Common Safety Features That Lower Auto Insurance Premiums
You will pay more money to buy a car with safety features installed, as these may be sold as options instead of standard features. You can save money in the long run, though, as many insurance companies offer a hefty discount to owners of cars with many common safety features.

Air Bags

About 1/4 of all accident-related deaths are due to side-impact accidents, but you can lower the chances of this happening by ordering a car with side air bags. Cars with side impact air bags lower the chance of being killed in this type of accident by up to 70 percent. Insurance companies in Texas, Oklahoma and other parts of the country are rewarding this addition by lowering insurance premiums or giving discounts on medical payments to customers with air bags installed.

Laminated Windshield

Having your windshield laminated reduces the amount of shattered glass in a vehicle after an accident, helping to keep the windshield in one piece. This option can help lower your basic insurance premiums with many insurance carriers.

ABS

Anti-lock braking systems, or ABS, are available in almost all new vehicles. These brakes help you to control your vehicle in a skid by preventing the wheels from locking up. Safer driving while traveling in bad conditions can often result in significant savings in your insurance premiums.

If you rent your home or office, you have likely come across the terms “renters’ insurance” and “tenants’ insurance.” What’s the difference between the two? In short, nothing. Renters’ insurance and tenants’ insurance refer to the same thing.

This type of insurance protects the value of the contents of an apartment, office, or other rental property against common forms of loss. It can either cover specific types of loss or provide coverage against all causes. Typical loss categories include theft, fire, and flood.

Another benefit of renters’ insurance is coverage against liability. If someone is injured in your unit, the insurance will pay for a specific amount of medical costs, lawsuits, and other potentially costly effects.

You may wonder if you need tenant insurance at all. Doesn’t your landlord have coverage? The answer is no – the landlord does not have coverage for your belongings. Landlord-oriented tenant insurance might cover damage to the buildings and liability in common areas like hallways, pools, and sidewalks. But, you need your own insurance to cover the contents of your unit and any liability you may incur from accidents that happen there or on any property associated with your lease.

To find out how inexpensive it is to obtain the renters’ insurance you need in Englewood, Littleton, or the surrounding areas, contact us for a quote. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy and affordable it is to have the peace of mind of full coverage.

Homeowner insurance payouts for damages will vary based on a wide range of factors, such as the severity of a disaster and how many people were affected and are making claims.

According to a recent Consumer Reports study, after Hurricane Katrina, people in Louisiana and Mississippi reported payouts averaging $15,000. This is three times the amount reported by people in other areas such as Oklahoma and Arkansas. However, due to the extensive damage the hurricane caused, roughly one quarter of respondents in areas affected by the hurricane said they did not receive enough to fully cover damages. Nationwide, only 11% of homeowners felt that the settlements they received after making a claim was inadequate.

There are a number of things you can do to increase the payout you can expect. First, consider whether the damage is expensive enough to warrant filing a claim, since even small claims can increase your insurance costs. If there is enough damage for a claim, file one as soon as possible. Recommended strategies to get the best payout include keeping a home inventory, keeping receipts for emergency repairs, and negotiating with your adjuster for the best payout. Additionally, you can help ensure that your payout will be adequate by carrying a policy with high enough coverage and a low enough deductible to compensate for your loss in the unfortunate event of a disaster.

Although fortunate for some, and unfortunate for others, the law is clear about personal injuries, whom is responsible, and what amount of compensation if any is available. Most states are different but the law is the same. If someone is injured on your property you are responsible.

In Texas premises liability injury claims are typically referred to as classic slip and falls. These claims are made by individuals who have received injuries due to the negligence of building and property owners.

Whether the injury inflicted was at a department store, restaurant or on the elevator the owner is still liable for medical bills and personal damages. According to Texas law victims are entitled to reimbursement of paid medical bill payments or payment for incurred medical services.

In Louisiana the law is set up differently. Injured parties have the burden of proof to provide the court with evidence of their injuries. For example; the property owner is only liable if he or knew of an existing dangerous condition and did not remedy the situation which could have prevent the injury. For instance, for slip and fall accidents the victim must prove three facts.

1. That an intentionally dangerous condition existed on the premises.

2. The property owner should have been aware of the danger or if known should have addressed the problem.

3. That the injuries received were the result of negligence on the owner’s part.

Other states have laws in place that protect the consumer and the property owner. Remember that the law varies by state so to be sure you are purchasing the right kind of insurance coverage to protect you in the event of an accident, talk to a qualified agent from your area. You can find your local Integra agent who can answer all of your questions by clicking on the home tab in the top left, and then clicking on the office locations tab in the right sidebar.

Auto Insurance Getting Cheaper, but Hazards Still Out There

The cost of auto insurance has been going down across the nation, with the average national rate reported by the Insurance Information Institute hitting $785 to 2009. That doesn’t mean every state gets off cheap, however. The top three areas for auto insurance expenditures average more than $1,000 per year. These include Washington, D.C., with an annual average of $1,128; New Jersey, with an annual average of $1,101; and Louisiana with its average yearly auto insurance bill clocking in at $1,099.

The top 10 most expensive places to buy auto insurance each feature annual rates above $900. Numbers four through 10 on the most expensive list are New York with an annual $1,057; Delaware with $1,021; Florida with $1,006; Rhode Island with $969; Connecticut with $952; Nevada with $944 and Maryland with $929.

High-Risk Deer Collision States

Auto insurance rates always depend on the type of coverage you receive, and certain states should look into specialized coverage for specific hazards. One of these hazards is hitting a deer. While the national average of hitting a deer is 1 in 929.65, the odds increase to as low as 1 in 52.8 in West Virginia. The other 16 high-risk states are Arkansas, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.