Floods are one of the most expensive natural disasters.

Are you prepared if a disaster or emergency occurs? September is National Preparedness Month! This is a reminder to make and practice a safety plan, prepare a survival kit, sign up for alerts in your area, learn lifesaving skills, review your insurance policies, and start saving for the cost of an emergency or natural disaster.

An urgent situation can happen anytime, and without preparation, you may start to panic and not be able to think clearly. It is important to have an evacuation plan and a safe meeting spot inside and outside of your house. Some of the events that everyone should have a plan for are a fire, thunderstorm, power outage, flood, tornado, hurricane, landslide, and a wildfire. It is not enough just to make a plan, you should also practice the safety procedures so everyone in your household will know how to stay safe.

If you happen to be stranded after an emergency and are without help for a few days, you need to have a disaster supply kit. These are just some of the suggested items to put in your kit:

• One gallon of water per person per day for up to three days
• Non-perishable food
• Battery-powered radio
• Flashlight
• First aid kit
• Extra batteries
• Whistle
• Moist towelettes and garbage bags
• Tools to turn off utilities
• Can opener

In addition to the basic essentials, you should also have extra prescription medication, pain relievers, cash, important documents, blankets, a change of clothes, a fire extinguisher, and matches. It is also a good idea to have items packed if you have a baby, young child, or any pets. Learning certain lifesaving skills such as CPR, preventing hypothermia, and how to control bleeding can also be useful in an emergency if EMTs cannot quickly get to you.

Reviewing your insurance policies to make sure you have the proper coverages will not only save you money in the long run, but it will also give you peace of mind. The simple task of just understanding what your policy covers will help you know how to better prepare, plan, and save for an emergency. If you live in an area that is prone to flooding, earthquakes, or tornadoes, it is suggested to have additional coverages to protect your property. The cost of disasters can add up quickly, so having money saved up to fall back on can help you get back on your feet in a timely manner.

https://www.ready.gov/september

https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/national-preparedness-month.html

Don’t let an uninsured motorist put you in a financial crisis.

If you’ve ever driven in Atlanta or metro areas, you can almost expect to be sitting in traffic due to an accident. Since there are more and more people out on the roads who are commuting or using the roadways for traveling purposes, more miles are being driven and there is a higher risk for an accident to occur. If you are in an accident with an uninsured driver, or they only have minimal coverage, do you know how you might be affected?

Each state differs when it comes to required coverages for auto insurance. Minimum coverages vary as well as additional coverages that may be offered to an insured. In Georgia, the minimum coverage on an auto policy that a driver must carry is $25,000 in bodily injury per person, $50,000 in bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 in property damage per accident. Insurance agents in Georgia are supposed to offer a client uninsured motorist coverage along with an auto policy, but if the client does not want the additional coverage, it must be declined and put in writing.

People who choose not to have auto insurance at all because they don’t want to follow the guidelines set by the state, or because they are considered a “risky driver”, put everyone at risk. People who are driving here from out of state, may have even lower limits than what is required in Georgia, so they may not have enough coverage to pay for an accident in its entirety if they are at fault.

Uninsured motorist coverage will protect you if you are in an accident with someone who does not have insurance coverage. It will cover the cost of medical bills, loss of wages, pain and suffering, and the loss of future earnings. Uninsured motorist coverage also protects you if you are a passenger in a car that gets in an accident with an uninsured driver, if you are the passenger in a car with an uninsured driver who gets in an accident with another driver, or if you are a pedestrian who is hit by an uninsured driver.

Underinsured motorist coverage applies when an at-fault driver does not have the necessary auto coverage to pay for all bodily and property damages due to an accident. This type of coverage will reimburse the driver who is not at-fault for any damages after the at-fault driver’s coverage has been completely used up.

It is important to have more than minimal coverage on your auto policy, since the cost of medical expenses, vehicle parts, and the overall cost of an accident are increasing yearly. If you do not have sufficient coverage, or any coverage at all, then you are more likely to pay out of pocket, have wages garnished, and/or be sued for damages, whether you are at-fault or not.

At the Dickerson Agency, we are committed to help you buy insurance that will best protect your quality of life, should a claim occur.  We will look over your policies and give you the best recommendations on coverage to help achieve this goal for you and your family.  Give us a call today to see how we can help protect your future!

You pay for auto insurance but do you know what your policy actually covers? Many clients ask us if their personal auto insurance extends to rental cars. The answer CAN BE yes. You are covered in a rental car the same as if you are driving your own vehicle, IF you have the right coverage.

When renting a vehicle, you may be encouraged to buy rental insurance. If you have comprehensive and collision insurance, bodily injury and property damage liability, or additional coverages, such as medical or personal injury protection included on your personal policy, then it may not be necessary to purchase rental insurance.  If you choose not to purchase insurance through the rental company, any accident would be covered under your existing insurance policy.  Alternatively, if you choose to purchase the coverage, the rental car company would be on the hook for the claim, not you.

It’s a good idea to have at least a basic understanding of the coverage included in your auto policy, in case your insurance is needed.  Your agent at the Dickerson Agency will help walk you through your policy and explain exactly what your policy covers.

Here is a brief list of how coverages can be simplified and broken down:

• Comprehensive and collision insurance: Covers damage to your vehicle due to an accident that you cause, glass damage, stolen vehicle, severe weather damages, or any other situation out of your hands.
• Bodily injury and property damage liability: Covers another person’s damage due to an accident that you cause, whether it be hurting another driver or pedestrians, or if you run into and cause damage to someone else’s property.
• Renters or homeowners insurance: Covers the contents in your car if they happen to be stolen or damaged. Many people think that the personal items in their car are covered by their auto insurance, but this isn’t the case. If you do not have renters or homeowners insurance and an item gets stolen out of your car, then it is not covered.
• Additional coverages: Items such as medical payments and personal injury protection cover medical expenses for you and your passengers if there is an injury due to an accident.

The world is an unpredictable place, and it’s better to be covered in the long run, in case something happens while you are driving a rental. Some people choose to go ahead and get rental insurance, even if their auto policy has the necessary coverage, so they can avoid having to file a claim with their own insurance, won’t have to pay their deductible in the event of an accident, or to add additional protections that their personal policy doesn’t have.

If you’re planning a trip or vacation where a rental car is needed, don’t hesitate to give us a call!  The Dickerson Agency will be happy to make sure you are adequately protected in your journey.

Independent Insurance Agency Kennesaw GA

What is an Independent Insurance Agency?

A common question that seems to arise almost daily for us at The Dickerson Agency is “What all does your company do?”  It’s an easy question to answer, but it does have many parts to it.  An Independent Insurance Agency is made up of Independent Insurance Agents, also sometimes known as “Producers”. We help to sell a variety of insurance products, ranging from Personal Insurance (Auto, Home, Renters, Boat, Umbrella) to Commercial/Business Insurance (Property, Casualty, Workers Comp, Business Owners Package).

Independent Agents often represent several different insurance companies, also known as “Carriers”, and help to find the best policies and coverage to suit a client’s needs.  We have Insurance Agents that are experienced in multiple avenues of the insurance markets, as well as insurance law. As Independent Agents, we are able to utilize that knowledge to obtain quotes from all of our different carriers and present you with options and policies that will best suit your needs.

Here at the Dickerson Agency, our agents do all of the above, and more.  We work with over 20 “A” rated carriers.  We listen to your needs, shop around for you, and present you with the best possible coverage that will protect your family and quality of life, in the event of a claim.  We save you time AND money, then follow everything up with a high level of customer care.  We automatically shop your policies every year at renewal to make sure you are getting the best “bang for your buck” and are adequately covered.  We don’t SELL you insurance, we help you BUY insurance and peace of mind, knowing that you’re protected when the time comes.

Visit our Quotes Page to get Started!