10 Tips to Prevent Chimney Fires in North Carolina

This is the time of year when the nip of Old Jack Frost has many of us imagining a cozy night snuggled up in front of the fire. Wood burning fireplaces can feel like a luxury in the winter providing additional warmth and heat in the home. What most of us don’t think about is the possibility of a chimney fire. 

By following a few simple safety tips, you can enjoy your next fire without the fear of disaster.
 

1. Have your wood stove or chimney inspected by a certified chimney specialist each year and check monthly for damage or obstructions.

2. Never burn trash, paper, green wood or Christmas trees.

3. Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials. Combustible material too close to the fireplace or a wood stove can easily catch fire.

4. Keep chimneys clear and capped. Make sure tree branches and leaves are at least 15 feet away from the top of the chimney. Contagious flames or sparks can jump from the fire source, quickly igniting other close objects. Installing a chimney cap can help prevent debris and animals from blocking the opening.

5. Use a fireplace screen heavy enough to stop rolling logs and big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch flying sparks.

6. Close the damper and doors tightly when you are done. A fire may appear completely dead, but a midnight draft can reignite embers and a slight breeze can blow them into your living room.

7. Store cooled ashes in a tightly sealed metal container outside the home.

8. Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries once a year.

9. Make sure everyone in the family respects the fire. Remind everyone not to get too close and to move carefully when in the vicinity. A fireplace screen to establish a safe perimeter is a good idea if you have small children or pets.

10. Have an escape plan in place in case of fire and review it regularly with your family members.

If you do have a chimney fire, close the damper and doors tightly if possible. Then leave the house and call 911. With the right home maintenance practices you can avoid chimney fires and enjoy the cozy, ambiance of your fireplace on cold mountain nights. We are available to answer any questions you have regarding coverage and your homeowners policy.

>>Find a Certified Chimney Sweep in Your Area:  The National Chimney Sweep Guild &
The Chimney Safety Institute of America

Boat Insurance

Boat Protector Policy

So what can we do for you?  Erie Insurance’s Boat Protector Policy safeguards your boat, boating equipment and accessories. It also protects you with liability and medical payments coverage.

ERIE offers:
•Comprehensive coverage that covers many types of losses. (Some of which you might not even have thought of.)
•No additional cost up to $500 for boating equipment and accessories.
•Coverage for bodily injury caused to others such as swimmers, jet skiers or other boaters. •Payments up to $250 per occurrence for emergency towing to the nearest marina.
•Award winning claims service that ensures you will be contacted promptly after reporting a loss. (Really, why should you have to wait?)

Contact us today to get your boat protector quote!

The 10 Insurance Policies You Need but Don’t Have

When people buy insurance, they often feel they know enough about their policy, what’s insured, and its risk. However, like a wallflower at a high school dance, what’s excluded in an insurance policy is barely given attention. You may not want a dance with those exclusions, but you should know what they are. Once you do that, you’ll find yourself asking a lot of questions.

What if your grandmother’s antique sewing machine in mint condition is ruined in a flood? Will your homeowner’s insurance pay the full amount of the sewing machine’s prior value? If your car is stolen and you owe $5K on it, will your insurance cover the remainder of the loan? Such questions, along with other times you’re at risk for losses or damages — whether yours or another’s — have answers in the form of important insurance policies you didn’t even know you needed. Here’s a list of them:

1. Personal Electronic Equipment Insurance
Even 10 years ago, there’s a good chance the average household didn’t have many personal electronics. In a scan of just your living room today, many of you reading this can easily name 5-10. If your $5K computer is damaged by a volcanic eruption, explosion, or other named homeowner’s insurance peril, it will be covered. Unfortunately, the top three causes of loss for personal electronics are accidental damage, theft, and power surges. Although it sounds like some kind of far-fetched insurance product protecting your restroom habits, Personal Electronic Equipment (PEE) insurance can carry higher limits and cover a broader range of damage.

2. Renter’s Insurance
If you don’t own the home you live in but rent, why do you need insurance for it? Because you’re a renter — plain and simple. Renters insurance protects personal belongings and even your personal reputation. Liability coverage is one of the most important parts of this policy because even renters can be sued for losses or damages connected to rented properties. Imagine what would happen if you negligently burned your apartment building down, bringing down five other people’s homes and personal property along with it — or even lives. If you don’t have renters insurance, you probably can’t write checks to cover all of your neighbor’s losses and damages (on top of yours). It’s also highly unlikely that you could pay for personal injury and/or wrongful death lawsuits. Fortunately, it’s very affordable, yet only about 47% of renters carry it, even though the average cost is only $17 monthly.  Get Renters Quote

3. Event Insurance
The average wedding in today’s society costs a whopping $26K and many brides plan for their day to be “princess” without safety nets. When that much money rests on one single event contained in a day, you need to think about protection, and the coverage it can offer is actually impressive. For example, if you need to postpone your wedding due to an unexpected illness, this policy can help. It can also protect expensive items like jewelry and wedding dresses depending on the policy. Did your wedding day become a rainy day? If so, event insurance can help pay for resulting losses or damages. If someone slips on that shiny dance floor, severely injuring themselves, they may come after the event organizer for medical bill coverage, and event planners would be the ones sued. Event insurance has a liability portion built in for that kind of protection. It can be purchased for all other event types as well, but weddings are one event when it’s definitely needed.

4. Burial Insurance
Many people say buying insurance is gambling, and that those playing are gambling on something bad happening. However, there’s one thing none of us can gamble on — death — and there’s insurance to help specifically cover part of its cost. Burial insurance, a form of whole life insurance not to be be confused with pre-paying for funerals at funeral homes, is one of the safest policies you can buy because you know it will be utilized one day. You won’t be around to see the payoff of burial insurance (literally), but loved ones left with final expenses would certainly appreciate your foresight. It helps covers final expenses in their truest form — burials, cremations, and funerals. If you aren’t sure how your funeral will be paid for, this is definitely worth looking into.

5. Flood Insurance
According to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), flooding is the number one hazard in the U.S., yet many homeowners aren’t aware it’s not covered under standard insurance policies. You don’t have to live in a high-risk area to warrant buying a flood insurance policy either, as 20% to 30% of flood claims come from low- to moderate-risk areas. If you don’t have flood insurance, damage isn’t covered, and according to the NFIP, the average flood insurance claim is $30K. The NFIP reports average annual premiums of about $600, or rather, $50 a month. If you buy a home and plan on living in it for 30 years or the rest of your life, doesn’t spending $600 a year to protect your home seem logical given your long-term plans?

6. Gap Insurance
In 2010, 737,142 cars were stolen, totaling a stunning $4.5 billion in personal property losses. It’s likely some of those car owners still owed on car loans originally used to purchase the cars. Without gap insurance, you’re responsible for paying off that loan even if the insurance company has written off your car. Regardless of the car, its sale price, or any other factors, anytime you take out a loan to buy a car — especially brand new or very expensive ones — you should purchase gap insurance.

7. Umbrella Insurance
Your homeowner and auto insurance policies offer liability coverage, but it’s normally only up to a certain amount. Have you ever considered what would happen if you got sued for more than your liability limits? You’d have to pay out of pocket and with the rest of any assets you have. An umbrella policy provides extra liability protection at an affordable cost — a $1 million policy will usually run anywhere from $200-$500 a year.

8. Accident Insurance
Did I do that?  Whether it’s your fault or Steve Urkle’s, accidents happen and they can be financially devastating depending on the severity of the injuries you sustained from an accident. If you think bills from general practitioners are high, the costs of losses and damage incurred in an accident makes $180 seem like pocket change. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), the average hospital stay is five days, meaning lost income, extra daycare, bills for the cafeteria’s gourmet meals, and more. That’s a lot of money, especially when the cost of staying at the hospital is more than $22K on average. Accident insurance is what could help cover — to at least some degree — things like those previously mentioned — lost income, insurance deductibles, and childcare among other things.

9. Pet Insurance
If you love your four-legged friend, whether dog, cat, or something more exotic, you probably care for them like another human family member. If they get sick, treatment can cost thousands. According to the Americans Pets Products Association, $12.2 billion was spent on veterinary care in 2009 alone, and those statistics are rising. Procedures become increasingly expensive, and those formerly out of reach are now widely available. If you want to protect your pet, this insurance policy can help you save money in the long run, but do it now. Similarly to the underwriting guidelines of many insurance types, you want to obtain coverage as early as possible — don’t wait until your pet’s vision seems to be waning. Buy it when your pet is still healthy to help lock in premiums and discounts that may help if something drastic happened, causing rates to rise. Additionally, pet insurance is still a relatively new frontier, so it’s wise to purchase it before it catches on more, which would likely mean more premiums.

10. Private Medical Insurance
If you’re employed and still have health coverage, thank your lucky stars. As the costs of health care rise, some employers are considering dropping benefits altogether. Then you may find yourself in the sticky situation of searching for private insurance — along with 46 million others who are uninsured. According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, private medical insurance can cost up to $1K monthly, and the average cost of one ER visit is 40% more than the average U.S. rent amount at $1,233.

If you look at insurance as gambling, that’s fine. However, the irony of calling it gambling is that when you don’t “gamble” by not buying insurance, you’re gambling that nothing bad would happen, and that’s a gamble you want to lose

Landscape Contractors Insurance

Landscaping is no easy task. It takes a crew of dedicated, hard-working specialists to turn green into gorgeous. A faulty tool, a lapse of concentration, or even an uncooperative tree can turn the task at hand into a liability nightmare.

At Marshall Insurance Services, we can tailor a landscaper’s insurance policy to protect you and your crew from:

• General liability issues
• Commercial liability issues
• Vehicle and equipment malfunction or damage

Contact us today to learn how our landscapers insurance can give you the protection you need, at a price you can afford.

Lowering NC Workers' Compensation Premiums

Workers' compensation is a mandatory business insurance. You cannot do business legally in North Carolina (with employees) if you do not have workers' compensation insurance or your business is not legally qualified as "self-insured." 

There are some exceptions for some family businesses, agriculture, some maritime or federally regulated business, but the exceptions are so few that, for purposes of this post, assume your business needs workers' compensation insurance!

As a necessary cost, it is critical to control and lower that cost if possible. Doing so requires an understanding of how your premium is established and what can be done to lower certain factors affecting that rate.

Understanding how Premiums are Calculated
Premiums for workers compensation ares calculated by the following formula:

RATE X $100 payroll X Experience Modifier = PREMIUM

There are two critical variables in the equation: rate and experience modifier.

Understanding Your Rate
Every year, NC will categorize your industry. The state will assess risk based upon actuarial calculations. Typically, states follow the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) in determining the classification and rate. The rate is based on a myriad of factors. The NCCI classification for clerical work, 8810, is usually the lowest, while the classification for the construction trades (especially carpentry, 5645) is usually the highest. Why? Carpenters get hurt on the job and secretaries do not.

Understanding Your MOD
The experience modifier is also a critical part of the calculation. It is typically referred to as your MOD. The MOD is a numeric representation of your business's loss and claim history. It is calculated differently by states. In general, a brand new business will have a MOD of 1.00. But, look how this is used in the formula. It is a multiplier on the premium. If your claims history is low it will decrease. If your claims history is high it will increase. For example, a MOD of .90 acts as a 10% discount on the premium while a MOD of 1.10 acts as a 10% increase.

Premium Based on Every $100 in Payroll
The final premium is a multiple value to be applied to every $100 of payroll. For example, a rate of .08 with a MOD of 1.00 results in $8.00 of annual premium for each $100 of payroll or $8,000 on $100,000 in payroll.

Control and Lower MOD to Lower Premiums
Your business will have little control over the broad industry it is in and little effect on the Rate assigned by the state. But, your business can dramatically affect premiums by lowering its MOD.

• Make Safety a First Priority - A safe workplace (onsite and offsite) lowers the number of worker injuries. If possible, budget for an outside safety evaluation and implement the changes suggested. Mandate employee safety training. Show employees what an amputation or electrical burn looks like to reinforce safety. Because the MOD variable in the premium equation is a multiple, every small reduction leads to big savings.
• Enroll in State Sponsored Programs - Every state sponsors programs to improve safety in return for a deduction in the MOD rating. In my state, Ohio, employers can get a deduction for participating in the Drug-Free Workplace Program. There are deductions for allowing inspections or focusing on certain injuries. The programs are available and you need to research them. The programs are not easy and compliance can be difficult, but not to the business that puts safety as its first priority.
• Become Part of a Group for Group Rating - Most states offer large discounts to recognized groups. This is called group rating. Technically, this discount is a rate discount, but I put it under MOD because in order to qualify for most groups, your business must have a better than average safety history. New businesses may not qualify. Start now to implement a safety first mentality with the goal of becoming group rated.

Review Your NCCI Classification - Accountants will tell you that most workers compensation programs have a 30-35% error rating when it comes to business classification. Do not use one classification for your business and have a professional prepare your classification paperwork. Classify all of the employees individually and demand proper classification. In the example above, a secretary in your business classified as a carpenter (because she works at a carpentry contractor) can cost thousands in premium dollars. This is because a carpenter's rate is two or three times as much as a secretary's premium rate.

Review Payroll Figures - Like NCCI classifications, payroll calculations are frequently wrong or not estimated correctly. A professional review of payroll history can result in a lower estimated payroll and lower resulting premium.

Protect Your Home While You're Away

The National Realtors Association reports that there are more than six million second or vacation homes in the United States. Many people who seek escape from the cold, dark, icy days of winter head to second homes in warmer climates during the winter months.

Others leave their homes to enjoy summer vacations at the beach, or winter ski and snowboarding adventures in the mountains. No matter what your destination, here are a few things you should do to protect your primary residence while you're away.

Give It That Lived-in Look

When you're going away for an extended period of time, you should try to make your home look like it is still occupied. If there is the appearance of activity at your home, there is less chance that the house will be burglarized. Here are a few ways to make it seem like you're home:

• Set lights and a radio or television on timers so they'll go on and off at different times of the day.
• Use call forwarding to have your calls sent to your vacation home's phone line or cell phone. You can also turn off or lower the ringer volume on your phone so that it can't be heard from outside. If you are going to leave a greeting on your answering machine, be sure you don't leave any information about being away from home. Rather, leave a generic message like "we can't come to the phone right now, please leave a message."
• Arrange for landscaping services while you're away. Have someone mow the lawn, rake the leaves and shovel the snow.
• If you're leaving a car at your house and you don't have a garage, have someone move your car periodically or ask a neighbor to park their car in your driveway or in front of your house every so often.
• Have your mail held at the post office and suspend delivery of your newspaper. Or ask a neighbor to pick up your mail and newspaper daily.

Have an Expected Visitor

When you're going to be away, it's a good idea to ask someone to check on your home on a regular basis. Ask a friend or family member to stop by about once a week so that if there is a problem it can be taken care of quickly. They should check that doors and windows are secure and open and close curtains and shades every now and then to help make your house looked occupied. Be sure to give your "home checker" a spare key-don't hide a key anywhere near or around your house because thieves know where to look. Also, if you have a home security system, be sure that your expected visitor knows how to set and disarm the alarm.

Avoid Frozen Pipes in Winter

Frozen pipes are not only frustrating to deal with but they can also cause a great deal of damage to your home. So, before you leave this winter, be sure that your heating system is checked for proper operation and make any necessary arrangements for continued fuel delivery. Also make sure that any pipes in crawl spaces and attic spaces are well insulated and set your thermostats to at least 55 degrees so that your home is kept warm enough to prevent pipes from freezing. Finally, leave kitchen cabinet doors and bathroom vanity doors open so that heat can circulate to pipes under the sinks.

The 5 Most Common NC Homeowners Insurance Claims

Ever heard of Murphy’s Law? I’m not quite sure who exactly “Murphy” was, but if there’s one true statement that can almost always sum up insurance, it’s his law of “If it can happen, it will happen.”

Perhaps that’s a bit pessimistic, and I’m certainly not an insurance agent with a crystal ball, knowing when disaster will strike policyholders. Perhaps more appropriately, it can’t be said by anyone that you’ll ever face certain kinds of claims, or if you’re lucky, you’ll never face any at all. If that’s the case, that’s fantastic.

But you still shouldn’t dismiss Murphy’s Law. After all, if you believe in the law of attraction (aka ‘The Secret’) then you could end up knee deep in damages and claims. Similarly, you shouldn’t dismiss it and become a pessimist or paranoid. Instead, you should keep it mind to anchor reality and possibility — two things insurance hinges upon. When you’re buying insurance, you should look at your options and ask yourself if your coverage would please Murphy (whomever he may be) by adopting his motto.

That’s true for any insurance, but can be crucial to homeowners insurance. When you’re buying a house, it’s imperative that it’s insured properly to cover any kind of accident or damage involving your property. Many states require that homeowners have a certain level of insurance, and this is meant to act as a safety net. While it’s important to obey the law and get the required insurance, you should always look at getting additional coverage to cover any high-cost claims that you might incur. However, you may run into some of the following situations that any homeowner usually ends up dealing with at one time or another — and sometimes so do renters.

1. Water Damage

Water damage is one of the most common claims, and you don’t have to live on the riverbank or next to the ocean to have a serious claim. Depending on the age of your home, there is always potential for a pipe to burst. We’ve all heard horror stories of someone coming home to find the basement under a foot of water due to a busted pipe. Add that to your water bill and your tears will only make the damage worse. Make sure you find a policy that will cover water damage despite the source of the water.

2. Wind & Hail

As you can imagine, severe weather can take its toll on a house, especially if you are in a severe weather prone state such as Texas or Florida. Many of the coastal states will experience high winds during hurricanes, which can also bring hail, and other states further inland have to endure tornadoes, strong winter blizzards, and even uncommon occurrences such as the derecho that hit several states this past summer. Exterior damage can be costly depending on the amount and severity so make sure you have legitimate coverage based on your state’s weather history.

3. Accidents

It happens whether you are ready for it or not. You never expect any visitor on your property to get seriously hurt, but if they do, you must make sure you are adequately covering all of your bases. Because there is a high possibility that someone could sue you after getting injured on your property, you want to make sure that you have the appropriate liability coverage and also a good lawyer. This won’t always be the case because it may be your brother that is injured and he would never dream of suing you, but if you have the right kind of insurance, it will provide the monetary support and protection you need for surprises of this kind.

4. Dog Attacks

If you have a dog, be sure that it is properly restrained at all times. Even if you believe your dog would not hurt a fly, the wrong person could walk by, causing your dog to feel threatened. If they are bitten, they have every right to sue you and you could find yourself wading in thousands of dollars owed. With claims of this nature, despite the intentions of the bitten, the dog owner assumes primary responsibility and you could end up having to pay out a good chunk of money. Make sure you have at least $300K of coverage in liability coverage to protect you — and keep Fido on a leash.

5. Fire

Losing everything in a fire is devastating to begin with, but the claims process that takes place afterwards can be just as much of a headache. When you’re trying to make a fire claim, you must be able to prove the worth of what was lost and sometimes the insurance company may not agree on the value of your property. Then, an investigation can ensue placing a price tag on the things that made up your life. Talk about adding insult to injury! However, this is a necessary process to make sure you get the fair amount to start rebuilding. Be sure to keep a running tally of your possessions as well as their value, and if this unfortunate accident happens to you, at least the insurance process won’t burn you.

The whole point of insurance is to provide coverage for the unexpected, but if you don’t have the right kind of limits, you can find yourself paying more out of pocket than you expected. When you’re searching for a homeowner’s policy, always look for the best rates, but don’t forget to weigh the heft of the policy with the price. Even if you get a good deal for your coverage, make sure it’s worth its weight in gold, or you could be looking at an unwelcome surprise after a loss.

Having a Safe Workplace is Smart Business

Business owners have the absolute responsibility for the day-to-day health, safety and welfare of employees and worksite visitors. To make your work place safer, know the three common areas of risk: people, environment and company.

People First!

Keeping your employees safe and healthy is good for your business. To do that:

• Offer prevention and wellness activities
• Have options in place so injured employees can receive immediate treatment
• Consistently search for and eliminate workplace hazards
• Offer early intervention and rehabilitation programs for drug and alcohol abuse and mental health problems
• Make free flu shots available

A Safe Environment

Heavy equipment, electrical hazards, even keyboards can pose health threats to your employees. For a safer workplace environment:

• Conduct routine maintenance and housekeeping measures
• Frequently check for proper ergonomic conditions
• Check all equipment for unsafe wear and tear
• Educate workers on identifying hazards and risks
• Make sure employees wear necessary protective equipment
• Create and rehearse a worksite disaster plan
• Control and eliminate toxic chemical use where you can
• Make your workplace smoke-free

From the Top

Safety starts with a company’s leadership. To establish and communicate your vision, mission, policies and trust:

• Keep confidential medical information protected
• Offer educational programs to improve health and safety
• Thoroughly analyze accidents for prevention
• Have a zero-tolerance policy for workplace violence
• Offer access to cost effective health care benefit programs
• Begin an employee assistance program

If you have any employees, most states require you to have an active workers compensation policy to insure coverage for those employees against a workplace injury. In most cases, the owners of a sole-proprietorship or a partner in a partnership are not considered employees and have the option whether to cover themselves or not.  For more information about workplace safety and disaster preparedness, visit these sites:

• Consumer Product Safety Commission – www.cpsc.gov
• Occupational Safety & Health Administration – www.osha.gov

For more information about insurance for business owners, contact us at 704-684-0082, e-mail us or fill out our contact form.

Rental Property Insurance

As your trusted NC insurance agent, we value the simple fact that we can protect you far beyond simple home, auto and business insurance — we are proud to get you the custom coverage you need for all aspects of your life.

Our ability to build tailored policies and offer the highest quality insurance advice is especially helpful for those who own rental properties. You may think that your generic home insurance policy covers all of your worries, but guess again. Having the appropriate insurance coverage is absolutely essential. Whether you are renting out a long term property like a home or condo, or are simply allowing others enjoy a much needed getaway in your luxury vacation rental, you need to consider all of the risk exposures you face — and you certainly cannot rely on the coverage the your homeowners insurance may or may not provide.

Our specialized rental property insurance can help assume the risk for damages to your premises as well as cover you against any unexpected injuries or accidents that occur involving others while on your property. These realistic risk exposures are exactly why we at Marshall Insurance Services want to be your insurance ally, and help you determine the best coverage options for your unique needs.

We can help protect you against a variety of issues and our specialized insurance knowledge allows us to insure all levels of rental property including:

•Properties that are vacant or up for sale
•Properties that are under construction
•Luxury high risk and high value vacation rentals

Furthermore, we offer effective dwelling fire insurance that is specifically designed to protect rental property owners, such as yourself, from losing rental income as the result of a fire. In most cases, this coverage will provide you with a year’s worth of rental income, allowing you the time and resources to rebuild and rent.

With so many options and alternatives to choose from, selecting the best rental insurance package may seem tricky — but with Marshall Insurance Services on your side, we guarantee to secure you the most effective coverage that not only meets your needs but exceeds your expectations, so give us a call today!

Smoke Detector Safety

Most home fire deaths happen in the middle of the night between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. A smoke detector can save your life by waking you and giving you time to escape. When purchasing a smoke alarm, look for one that is accepted by an independent testing facility such as Underwriters Laboratories or Factory Mutual.

Location, Testing and Maintenance!

The best place for your smoke alarms:
•On every level of your home, including the basement and workshop.
•Outside every bedroom.
•On the ceiling or on the wall, 6 to 12 inches below the ceiling. Keep detectors away from air vents.

Check the alarm batteries once a month by pressing the test button with your finger. The batteries should be replaced once a year.

You should clean the alarm by following the manufacturer’s instructions. The grillwork on the detector should be vacuumed periodically to keep it dust-free.

Preventing Nuisance Alarms To prevent false alarms, move the detector away from a kitchen or bathroom. You may also want to consider purchasing a smoke alarm, like a photoelectric, that’s less sensitive to common causes of false alarms. Some smoke alarms also are equipped with a silencing feature, so that nuisance alarms can be stopped quickly and easily

Renters Insurance

Protect your apartment and your belongings from burglary, fire or other damage with a Renters Policy. This coverage is for:

• Personal property, wherever it may be.
• Loss of use, which covers the additional living expenses you incur due to temporary relocation.
• Personal liability for bodily injury, property damage or personal injury claims brought against you anywhere in the world.
• Medical payments to others who are injured in an accident arising from your premises or personal activities.

Extra Features

The Renters Policy protects you with many features, including:

• Coverage for loss due to theft, forgery or unauthorized use of a credit card and unknowingly accepting counterfeit money.
• Payment up to the personal property limit for loss to contents of a refrigerator or freezer from either power or mechanical failure.
• Coverage for theft of jewelry, watches and furs.
• Reimbursement for fire extinguisher recharge after a fire loss.
• Payment for replacement of automatic garage door transmitters which have been stolen. Coverage is also provided for cost to reprogram the frequency on additional transmitters and/or the control unit box.
• Coverage for theft of guns and related equipment.

Optional Coverages:

Some optional coverages you may choose to add to your Renters Policy include:

• Replacement cost settlement on personal property
• Sewer or drain backup
• Incidental business occupancy
• Earthquake coverage
• Scheduled personal property
• Expanded endorsement
• Identity recovery coverage

Need a quote? To get started, give us a call at 704-684-0082 or fill out our quote form.

Trampolines: Spotting Danger in Your Backyard

Using a trampoline is supposed to be fun. Children laugh and get more excited with each jump and tumble. While the popularity of trampolines among 8 to 15 year-olds is growing, many people are unaware that playing on trampolines can result in serious injuries including fractures, dislocations, muscle damage, and broken legs. Even worse, some trampoline injuries damage the neck or spinal cord, which can result in permanent paralysis.

Why are trampolines so dangerous? Part of the reason is the tremendous power generated when people jump on them. For example, an activity such as launching involves multiple people on the trampoline at once, creating an energy force strong enough to send a full-grown person five feet in the air. This energy force can also literally catapult a person off the equipment or send someone high enough to come crashing back down on another person.

The growing trend in trampoline use is leading to more injuries every year. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission showed that the number of trampoline-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms had grown from 19,000 in 1976 to 91,870 injuries in 2001 (the latest statistics available). Because of the potential for injury, many groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend against the use of trampolines at home. However, for people who do choose to have a trampoline, the following guidelines from the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons may help prevent injuries:

• Make sure adults are present to supervise.
• Limit jumpers to one at a time.
• Post adult spotters around the trampoline to guard against falls.
• Use adequate protective padding for the trampoline's supporting bars, springs, and surrounding landing surfaces.
• Use protective equipment for somersaults and other high-risk maneuvers.
• Make sure the trampoline frame and mat are in good condition.
• Use a trampoline in well-lighted areas.
• Disable trampoline when not in use.

North Carolina Workers Compensation

At Marshall Insurance, we pride ourselves on being experts within the NC insurance industry. Our extensive insurance knowledge and ability to form mutually beneficial relationships with our clients has enable us to recognize unique sets of risk – and furthermore develop advances insurance strategies in which we can battle them.  One issue in particular that demands expert attention – North Carolina workers compensation.

At Marshall Insurance, we understand that your business is your greatest investment, which is exactly why we are dedicated to helping you distinguish what you need to safeguard your team your business venture right now.

In its simplest form, the North Carolina workers compensation system strives to be the most effective process available to get an injured workers back to the workforce as soon as possible. It provides the employee with peace of mind; reassuring them that if an on-site accident did occur, they would receive appropriate medical attention – without the heightened cost.

As a business owner, you are required to have coverage for workers compensation in North Carolina, in order to comply with state and federal regulations; but that doesn’t mean that just any policy from just any agency will do.  You need expert coverage strategies and advice tailored by the leading NC insurance specialists found here at Marshall Insurance.

The right North Carolina workers compensation package will help protect your employees in the event of injury or illness during the course of employment. Our extensive solutions can provide coverage for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income/wages
• Rehabilitation costs
• Death benefits
• And more…

Here at Marshall Insurance, we can provide you with a North Carolina workers compensation policy that is specifically designed to meet your distinct business needs. Through a careful evaluation and review of your operation, we can determine exactly what your unique business venture needs to adequately protect your employees.

Contact us at 704-684-0082 or e-mail us to learn more about our North Carolina workers compensation policies and how you can better protect your business and your team!  If you would like a workers compensation quote, please complete this form.