Last week Chevrolet showed off the highly anticipated new Corvette. This car’s unveiling wasn’t a huge surprise. There have been plenty of spy videos online for awhile. It appears that they were driving all over California and Michigan working out the glitches on the car. This is an all new car that is going to fall somewhere between your Mustang/ Camero and your Super Cars from Lamborghini and Mclaren. From the images I’ve seen the car looks pretty amazing. Now, if I could just find a way to come up the cash to get myself one. 
The new Corvette has been completely redesigned for the new edition. I saw an interview with one of the engineers online where they stated that the current generation Vette was so good, that the only way to make it better was to make a radical change. No longer is it the biggest, fastest front engine car. It is now a mid engine racehorse. Chevy hasn’t released any hard numbers on performance other than the horsepower. Apparently, they are going to tease us and release top speeds, zero to sixty times later. It looks like a beast and I’m sure it will perform like one.
When I see a fancy new car I always wonder how much auto insurance is going to cost on that new model. Any time a new car is released insurance companies need to figure out how much to charge for insuring the car. They will do their best to charge based off the cost of the vehicle, anticipated part supply and complexity to repair the car. I was looking over this years insurance rates for the current Corvette.  The IIHS will compile all the data from accidents and rank vehicle based on the costs insurance companies paid out for each make and model. As you would expect super cars were some of the most expensive cars to insure. If you look at the Ferrari California Convertible it was 177% more expensive than the average car to fix after an accident. The Lamborghini Huracan was an astonishing 462% more expensive than average to fix. Thus for those two cars you pay an extraordinarily high cost to insure them because it costs so much to fix them. Now, Corvette’s have historically been one of the least expensive sports cars to fix. How will the change from a front mounted engine to mid engine design impact the cost to insure? We won’t know for awhile.
Here’s the IIHS website. It’s a great tool to find cars that are cheap to fix and also ones that are safer to drive. https://www.iihs.org/ratings/insurance-losses-by-make-and-model
It looks like there are already enough pre orders for the car to fill the entire first year’s production. I don’t know how that is possible since they haven’t even given what the exact price of the car is going to be. But, if you have a blank check and you want one any time soon you had better go online and put your reservation in.  Give me a call to get a quote for auto insurance before you drive your new Chevy off the lot. 951-395-0754

Ah, the images of a little green scooter next to an apartment. It conjures up the ideas of riding along a beautiful tree lined French boulevard with the wind blowing through your hair.  You have a fresh baguette and a bottle of fine wine along for the ride. You drive along looking for a little park to set up a picnic and enjoying your cheese and bread in the sunshine. That does sound nice and I think I could get on board with the bread, wine and cheese thing!
But, when your daughter calls you and says "Daddio, I'm thinking about getting a scooter".  The thoughts of a young woman on a this tiny motorized bike riding through New York City streets next to trucks and all those cars that are honking away, it doesn't sit very well with "Daddio". 
You have to love youth. Nothing bad can happen to you when you are young. You take chances that at an older age seem kinda stupid. Well, you just hope your daughter survives to look back on those days and she quickly realizes that the cheap scooter she bought maybe wasn't the greatest idea. 
My family had a yellow moped when I was growing up. Both my brother and sister managed to have accidents on that thing. My brother dislocated his arm while trying to drive across a grass field.  I remember him limping home with that floppy arm. No worries, surgery and a few screws later it's as good as new. My sister's accident happened when she hit a patch of sand and the bike slid out from underneath her. She almost got run over by a car that was following behind. And, she had the pleasure of picking asphalt and sand out of her legs for months. Good times there!
When it comes to riding a two wheel vehicle you need to take multiple things into account. The first thing to consider is how safe are these bikes? They do stop faster than cars, they also accelerate faster. They turn better, they get better gas mileage. But, the big issue is who they are sharing the road with. If you are a recreational biker you probably know to get your ride in early and get home before the bad drivers wake up. If you commute on a motorcycle you know that you have to drive completely on the defensive. Watching where cars are going and preparing to avoid cars that don't see you. 
When it comes to insurance there are lots of things to consider. Almost all bikes, scooters and mopeds require insurance to be on the road. So, you'll need to get yourself a motorcycle insurance policy. You should also consider life insurance and personal injury insurance too. And you better have decent health insurance.
Insurance companies recognize how dangerous riding two wheel vehicles are. Most insurance companies will offer limited or no medical payments as an option on your policy. The medical pay coverage protects the drivers of the vehicle regardless of who is at fault. By limiting their exposure they are able to offer a policy for the motorcyclist at a reasonable cost.  One thing you'll want to max out your under-insured motorist coverage. That coverage would protect you if you got hit by someone who has minimal liability limits or no insurance at all. 
If you are considering getting a scooter or motorcycle taking a driver safety course should be mandatory. Knowing the proper way to drive, brake and take evasive action is very important. The proper safety equipment is also important. In Europe people who ride motorcycles wear full leathers even on hot days. From head to toe they wear special safety equipment similar to what professional motorcycle racers wear on the track. That goes a long way to protect them if they end up sliding down a freeway at 60 mph. When I see people out here wearing a t-shirt and jeans I cringe.  And a helmet is oh so important. Get the most expensive one you can afford, you only have one brain. 
In summery, make sure your insurance is all paid up. Motorcycle Insurance, health insurance, life insurance and personal injury insurance.  Take a safety course and wear protective equipment from head to toe.  Call me to get a quote on your new bike today, I'll even throw in a free life insurance quote. 951-395-0754

​On Monday in the neighboring town of Murrieta there was a tragic natural gas explosion at a residential home. According to news reports it appears that a solar company was at the scene installing new panels. Somehow a gas line got ruptured. After the gas line rupture the fire department and SoCal Gas responded to the scene. While the utility workers were trying to turn the gas off something ignited the gas and a huge explosion occurred. Debris from the explosion damaged multiple home and sadly killed one utility worker. He was later identified as Wade Kilpatrick, he was 31.
Here are some important things to remember to help avoid injuries and damage. If you smell gas get out of the house and don’t return until it is deemed safe. The homeowner apparently returned to the home to grab a few items and she was in the house when the explosion happened.  She and her kids are unbelievably fortunate to have escaped with their lives. How they didn’t suffer major injuries is a bit of a miracle. Never return to the home unless it has been cleared by the fire department or the utility company.
Additionally, as I was driving in I heard on the radio a reminder from the gas company to always call them if you plan on digging. They will come out and mark the gas lines so that you can safely dig. Contractors are required to do this before they start a job. In this case the solar company did not call they were supposed to.
This house which was purchased on June 3.  When you buy a home you are required to provide insurance before your loan closes. Usually, the first year of insurance is paid in full when the escrow closes. So, I’d imagine this family will have coverage for the home. It will probably take a long time before the home is rebuilt. It will also be interesting to see who is held responsible for the damage done to the neighboring homes. Now, the home insurance companies will probably pay out to fix these homes. Usually, explosion is a standard coverage on home insurance. Each homeowner would file a claim through their company. They could then try to recoup their deductible from the person that caused the explosion. The insurance companies will also pay out loss of use for all the people that have been evacuated. It appears that multiple homes have been red tagged which means they are deemed unsafe to live in.  There must be major structural damage to the homes if they have been tagged. That just goes to show the power that this explosion had.
The properties will get rebuilt. The neighborhood will return to normal in time. The sad part of the story is the Gas worker that went to do his job and lost his life. Especially, when it sounds like this was an avoidable incident.
It’s also a good reminder to make sure your home limits are up to current standards. The policy on this home would have been a brand new home insurance policy. The agent should have made sure that the home is covered as it stood. Normally, I usually look at the photos of the home online to match up my insurance replacement calculator. You never plan on having a total loss on a home. But, you do want to make sure your home gets rebuilt the way it is. 

​A few weeks back we celebrated Independence day with a major earthquake, Yikes! Why is no one connecting the fact that after the fireworks were exploded across the state that we had several major earthquakes? I’m sure I can’t be the only one connecting fireworks with earthquakes. Oh, and on that point. How has Governor Newsom not banned fireworks yet? I’m sure there is some environmental impact that we should be discussing. Isn’t there a rare or endangered creature that needs to be protected from these explosions? I know my dog gets very upset and hides in the closet as soon as he hears the first firecracker. Poor pup! Ban fireworks for the sake of earthquakes and scared pups!
So, I don’t really buy the connection between fireworks and earthquakes in case you were wondering, but I’m sure there has to be someone out there that does! And my dog really does get scared and hides, but I'm not signing up to ban fireworks!
California definitely got a wake up call with these large earthquakes. Fortunately, the earthquakes were centered in a mostly rural area. The city of Ridgecrest was the nearest city and it took the brunt of the shaking. It appears that even with the high magnitude they didn’t suffer any major damage.
If the state wanted to draw up a great way to remind people that earthquakes are a constant threat this would be the perfect situation.  Jolt the entire southern California area and talk about about the dangers earthquakes present for a few days.
I now have a new geologist crush named Dr. Lucy Jones. Right after the first quake I started hearing her on the radio. The next day after a bigger quake I saw her on TV. Who knew geology could be interesting? She was informative, funny and was able to talk about science with easy relatable terms.  It was cool that she had so much enthusiasm for earthquakes and I really liked some of new technology they were using. The seismic count down was by far my favorite. If you didn’t watch, it is basically a count down clock that starts after the primary quake happened. The sensors were able to detect a quake and then by measuring the speed the earthquake waves traveled they could count down until you would feel the shake. It was amazing to watch as the wave of seismic energy traveled from the epicenter all the way to my couch.  Go Dr. Jones. Not Indiana but Lucy!
Since this is an insurance blog it might be good to mention earthquake insurance here. I got an email from the insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara the other day. He was reminding insurance agents that the California Earthquake Authority was still open for business.  In some areas they suspended writing new policies, but for the rest of the state you can still get insurance.
Now here’s the good and bad about earthquake insurance. It is a policy designed to cover your home if you have an earthquake which is good. Now, I saw some statistics that show only about ten percent of homeowners have earthquake insurance.  That’s a pretty low number and hopefully more people will start buying it. The way the policy works is pretty simple. The dwelling coverage matches whatever you have on your current home insurance policy. You can’t select how much coverage you want, you must match it up to your dwelling coverage on the home insurance policy. Then you select what deductible you want.  The lowest deductible is 5% of your dwelling. So, lets say your house is insured for 500,000. That means you’d have a 25,000 deductible.  The average deductible with the earthquake insurance policy is probably 15%. Using the same example that means you’d have a 75,000 deductible.  You can also select how much property coverage you want from a minimum of 5,000 and up. You can also select how much loss of use (if you can’t live in the home this money helps you live elsewhere) coverage you want too. There are additional coverages you can add too depending on how much you want to pay.
When the policy was created it was designed to cover catastrophic losses which is understandable. A lot of insurance companies almost went out of business after Northridge. It isn’t designed to cover small cracks to your stucco or to cover your broken dishes.  The good news though is if you did have a total loss on the home you’d have some coverage to rebuild. Using the same example above, with 500,000 worth of coverage and a 15 % deductible you would get 425,000 to rebuild if you had a total loss. That is a lot better than getting nothing. There are no extended limit available which is a negative. Home insurance policies usually add an additional 25-50 % to the dwelling coverage to cover increased costs. The earthquake policy maxes out with no additional dwelling limits.
So, now you know a little more about earthquake insurance. You can get an easy quote on the CEA website. And, then you can call your home insurance company and have them add the policy. If you would like to get a quote on some home and earthquake coverage give me a call at 951-395-0754

My youngest daughter never watches TV. It is kinda odd to me since I basically grew up in front of the television. You’d get home from school. Grab a snack and put the TV on. Of course you’d go and hang out with friends but I would say that I spent way more time in front of the TV than I should have.  It was the golden era of television.  There were comedies on that were actually funny. Action shows with theme music. Ah, good times. 
Fast forward to my daughter and she looks at the TV with a side eye. She’d rather be on her tablet or on the computer playing a game.  I on the other hand have no interest in video games and I find YouTube to be entertaining in small batches. But, more than three silly videos or those stupid cat chasing a laser video’s are maddening to me. Give me some terrible realty TV please.
So, what does this all have to do with insurance? Nothing of course. But, I did see a Youtube video the other day where this expensive yacht was being pulled out of the water by a truck and a tractor. The video starts with the boat in the water. Somehow they managed to get this giant boat onto this small trailer. Obviously the truck wasn’t powerful enough to pull the boat out alone. So they attached a tractor to the front of the truck so the combined power could drag the boat out of the water. Now, as soon as this boat started leaving the water a terrible squeeling sound started. You can see in the video at least one tire on the trailer is flat. But, I guess no one needed to inspect the trailer at this point. That squeeling sound is perfectly normal, more squeeling and creeking the better!  Just keep driving, everything will work out just fine. The boat and the trailer made it to the top of the small access ramp. When they started around the first corner that boat started to lean. In slow motion to everyone's horror the boat falls over into the grass and the trailer crashes back down to the road. Ah, the commentary from the people watching this disaster unfold makes the video. Two guys on the boat hold on for their lives until the boat stops moving. And the kiddo in the back of the car that is recording the incident says “uh oh”.  Watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIbHh7V6qC4
So, this is just another reminder that it is time to get boat insurance. If you are towing a boat out of the water and something happens to it, your Boat insurance is going to cover the damage to the boat. I did a quick search on Youtube for “boats falling off trailers” it’s amazing how many came up. Boat insurance is designed to cover the boat on and off the water. It is relatively inexpensive and if you don’t want to be on the hook for the damage done to your boat by trying to put it on too small a trailer give me a call. 951-395-0754

​I have decided that people who get DUI’s need to be restricted to driving a scooter or a Smart Car? The Smart Car selection isn’t because it is irony, people making bad choices get a smart car. No, it’s because they are the smallest car I’ve ever seen and when I see them driving down the road I get scared for the people inside those cars. My reason for putting people who have DUI’s in tiny cars; it is because I’m tired of seeing drunk people survive accidents where they kill other people.  I want a fighting chance of surviving an accident where a drunk person hits me. And I wouldn't mind if the DUI driver got seriously injured.
Recently I’ve seen two accidents that really illustrate the danger of people driving drunk in large vehicles. Why are we letting people who can cause harm to others drive such large vehicles?  Isn't that like saying to a guy who robs a convenience store "please only carry an assault weapon while out awaiting trial".  No knife for you, just the biggest gun you have please.
One accident happened about three blocks from my office. This accident was caught on an in car camera. It showed a full size truck flying down the freeway passing cars at a high rate of speed. The truck got past some of the traffic and then plowed into a woman’s car.  The truck sheared off the entire passenger cabin of the car. The speed that the driver was going and the size of his vehicle never gave this poor woman he hit a chance to survive.  In the same accident another vehicle flew off the freeway and hit a parking garage attached to city hall, he survived with major injuries. At least two other vehicles were severely damaged. And the driver of the truck that hit everyone? Well, he just got out of his truck and tried to run away. Nice, glad we are keeping things classy!
The accused in the accident had a long list of DUI’s from Washington state. His trial is pending, he is being held without bail.
Another accident that happened a week later in New Hampshire where a motorcycle club for Marine’s and their families got hit by another truck. Seven people died in this accident. Once again the accused driver had a history of tickets and DUI’s.
I think it’s time for all states to look at going even further with the laws involving driving and alcohol. There should be no way that people with a history of driving drunk should be getting behind the wheel of any vehicle especially vehicles as large as trucks. These drivers always seem to survive but leave a trail of death and disabilities in their wake. If we don’t limit their ability to drive, let’s limit what they drive! I’d be much happier to see what happens to these people if they had to drive a Smart Car or a scooter! And it would give the rest of us a chance at surviving someone else’s stupidity. 

Did you know that more accidents happen in parking lots than anywhere else? It’s hard to believe but it is true. This is both good and bad. Generally, parking lot damage is usually pretty minimal and the chance for injuries are small due to the slow speeds. But, it still doesn't eliminate the annoyance of having an accident and getting your car fixed.
There are things you can do to help minimize parking lot accidents. The first thing to consider is where you park. If you don’t mind walking it is always safer to park farther away from your destination where you aren't surrounded by cars. This not only limits the amount of door dings. It also gives you more space and a better view of where cars are. When you are boxed into a small spot visibility is much worse. So, if you don’t mind walking a little further park away from all the other cars. You'll get less door dings and you can pull out of the spot easier.
Now, sometimes you have no choice but to park between two cars. One good option is to back into the parking spot. The advantage of backing in is that when you are pulling out of the spot you have a much better view of traffic moving around the parking lot. You aren’t straining to look over your shoulders trying to see if cars are coming from both directions. With the addition of backup cameras it makes backing into a parking spot much easier.
If you aren’t confident in your ability to back into a spot you can always look for a spot where you can pull through one spot into another. The front of your car is now facing out. This will make it easy to pull out of the spot because once again you are able to look forward, not look over your shoulder.
There are times were pulling front in is the only option you have. Or, when you go to the grocery store you may want your trunk facing out to easily load everything in. When you go to back out of that spot you need to go slowly. You need to look both ways and not just rely on your camera. Sometimes people will travel down the parking lanes faster than they should and you need to be diligent to make sure you spot them. The cars in lane have the right of way and they don’t have to stop for you. If you back out and hit them you will be considered at fault in an accident.
With the increase in the size of the cars parking spots seem to be getting smaller. When you are pulling into a spot make sure you are picking a spot you can easily navigate into. Don’t try to force your vehicle into a spot that is too tight. You don't want to clip the side of a parked car.
If you do end up hitting a parked car you are required by law to leave a note with your name, phone number and your insurance policy number, company name and their phone number.  This isn’t an option or done on a case by case basis. With the proliferation of cameras if you are caught doing a hit and run you can expect to get fined.
Now if you come out and you find damage to your car with no note. You can still get your car fixed. But, you will need to pay your deductible.  If you can find a store with a camera facing your vehicle you can always ask if they can check to see if they can pick up a plate on the car that hit you. Then when you call your insurance company and they can go after the driver of the car.
The best practices in the parking lots are to just be careful pulling in and out of spots. Park away from the other cars if possible. And, if you can back into the spot or pull through two spots so you face out it will make for a much easier departure. Call me today to get a quote on your auto or home insurance. 951-395-0754

It’s summer and it’s time to have people come over to the house to play Jarts Lawn Darts! Do any of you remember the worlds most deadly lawn game? This game consisted of two small plastic hoops that you would put 20 feet away from each other. Then teams would take these heavily weighted over sized darts and throw them towards the small hoop. If you landed in the hoop with the Jart you got a point. Well, apparently more than a few people tossed these Jarts into the air only to hit people standing on the other side in the head. Uhm, metal thrown at head from above even with a dull tip was not a good combination. Jarts even in liberal carefree, seatbelt free 70's stopped getting sold. What kind of homeowner's insurance do you need to make sure you are safe from a Jart incident?
My Daughter had a sweet sixteen birthday party over the weekend. It took a full day to set everything up. As I was getting ready for the party I started thinking about all the home insurance issues that may come up along the way.
This was a pretty straight forward event. Just a bunch of teenage kids showing up at the house to sing and dance for three long hours! We set up a dance floor, we had a photo booth, she wanted to play laser tag so I had a company set that up, we got a bunch of sugary snacks and we set up some games for the kids to play. Jarts was not one of them. But corn hole is a nice substitute.
It’s amazing how much time it takes to clean up and get everything out. Hanging those decorations, cleaning all the crap that gets stacked on the corner of the counter is exhausting.
What are some things to consider when you are having people over. The first thing is tripping hazards. Tripping hazards are one of the big things that lead to liability claims. I knew the kids would be inside and out so we went around making sure the hoses were nicely rolled up and put away. When the laser tag people came we made sure their wires were tucked away. The company I used had a nice channel that they could lay all the wires in so that they wouldn’t grab anyone’s foot. I also trimmed some low hanging branches so that no one would get poked in the eye.
Another thing to consider is who's on the guest list. You know your friends and you know who gets crazy. So, maybe you leave a few people off the list in order to make sure everyone has fun.  You also don’t need to invite everyone. Keep the size of the party smaller so that people have room to safely move around.
Limit your party to one level. The more stairs people climb the better chance that someone could fall. So, set your party up in one area where there aren’t a ton of stairs to climb. The less they climb carrying drinks or food the better off you are.
Make sure you have good liability and medical limits on your insurance. Things do happen even when you are being careful. Just make sure if something were to happen you have the coverage in place.
At my daughters party I was the only one drinking, but know your laws in your state. Some states hold the homeowner responsible if their guests drink too much. Keep an eye on your friends and make sure if people are drinking they have a way to get home safely.
If you are renting an area away from your home consider getting “Special Event Insurance”. That is a policy that will protect you away from your home for any liability claims that could happen at your party. They are inexpensive and will cover a specific day and location. You can buy a policy if you are serving alcohol or if you aren’t.
Basic common sense will go a long way in reducing your risk. If something seems dangerous then don't do it. And, if you don’t have any homeowners insurance you better get some before you open your doors. That applies to renters too.  A huge and valuable part of renters insurance is that liability coverage that will protect you if someone gets injured while visiting you.  Call me if you need insurance or want to compare what coverage you do have with my companies. 951-395-0754 Party Safely People!