There are few furry companions in this world who can bring joy to your life as much as a dog. For dog lovers, your pets are as much a part of the family as any other member of the family! Along with the incredible fun of dog ownership comes responsibilities. Here are some tips to help you avoid a dog liability claim.

1. Understand Your Dog Breed

Dog breeds all seem to represent one personality or another. Some are known for being more aggressive than others, however, even small dogs can nip. When you’re searching for a dog, or perhaps you have one already, pick up a dog book and read about the idiosyncrasies that the breed has.

2. If adopting, talk to the adoption or dog’s caretaker about its behavior.

Adopting a dog is a wonderful gesture and you’re doing a great thing for the pet. You’re taking it out of a shelter and bringing it into your loving home. When you adopt a dog, it is important to talk to the caretaker about the dog’s behavior, interaction with kids as well as other dogs and even cats.

3. Socialize Your Pet

Socializing your dog from a young age with other animals, children or the elderly can help your dog behave well around these different age groups and animals. It can also curb their aggression towards other animals.

4. Obedience Training

Even if your animal doesn’t exhibit aggression towards other animals, obedience training can be a great way to train your dog. Obedience training can include a variety of things from command training to behavior, agility and overall better obedience.

5. Keep Your Dog On A Leash

Most cities & states have some leash laws. These laws vary and you should check with your local municipalities for rules and regulations. These laws typically exist to keep people and wildlife safe. If you’re in a National Park, or State Park, chances are obeying laws here will keep you from being fined. Some states go as far as to charge the owners with misdemeanors for having a dog off leash in State Parks. Regardless if you are in a State Park or walking your neighborhood, keeping your dog on a leash keeps you in charge of your dog.

6. Avoid leaving your pet unattended & always watch your dog when around children

Pets left unattended can exhibit behaviors that are not typical. If your pet is new to you, never leave a pet with a child unattended. A child could unintentionally agitate the animal, step on its paws or something else that causes the animal to react. If you leave your animal in the vehicle, be sure it is restrained and can’t nip at someone as they walk past. It’s always good practice to keep a close eye on your dog when it’s around small children. If you are closely watching, you can monitor your dog’s behavior & step in if you feel it’s uncomfortable around children.

7. Monitor Your Dog’s Behavior

If you’ve noticed a change in your dog’s behavior, you should have it looked at. A dog who is sick, in pain or other can become aggressive even when their history says otherwise.

Owning a pet is a joy. Be a responsible pet owner and keep an eye on your animal at all times. Even the best dogs can exhibit bad behavior if they’re put in the wrong situation. We hope that you and your pet always have a great time, but in the event that your pet does cause an injury and claim having the right home or renters insurance policy can help protect you from a lawsuit. Talk to an agent today about protecting yourself from pet caused injury related claims.

Ah, boating. Whether you enjoy taking your boat out for a ride, waterskiing or fishing, boats bring joy and relaxation. Like any vehicle, there comes risks with operating a boat and understanding your insurance coverage is crucial. While having a conversation with your local insurance agent can clarify any of your questions, we’ll share the five most common boating claims and the insurance that can cover it.

But first, you may want to know what some boat insurance coverages are. Coverages may include collision, property damage, liability, towing and assistance and comprehensive coverage. If you have a small watercraft, talk to your agent to see if your home insurance provides any coverage and if that makes sense for your situation.

Boat insurance cost varies for each individual such as your boat’s value, size, year, how you plan to use it and how much insurance coverage you want.

5 Common Boating Claims

Injury – Need Bodily Injury Liability Coverage

Injuries on the water are common.  If you caused somebody to get hurt in another boat or one of your passengers were injured, there are insurance coverage options. Bodily injury liability can cover medical bills, lost income, pain & suffering and legal expenses. Be sure you know how much you are covered for. Also, if you plan to use your boat for waterskiing or wakeboarding, talk to your agent about the specifics of your coverage for passengers if they were to get hurt while skiing.

How to lower your risk for a boating insurance injury:

• Take a boating safety class.
• Always have a life jacket for everyone on the boat. Be sure they fit the proper requirements.
• Be a defensive driver. Always be aware of your surroundings when driving your boat.
• Never drink and drive.

Hitting an underwater object – Need Collision Insurance Coverage

This potentially could cause major damage to your boat. Many boat claims come from hitting a rock or other submerged object you can’t see in the water.

How to lower your risk:

• If your boat has a depth sounder, always pay attention to it while driving.
• Follow the proper path for marked channels & be aware of water hazard markers.

Theft or Vandalized– Need Comprehensive Insurance Coverage

Comprehensive coverage will cover if your boat is stolen. It may or may not cover the items inside your boat. Talk to your agent about the details of your insurance policy.

Weather Damage – Check with Your Local Agent

Depending on where you plan to boat, there are always chances of a wind storm, lightning or hurricane. Speak with your agent to know if your boat is covered from any storm damage, as well as flood damage.

Accident with another boat or object– Need Collision Coverage

This may be covered with your standard boat insurance policy. Talk with your local insurance agent to go over specific scenarios where coverage may vary.

Many additional boat insurance options exist. We have policies that will cover your personal items while on the water such as fishing equipment and wakeboards. Want to be sure you get the right boat insurance policy? Call our licensed agents at Carr’s Insurance in Waipahu, HI. We’ll find ways to save you money & help explain your insurance coverage so you know exactly what you are covered for.

Check if the website it secure.

A simple way to check is to look for the lock symbol in the left corner of the search browser. Any website where you are putting in your credit card information or personal information should have this.

If shopping online, are you using websites you are familiar with?

While Googling something like “Best DSLR camera” is fine, when it comes to making a purchase, it should be from a reputable company. Watch out for paid advertisements from unknown sellers.  If you’re unfamiliar with the company, you could even Google the company to see what comes up. You may learn they have poor reviews. This could save you a headache. It could also be the opposite where it’s a new company & have helped hundreds of people. Regardless, buy from a reputable company or do your research first. Shopping local is always a good bet.

Never click on links in your email from an unknown person.

Many times your email will sift through the “junk mail” and place it directly in your junk folder. Other times, scammers will try to be tricky by sending email from familiar names of either a person you know or a known institution. Always look at the email address from the sender. Most likely it’s a fake email address. If a link is included in the email, never click on it.

Other tips:

Check your bank statements every month.

Your bank can do a great job monitoring and may even catch fraudulent charges before they happen. However, it’s important to check your bank statements every month to ensure every charge is correct.

Reach out to your insurance agent.

While your banking institutions and credit card issuers do offer some protection against fraudulent charges to your accounts, did you know that your homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance plan may offer additional protection if your identity is stolen? In addition to your own diligence, your homeowners, condo or renters insurance policies can offer some extra protection. For a small yearly fee (typically less than $40 per year) your insurance policy may cover expenses related to court fees, loan reapplication fees (if denied due to identity theft), notary fees and more. Some insurance plans may also include access to an identity theft counselor, someone to assist with reporting fraudulent activity and to act as a liaison to the major credit report bureaus on your behalf. Identity theft plans will vary by carrier and state, so be sure to ask your agent about plans available.

If you have questions about your home, condo or renters insurance, contact Carr’s Insurance Agency. Our agents can review your current coverage or provide a quote on a new insurance policy. Contact us today!

It is great that your child has a job and is earning their own money. The modern world of convenience is offering us many new ways to get food and almost instant retail deliveries, but what you should know is that your standard auto insurance policy likely does not cover you for delivery type services.

Regardless of what you deliver, a personal auto insurance policy doesn’t provide coverage for paid delivery drivers. For this, you need a commercial auto policy.

A commercial auto insurance policy is needed for:

1. Freight delivery
2. Food delivery services
3. Courier delivery services
4. & many more!

Some people think that simply not telling their insurance company means they won’t be able to charge them the extra premium and that they will pay the loss. Don’t kid yourself. Simply not telling your insurance company that you or your child is using their vehicle for delivery does not mean they will cover you when a loss occurs using the vehicle. In fact, when it comes to insurance, it is a black and white coverage decision. Either there is coverage or there isn’t.

When deciding what coverage you need, ask yourself these questions:

1. Who owns the vehicle you’re using for delivery? If it is owned by the company, they probably have a commercial policy. If you own it, you need to carry the right insurance.
2. How are you using this vehicle? Delivery drivers need a commercial insurance policy.

Your best bet is to talk to a licensed agents in our office to discuss your insurance needs. Remember, simply not telling your agent or your company that you or your child is using the vehicle for delivery doesn’t mean you’ll be provided coverage regardless of any auto insurance claim you have to deal with. Contact us if you have questions or need an insurance review.