November 29, 2017 7:00 pm - Bieritz Insurance Agency

Travel Insurance – When Do You Need It?

12 December 2017

Bieritz Agency

Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost luggage, flight accident and other losses incurred while traveling, either internationally or domestically. (Wikipedia)

Travel insurance makes the most sense when you have higher cost pre-paid and non-refundable expenses associated with a trip so that if there is a need to cancel, you have a means to recover the bulk of your expense. If you are concerned only with baggage loss or flight delays, the cost of insurance may not be worth the cost of a plan.

If you are traveling within the U.S. and have an emergency medical situation while traveling, your regular health insurance plan should cover those types of situations. If you are leaving your home country, emergency medical and medical evacuation coverage (safe transportation to a hospital) are recommended since your health insurance coverage will not typically be applicable.

There are different components of travel insurance that you can consider based on your travel plans and your needs. Here are a few:

Trip cancellation coverage helps to recover your out of pocket expenses if you get sick and are unable to travel, if you have a death in your family, if you are required to work or you have a home emergency (flooding, etc.).
Missed connection coverage allows you to replace an original flight and make other types of travel changes and provides assistance services to help you.
Trip interruption coverage helps you find a new flight or an overnight stay in case your airline cancels their original flight plans.
Protection for weather damage covers your costs if a weather event causes damage at your planned destination (i.e. and your hotel can no longer accommodate you). This will reimburse you for the original costs and assist in finding alternatives.

If you are planning a trip and thinking about whether or not you need insurance, stop by and ask our team! You can find us at Bieritz Insurance, 209 Main Street in Cooperstown or at Morris Insurance, 128 Main Street in Morris.

Cooking Safety through the Holidays

1 December 2017

Bieritz Agency

Did you know that there are about 1,400 cooking fires per year on Thanksgiving? This is more than 3X the average for every other day of the year! Furthermore, since 2004 there have been 107 fires due to frying turkey that have caused 47 burns and $5.2 millions worth of property damage! Keep in mind the following tips to prevent accidents in your kitchen when you are cooking for the holidays.

Prevention

Make sure there is someone to watch over cooking operations as much as possible.
Tie long hair back and restrict or don’t wear drooping clothing that may easily catch fire.
Try to put meal-preparation tools that are flammable in a separate area.
Closely supervise cooking children or designate a distant playing space.
Keep watch over and clear away any grease buildup throughout the day.
Keep pan handles out of the way of passing traffic as much as possible.
Ensure that there are working smoke detectors installed on each floor, and perhaps get a photoelectric alarm that can determine the difference between smoke from cooking and smoke from fire.
If you choose to use a turkey fryer, set it up far outside and away from your house, not on the porch or in the garage. Make sure the turkey is thoroughly thawed and dried before beginning. Make sure you put only as much oil in it as you need. If it starts to smoke, turn off the gas supply. Also keep close watch.
Keep a fire extinguisher nearby and learn how to use it.

Action After An Accident

In the event that there is a grease fire, call 911 as soon as possible and do not to attempt to put it out with water. If someone’s clothing is on fire, remember or remind the person to stop, drop, and roll. If someone is burned, further action is needed depending on which level of the skin it reaches. For more information on treating minor burns, follow this link.

Remember, your insurance provider can help you navigate out of this kind of crisis. You can reach our team at Bieritz Insurance in Cooperstown at 607-547-2951 or at Morris Insurance at 607-263-5170.

For additional information on things you can do to prevent accidents during the holidays, check out Safety Tips for the Holiday Season and Top Ten Holiday Safety Tips.