Well, I'm about to embark on a journey that I don't have any experience with. So, let's learn a valuable auto insurance lesson together.
At the end of last year my car got hit by a young lady. She somehow managed to cross in front of me while I was stopped and remove 60 percent of my front bumper. The damage seemed minor enough. The side panels were fine. The door gaps didn't get impacted from the auto accident. Basically she just sheered off that part of the bumper. What I thought would be a few hundred dollar accident turned into a eleven thousand dollar accident. Yup, 60 percent of a bumper equaled half the value of my car. 
Apparently, when a car gets hit and any part of the car gets a scratch that scratched part needs to be replaced. And, on my car that meant the whole bracket that holds the engine in place had to be replaced. The main steel beam that protects you in an accident also had a scratch and had to be replaced.  I had about 9000 in parts that were replaced. Most of which I thought could be fixed on the cheap but who am I to tell the auto insurance company to please just weld it back together when I am not paying. I'd rather have a new part for the price of free than a welded part.
After I got the car back the first time it made a clunky sound when I went over a bump. It seemed like something wasn't tightened properly. And the fan on my car would come on and stay on even when the car was turned off and cool. 
I managed to get the clunky sound fixed but the fan wouldn't replicate the staying on thing. A few months back it came back on. Then I unplugged the fan and let the car sit for a day and it went off again. Now, it's back on. 
My plan is to take the car back to the body shop that happens to be attached to the dealership and have them try and fix it. So, as much as you hope that your car gets fixed the first time things do happen and sometimes they have to go back again. It will be interesting to see how they handle things. 
Stay tuned for what they say once I bring it back in.

As a lot of people continue to work from home more and more cars are sitting still in the garage or driveway for longer periods of time. Not only is this leading to insurance companies scrambling to re-rate their customers insurance rates but it is also leading to unexpected issues.
When modern cars don't get driven batteries don't get charged. And when batteries don't get charged all those computers that run modern cars use up the power in those batteries. At some level modern cars are always active. They are there awaiting your return. The sensors wait for signals from your keys so that doors can be unlocked when you pull the handles. With the slow drain of power car batteries are going dead and they are needing more jump starts than normal.
So, if you don't have any road assistance and you are working from home add road assistance to your insurance. I know it seems completely contradictory. Normally you would want the coverage if you drive a lot. But, now if you aren't driving it is important to have. Or call one of your local road assistance companies and find out the cost to add some coverage for the year.
Another option is to get a battery charger. Most auto supply stores stock low voltage car chargers that will keep your cars computers up and running even if you aren't driving. That's a great option especially if you have a car parked for an extended period of time.
Another issue can be rodent damage done to a car that sits for a long time. Many rodents find the areas inside your engine to be perfect places to place a nest. With cars sitting the little critters are more likely to stop by and visit. So, if you are in an area where there is a good amount of wildlife you may want to check under the hood if the car has been sitting for awhile to make sure no new friends have moved in while you have been away.
If you did find rodent damage most auto insurance companies cover the damage under your comprehensive coverage. You would just pay your deductible and your insurance company would fix any damage beyond that. But, you would need to have comprehensive coverage on your policy.
​If you need a quote for some coverage give us a call at 951-395-0754. 

Well just when you think things can't get any worse along come curfews, riots, protests and looting. It's a crazy time and I hope that everyone out there stays safe and treats each other kindly. If you have property that were to get damaged during these stressful times here's how your insurance would help.
The good news is that most damages done during a riot, protest or civil commotion are covered under your insurance. In most cases there is coverage on your auto insurance and your home insurance policies. Let's take a look and see how that might work.
Now, say that you go out to peacefully protest and you come back and find the windows of your car are shattered or worse your car is now in flames. As long as you carry comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance your vehicle will be repaired for damages above your deductible. Both vandalism and fire are covered under comprehensive. Don't worry about making an insurance claim because comprehensive claims don't impact your rate. I suppose if auto insurance companies paid out a huge number of claims in your area they may pass those losses onto their policy holders. But, generally comprehensive limits are fairly inexpensive and the impact from a one time event should be small. 
Now, on your home insurance there is usually coverage for riots, vandalism and civil commotion. It should be in your covered loss section of your policy declaration if you want to confirm the coverage. What that means is if your home happens to be damaged either from something small like spray paint or something more serious like fire those losses would be covered under your home insurance. Now, your deductible may still apply so it might not be coverage from dollar one. But, if you have major damage your home limits should be available. 
If you are needing either home or auto insurance give us a call for a free quote. We have lots of great carriers available. 951-395-0754