Accident Check List

Your safety is most important. Stay put unless safety is a concern then take photos (if possible) of vehicles placement and then move vehicles to a safe spot out of traffic. Never stand “between” the two parked vehicles and, if you feel the need to take a photo between cars, keep an eye on traffic to find a safe moment.

 

Call the police and stay put, if safe, until they arrive. Cooperate with the police investigation Keep any conversation factual and don’t let emotions influence what you say. Don’t admit fault or assume responsibility for any damages or injuries caused in the accident.

 

Keep in mind, the police may not respond if the accident happened on private property or if it happened during severe weather conditions when the county or city is on “Accident Alert”. During an accident alert, police can respond if: 1. The car is undrivable, 2. It involves drugs or alcohol, 3. There are injuries or loss of life, 4. There is no insurance coverage, 5. hit and run, 6 Or public property, like a guardrail, is damaged. 

 

Get the name, phone number, driver license number and address of each driver and verify that information with their driver license.

 

 

Get the name, phone number and address of each passenger and witness

 

 

Get the license number of any other cars involved at the scene and take photos of the plate.

 

Get the name of the insurance company and policy number for each vehicle involved. A photo is best.

 

Get the name of the investigating officer.

 

Take photos of the accident from all angles, showing the damage to each car. Take photos of license plates, driver’s licenses & insurance cards.

 

Write down the details of the accident while they ‘re still fresh in you mind

 

Draw a diagram of the accident scene, including stop signs, traffic lights, objects in the road, etc.

 

If you car needs to be towed, try to get the name, address and phone number of where your vehicle will be located so the insurance company can find and/or gain authorization to inspect it.

 

When calling the insurance company to report the claim, keep in mind, your call/statement will be recorded.

 

Be sure to give the insurance company good contact information for you. Give them the best timeframe for each phone number you provide them.

 

Make sure you write down your claims number and insurance claims adjusters name and phone number assigned by the insurance company. (The Adjusters may not be assigned on the first call)

 

If you follow up on a claim, try calling the insurance company’s main claims phone number and then get transferred to the adjuster assigned to your claim number, instead of calling your adjusters directly. The adjusters could change and by calling the main number, there should be a record of the time and date of your called on your claims file.

  1. Check for Injuries
  2. Call Local Police
  3. Exchange Insurance, Driver, and License plate information
  4. Photograph both cars

 

Information you will need to file a claim

  1. Basic Description of what happened.
  2. Estimated time/location of accident
  3. Contact Information for witnesses
  4. Photos of the damage and other car details
 
 

The Above Information is Courtesy of Elkstone Insurance Group, Inc. For a free no-obligation quote on your insurance from several insurance companies, please contact:

Martin A. Sajbel, Insurance Broker 303-716-0970 or visit: www.elkstoneinsurance.co

Safeco’s RightTrack Discount

What is RightTrack?

RightTrack is an optional discount you could add to your auto policy that could save you up to 30% off all your auto policy coverage except the uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage.  RightTrack recognizes and rewards you based on your driving habits, via RightTrack app you would load on your phone(s). The evaluation period would be for 90 days and that is it. During the 90 days you get a 10% discount, up front, just for participating. After the 90 days are over, each family member would earn a % discount (from zero percent to 30%) based on how well they drove. Poor drivers and non-participating household drivers would get zero percent but there is no risk of your rate increasing beyond what you are paying right now without the discount.  

The two links below have information and a video about the discount.

https://www.safeco.com/products/righttrack#Mobile-app

RightTrack® | Safeco Insurance

You might ask, “what kind of driving habits does RightTrack evaluate?” RightTrack will score each driver based on their driving habits, that include: sudden acceleration, sudden stops, late night driving between midnight and 4 am and the amount of driving you do over 90 days. To get the best score you want gradually accelerate and brake. Avoid driving between midnight and 4 am. When my family and I did RightTrack, I personally did not find volume of driving that big of a factor. I went on a 220 mile road trip and it improved my score because there isn’t much starting and stopping while on the highway. But if you are driving 220 miles in stop and go traffic, that probably wouldn’t give you a good score. Each driver needs to drive at least 500 miles over 90 days to qualify for the discount. You also have up to a week to mark a drive, as if you were a passenger. Otherwise you will be scored based on how well your driver drove. If you drive for a living in company vehicles, this discount program might be a hassle and it may not be the best fit for you.

The more family members that participate, the more concentrated the discount is. This is because each household driver earn a percentage discount, including nonparticipating family members who get a 0% discount. The final discount is calculated by adding up all household drivers’ discount and dividing it by the number of household drivers. For example, if John earned 22%, Betty earned 17% and Martha did not participate the discount would be 13% = ((22% + 17% + 0%)/3 drivers. Let’s say Marth participated and earned 15%, then the discount would be 18% = ((22% + 17% + 15%)/3 drivers.

If you would like to speak to a RightTrack Agent about this program, you can call 877-934-5335 from 5am – 8pm MST Monday through Friday.

Need insurance or looking to shop for better rates? Send me an email at service@elkstoneinsurance.com.

Traveler’s IntelliDrive Discount

Traveler’s IntelliDrive Discount is a great way for responsible and safe drivers to save money on their Auto Policy. You will initially save 10% on your premium just by signing up.

When you sign up, you will need to download the Travelers IntelliDrive application on your phone. The application will track your:

Braking
Acceleration
Speed
Time of Day ( late night driving will negatively impact your score)
Distracted Driving

After 90 days, Travelers will evaluate your data and give you a new rate depending on how well you drove.

When it is time for renewal, you could see your discount raise from 10% to a maximum discount of 30% off of your premium.

For more information, here is Traveler’s website regarding this program
https://www.travelers.com/car-insurance/intellidrive

If you have questions about IntelliDrive and would like to speak to an IntelliDrive specialist, you can call 888-505-1217 between 5am – 8pm MST Monday through Saturday.

Need new insurance or looking for a better rate? Send me an email at service@elkstoneinsurance.com.

Progressive’s Snapshot Discount

Snapshot is the name of Progressive’s telematics discount that tracks you and your household members driving via an app on your phone or a device plugged in your vehicle. The discount starts out with a 15% discount and can increase to 45% if you and your household members drive well. There is a small chance your rate could increase if you drove poorly, but you have up to 45 days to opt out of Snapshot discount and they would just remove the initial 15% discount.

Snapshot tracks:

Hard Breaking (decreases in speed of about seven mph per second or greater.

Amount of driving time (The number of minutes that you spend driving)

Late night driving (The number of minutes you spend driving during high-risk hours between midnight and 4 a.m. on the weekend.)

Fast starts. (Fast starts are increases in speed of about nine mph per second or greater)

Trip regularity (The frequency with which you drive at the same time of day and same duration.)

Distracted Driving (The amount of time of handheld phone use while driving. This applies to customers who participate in Snapshot using the Snapshot mobile app on phones with sufficient technology.)

Customers can call the Snapshot department at 877-329-7283

From Progressive:

How Snapshot affects your insurance rate

If you enroll in Snapshot when you buy your policy, you’ll save immediately with a Participation Discount. If you continue to participate in the program, the discount will remain on your policy for up to two policy periods, or until we collect enough driving data to personalize your rate at your policy renewal.

Your Snapshot driving results are set at the end of each policy period. These results correspond to a discount for safer driving habits or an increase for riskier habits. Your driving results will be updated at the end of each policy period if we have collected enough driving data in that policy period.

If you stop participating more than 45 days after you sign up, we’ll remove any Participation Discount immediately. If we have collected enough driving information, we will use that to personalize your rate when your policy renews. If we have not collected enough driving information, we will apply a surcharge when your policy renews.

Landlord tools for tenants

There is a really cool service for landlords I learned about that is free if you insure your rental properties through Foremost Insurance call Properly Rent. This is about a $400 value that is free to you as a Foremost Insurance customer. 

Properly Rent can:

  • Create Listings
  • Accept applications
  • Screen Tenants
  • Take payments

To better understand these services, click on the link below and watch the two videos. 

https://www.foremost.com/properly/

If you are interested in this service and would like a quote on your rental properties, please call Agent Martin Sajbel at Elkstone Insurance Group at phone 303-716-0970. Marty can run landlord property insurance quotes for you from: Foremost, Travelers, Safeco and Hartford Insurance companies. 

Healthy Smoothie ingredients

I would like to share my nutrient packed smoothie recipe with you.

I have variations of this smoothie about every other morning for breakfast and I haven’t been sick all year long. I don’t claim it will prevent you from getting sick but several of the ingredients are known to straighten the immune system.

Ingredients:
• 1 Green ice cube (Kale, Collard Greens, Arugula) *
• 1 Red ice cube (Beet cube) *
• Frozen fruit (use different fruits, mix up colors)
• Avocado  (Store he half with the seed still attached in the refrigorator as the seed helps preserve it)
• Kefir or Yogurt – unflavored (use different types, 1/3 of liquid base)
• MCT Oil (tablespoon)
• Mineral drops (read instructions on amount, too much could be harmful)
• Chia seeds (stored in freezer)
• Hemp hearts (stored in freezer)
• Flax seed (freshly ground with hand mill, stored in refrigerator)
• Collagen (2 scoops)
• Protein Powder (1 scoop or 2 scoops if you just worked out)
• Liquid (1/3 water, 1/3 Unsweetened Almond Milk or Coconut Water, 1/3 plain unsweetened Kefir or Yogurt)

I have a Ninja bullet blender and I love it. I load up the frozen items first then the liquids and put the powders in last near the blade. This way the powders do not stick to the walls of the blender.

*In all my smoothies I always include one of my pre-made red and green ice cubes. The red cubes are steamed beets blended with the steamed water, cooled, and scooped into 4 ice cube trays. After frozen, I store the red ice cubes in Ziploc bag in the freezer ready to use. I also lightly steam collard greens, kale, arugula together and freeze them the same way and make green ice cubes. It does take a little extra time to prepare these bags of red and green ice cubes, but they last me about three months. I set the hot pan I steamed them in on ice in the sink. Then, after they cool down, I use the water that I steamed them in to blend up the contents, as the steamed water has the nutrients lost in the steaming process. By taking the time to make these cubes, you save time as over the hassle of putting fresh kale or beets in your smoothies every time you make them. I like mixing up the fruit and try to use different colors of fruit. I also mix up the vanilla and chocolate protein powder.  If you don’t like beets, kale or collard greens, it is perfect, because you are able to get all the nutrients without the flavor.

I purchased the:

  • Flax seed hand mill on Amazon
  • The flax seed “whole seeds”, Collagen, Chia seeds, Mineral drops, MCT oil at Natural Grocers
  • The protein powder and most the frozen fruit at Sam’s Club

Written by Martin A. Sajbel, Independent Insurance Agent 303-716-0970

An example of a real life large liability claim

One of my stand alone personal umbrella liability carriers

PersonalUmbrella.com has a real life case study of a large liability claim.

Here is the story:

“Zack couldn’t believe his luck: Discovering leftover Fourth of July fireworks in the garage just in time for Halloween. He couldn’t wait to tell his best friend, Fletcher.

While their parents were soundly asleep on Halloween night, the inseparable pair snuck out to give the neighborhood a midnight treat.

Suppressing giggles, Zack lit the inaugural bottle rocket —  it zoomed off-course and landed underneath their neighbor’s car.

The friends rushed over to try to kick it out, but they were too slow — the car caught on fire in moments and as they looked on in disbelief, the tree in the yard and the home followed.

By the time firefighters were at the scene, extensive damage was already done.

Because of “vicarious parental liability,” Zack’s parents were on the hook for his actions, even though they weren’t present and didn’t know what he was up to.

After their homeowners liability limit was exhausted, their standalone personal umbrella policy covered the rest of the damage.

Claim: $620,000″

What is “Class 4” rated roofing shingles and why should you have them?

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is a company that tests the impact resistance of roofing shingles to simulate how the roofing would stand up to hail. The test is called UL 2218 and is the standard test in the roofing industry. A roofing shingle tested under UL 2218 is given a rating from Class 1 to Class 4 – Class 4 representing the most impact-resistant roofing shingles.

Insurance companies are starting to realize the benefits of these Class 4 rated shingles and they are starting to give “hail resistive” discounts on policies where the home has Class 4 rated roofing. This discount could be 20% or more depending on factors. If you are replacing your roof, you should consider upgrading to Class 4 roofing shingles. The insurance savings on your homeowner’s policy will pay for the upgrade in about two years. Not all insurance companies offer this discount so check with your agent to see if your insurance company offers this discount.

Elkstone Insurance Group, Inc. is an independent insurance agency that can quote homeowner’s insurance from several insurance companies in Colorado. The hail resistive discount is available through our agency for homes with Class 4 rated roofing shingles. Call 303-716-0970 for an insurance quote.

What time of day does an auto or homeowners policy start or end?

Typically “most” insurance companies, start and stop, there polices at 12:01 AM (one minute after midnight). With that, the first day of your policy period you have coverage all that day. The last day of your policy period, you do not have coverage because it ended a minuet after that day started.

Emergency Vehicle Checklist

First Aid Kit, toilet paper stored in a zip-lock bag

Flashlight (preferable a forehead mounted flashlight) with
extra batteries

Jumper Cables, tire chains/cables, and a tarp, extra
old/cheap sunglasses

Road flares or roadside lights or reflectors

Pen, Pencil and paper, vehicle cell phone charger, and a “printed”
out list of important phone numbers.

Extra old warm coat, hats and leather work gloves (a set for
each family member)

Energy Snack Bars, Drinking Water, mints, gum, floss and
small travel tooth brush and paste

Blanket, Umbrella, Kleenex, Ice Scraper/brush

Swiss Army or Leatherman utility knife

Supply of wet baby-wipes stored in a strong freezer zip-lock
bag

Duct tape, Rope, String, Trash bags, twisty and a few extra gallon
size freezer zip-lock bags.

Small handle shovel, zip-ties, tow rope/chain, bungees.

Mace ,Pepper Spray or some other appropriate self-defense
you feel comfortable storing/using.

Red-rag-flag needed if transporting something sticking out
back of your vehicle 4 feet or more.

A Chilton repair manual for your specific vehicle.

Purchase tools that would be commonly used to repair your
vehicle and keep them in your vehicle. Be sure to purchase the size for your
vehicle (metric tools for foreign made vehicles.)

Engine oil, brake fluid (type used for your vehicle) and windshield
wiper fluid.