Will Your Insurance Leave You Out in The Cold?
This holiday season, one insurance agent could find no rest. What kind of insurance is really the best?
Is everything covered? Tomorrow’s the party–there’ll be drinking and dancing and laughing so hearty.
His eyelids grew heavy, his head started to nod–the candles still burning as he dreamed, the poor sod.
All 12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping too. It seemed that this party was a bit of a zoo!
But wait, what’s this, one of them has broken their nose? You thought you’d told Billy to roll up that hose!
Now arriving, your buddies, from back at the frat–it’s GO TEAM Lords-a-Leaping, all 10 at that!
They’re all good natured, it starts as clean fun–until one slips and falls on his buns. Our agent is thinking he got what he deserved–but what’s this about his guest was over-served?
9 ladies dancing, including the missus, one breaks an ankle, the other–some dishes.
Just as he’s thinking, it couldn’t get worse! 8 Maids-a-Milking get a bit terse. They were driving home young Jenny and rear ended a hearse.
He looks out the window to see what else could be the matter–7 Swans-a-Swimming in his pond getting fatter!
First someone’s bit, then someone falls in. Our poor agent’s patience wears a tad thin.
His wife’s on the phone, seems someone’s sick–those 6 Geese-a-Laying are to blame for the trick.
To make the night sadder, he’s missing some things–seems that a guest made off with 5 Gold Rings.
“I can’t take it anymore,” he cries, “This place is for the birds!” 4 Colly Birds, 3 French Hens,
2 Turtle Doves, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree make him eat his words.
They break through a window, and knock down the tree–before escaping by moonlight to live always free.
So here is a riddle, now that this nightmare is over: will insurance help him, or were these uncovered exposures?
ANSWER: Many of these things could be covered under your Homeowner’s Insurance. However, it’s important to be aware of the kind of coverage you have. Some policies have exclusions for damage done by animals, for example. Also, an Umbrella policy can help fill in the gaps if someone is injured at your home due to negligence (like a hose left out that someone trips on or a pond you forgot to warn them about). A host could also be in trouble if his inebriated guests leave his property and injure others. Most homeowner’s policies won’t cover products you sell, so the geese eggs could be a problem. And, since insurance follows the car and the guest driver’s coverage is secondary, there’s a good chance you’ll be shelling out for for the “maid” accident. As for the jewelry, your Homeowner’s Insurance will probably pick up the tab (as long as the rings weren’t over your sub-limits, or you listed them on the policy) but you’ll face increased insurance premiums for several years as a result. With that kind of ‘bling’ around, it may be time to consider a separate jewelry insurance policy. These policies tend to cover more causes of loss, and if you have to turn in a claim you won’t have to worry about your premiums skyrocketing!
We hope you enjoyed this lighthearted ‘Insurance Agent’s Nightmare,’ but the holidays are a time when mishaps can multiply. Here’s our three favorite safety tips this year:
- Keep your live tree well-watered, and be sure to turn off the lights at night whether the tree is real or not.
- Check all electrical decor for frayed wiring, and dispose of immediately if noticed.
- Keep walkways and driveways free of snow and ice, and when possible add friction tape to stairs and other slippery spots.
