contact the at-fault individual if that person didn’t have insurance at the time of the accident.

Subrogation representatives will work closely with the other parties to negotiate payment of the claim. In some cases, subrogation claims may go to court if your insurance carrier thinks — and you agree — a lawsuit is the best option to take to recover payment.

A successful subrogation claim means reps were able to negotiate a settlement and receive payment for the claim.

Do the Penguin Walk

There’s a lot to love about winter, but walking on ice isn’t one of them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1 million Americans are injured in slip and fall accidents each year, with the majority of these occurring while walking on slick surfaces. Unkempt sidewalks, unplowed pavement, and hard-to-see slippery patches make it difficult to get around on foot in the cold months. The good news is that there are safety measures you can take to reduce the risk of ice-related injuries.

Maintain surfaces at home

Driveways, patios, decks, and other surfaces at home are responsible for many ice-related slips and falls. People often neglect to clear these surfaces, either because of time constraints, lack of proper equipment, or not realizing they’re that dangerous. But walking on ice at home is potentially more dangerous because we’re familiar with our own properties and are thus more likely to take them for granted.

The most important thing you can do at home is to shovel your driveway and walkways after a snowstorm. This will prevent the resulting snow from getting packed down under your feet and solidifying into blocks of lumpy ice.

Using rock salt is also useful, but make sure that you use the appropriate kind for your region. You can safely use sodium chloride in areas where temperatures only drop to about 32 degrees Fahrenheit. For regions that dip down to 0, magnesium chloride is ideal, and for places where temperatures drop even further, use calcium chloride.

If it’s in your budget, consider installing heating panels under the driveway surface, though that is costly and an extensive construction project.

Footwear and foresight

Appropriate shoes and boots are essential for safely walking on ice. At the very least, avoid footwear with smooth, flat soles. Instead, wear sneakers or boots that have a heavy duty rubber tread on the bottoms. Ice cleats—shoes with special treads designed to dig into icy surfaces—are a good idea if you live or work in an area predisposed to lots of ice and snow.

You can also try traction cleats, which fasten onto the shoes or boots you already have, adding ice treads to your favorite footwear. Just remember that even if you use traction cleats, you should still wear shoes or boots with their own rubber traction—traction cleats don’t make flat-bottomed shoes safe on ice.

Another important, often-overlooked factor for staying safe walking on ice is paying attention to your surroundings. It may sound simple, but many ice slips are merely the result of not paying attention. Watch out for icy patches known as “black ice,” which can usually be spotted in daylight hours if you’re walking slowly enough and watching the ground. Anywhere you see a wet spot, assume it’s slippery. Wear sunglasses to defend against the blinding glare of sun on snow. This will help you keep an eye out for dangerous areas.

If a non-icy path is available, take that instead. Use handrails where available. Finally, don’t put your hands in your pockets when you walk. Believe it or not, it throws off your balance, which leads to a higher risk of falling if you do slip.

Walk like a penguin

Most people know that penguins spend most of their lives walking on ice, so it stands to reason that we have something to learn from them. Penguins tend to waddle along icy surfaces instead of walking. Sometimes, you’ll also see them with their wings extended slightly to add balance. While it may seem silly, it’s not a bad idea to mimic their behavior. Take short steps, gently shifting your weight from side to side, using your arms for balance when necessary. And of course, go slowly! You might be surprised at how much more comfortable you are walking on ice this way.

The safest route

The safest route to take is to avoid walking on ice altogether. It’s not always possible, but when it’s an option, take it. Don’t try to use shortcuts across snow piles, frozen puddles, or other slippery surfaces. They won’t make your trip much shorter if you fall and wind up in the emergency department! When you have no choice but to walk on icy paths, it’s a good idea to wear thick, cushioned clothing so that if you do fall, at least you’ll have something soft between you and the ground. It doesn’t guarantee you won’t get hurt, but it certainly can help to minimize the damage so that you can enjoy the better parts of winter.

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