What can be done to get injured workers back to work faster?

Workers’ compensation insurance premiums represent a major personnel expense for most organizations. Injuries that cause employees to miss work are especially costly, in terms of both lost wage compensation and lost productivity. Also, the longer a worker is disabled and unable to work, the more his future earning power decreases and the more likely it becomes that he will hire an attorney. For these reasons, it is advantageous to both employers and employees to get injured workers back to work as soon as possible. As a result, many employers have implemented return to work programs.

Under a return to work program, the injured employee performs a different job while receiving his prior level of pay. The new job should be matched to his current physical capability, reflecting his state of recovery from the injury. To succeed, this requires a good working relationship between the employer and treating physician. The employer needs accurate information as to the tasks the worker can safely perform; otherwise, the result may be a second, more severe injury. If the worker’s physician will not cooperate or provide a realistic estimate, the employer or insurance company may have to require a physical examination by an independent physician.

A return to work program should be one piece of a comprehensive and coordinated loss management program.

The elements of a return to work program should include:

• Immediate reporting and investigation of accidents
• Arrangement of primary medical care
• Return to work program
• Regular communications with the injured worker

To assist in the arrangement of primary care, the employer should provide the treating physician with job descriptions that explain each job’s physical tasks in detail. Meetings with the physician to explain the nature of the employer’s operation will help match a job to the worker’s capabilities. Communications between the physician and the employer are vitally important.

The employer may want to arrange for direct reports from the physician or regular reports delivered by the employee. The ideal situation is one where the employee can assume light duties without missing any time. Barring that, limiting lost time to a week or two will still keep the claim’s cost down, resulting in premium savings for the employer.

The experience modification formula, which adjusts the premium based on loss history, gives the most weight to losses of $5,000 or less. Getting the injured worker back on the job quickly will help keep the loss well under that limit. Since losses remain in the calculation for three years, the effect of holding down claim costs is long lasting.

 

Of course, return to work programs have pros and cons. The pros include:

• Limiting or eliminating lost work time
• Keeping the worker involved in the work environment
• Eliminating the need to locate, hire and train a replacement
• Increasing the chances of success should the worker refuse the new duties and sue for lost wage benefits, since the employer can show that it made a reasonable job offer

Among the cons are:

• The employer will pay the employee’s full wage for reduced productivity
• An employee with a bad attitude about his alternative duties could lower morale among the other employees
• If the alternative arrangement does not work out, returning the employee to lost wage benefits will wipe out any cost savings

While individual cases might not produce the desired results, employers should realize long-term savings by implementing return to work programs to help get injured workers back to work faster..

Beyond the verifiable dollar savings, return to work programs can give the employer a more stable, happier workforce and a good reputation with potential employees.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Safety Tips For Students On College Campus

Is someone you know about to join the 21 million students attending American colleges in the coming semester? If so, do they know the rules about campus safety? These days, knowing the risks and staying safe is a bigger concern than ever.

Security falls into two basic categories: personal safety and protection of property. Although personal safety is the more important, 80 percent of all campus crimes are property related.

Most colleges have their own campus safety policies and guides but the basics that all students should be aware of include the following:

• Keep apartment or dorm windows and doors locked at all times and don’t allow strangers to follow into residence blocks.
• Park cars in well-lit areas and keep them locked. Don’t leave valuables inside.
• Bicycle owners should use a strong lock, and chain the bike to a sturdy fixed point.
• When going out, let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to return. It’s safer to go out with someone else.
• At night, wear reflective clothing and carry your cellphone, making sure it’s fully charged before you leave.

I found scores more useful tips on the following website: https://www.protection1.com/campus-safety/. They’re actually produced by a private security firm but you don’t have to register or buy anything to use them.

As a matter of fact, next month, September, is National Campus Safety Awareness Month (see https://clerycenter.org/national-campus-safety-awareness-month), so there’s no better time to ensure the students in your family, even those who have been at college for some time, learn about and understand the risks.

There’s one other important related issue I wanted to raise with you — the question of insurance for students and the extent to which existing family policies might protect them, or where they might need additional insurance protection.

If this affects someone in your family, please get in touch (or get the relevant person to contact me) urgently so we can get things resolved before they start the new semester.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Special Report:  When is replacement cost not enough?

If you think that because you have replacement cost coverage on the dwelling on your home insurance policy, then you have nothing to worry about, you could be mistaken.  Replacement cost coverage says that the company will replace the property on the same premises with other property of comparable material and quality used for the same purposes, up to the coverage limits.  Some policies may provide an additional amount over the coverage limit if necessary at the time of the claim.

What is not covered by replacement cost is the additional cost of construction that is necessary in order to comply with local law ordinance, statues’ or building codes.  These additional costs will be your expense, unless you purchase ordinance and law insurance coverage.   My home was built in 2013-2014 and it is already out of compliance with some building codes and there would be additional costs to me if I needed to rebuild my home.  Older homes may have hundreds if not thousands of changes necessary to bring the building up to today’s building codes.  It is something that you do not think about unless you are in the building industry or the insurance industry.

Ordinance and Law coverage has three components:

Coverage A: Coverage for the loss to the undamaged portion of the structure.

An example would be:  Fire damages 51% of your home, but the county says that the entire home needs to come down and be rebuilt.  Well there is no damage to 49% of the home and the 49% of the building would not need to be rebuilt except for the fact of the building code.   Since this 49% was not damaged by a covered cause of loss the insurance company will not pay to rebuild it unless you have this coverage.

Coverage B:  Provide coverage for the increased demolition cost

An example would be because we had to demolish this 49% of the building that was not damaged, but the code required the owner to remove it now the insured has experienced another $30,000 in demolition costs.  This additional $30,000 would not be paid without this coverage since the 49% was not damaged by a covered cause of loss.

Coverage C: Provides coverage for the increased cost of construction.

An example of this is the fact that sprinklers need to be in place or the building needs to be ADA compliance which it was not required to be at the time or original construction.    Additional increased costs of construction could be simple things like:

• Rewiring the electrical system
• Installing hard wired smoke detectors
• Hurricane-resistant roof or Windows
• Wrapping your hot water pipes
• Installing additional or deeper footers
• Wrapping your hot water heater

Building codes are constantly changing, so you may be in compliance today and out of compliance tomorrow.

Everyone that owns a property whether it is your home, a rental property or a commercial property needs to consider adding this coverage.  Older buildings generally need a minimum of 20-25% of the dwelling amount; newer buildings may only need 10-20% of coverage.

Give the insurance professionals at Huff insurance a call today to discuss your insurance coverage.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

In the current economic environment, competition for jobs is intense. There may be dozens of candidates for each job opening, and hiring companies will have their pick. Even in times like these, however, employers must be vigilant about obeying the law when they make hiring decisions. Charges of illegal discrimination in hiring may become more likely during a tough job market. It is essential that employers follow federal and state laws that regulate what factors they may consider in the hiring process. Those who focus on the wrong things may find themselves the targets of government inquiries.

Several federal laws address discrimination in hiring:

• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits an employer from refusing to hire, firing, or otherwise discriminating against employees age 40 or older, solely on the basis of age. For example, it is illegal for an employer to offer a benefit such as vision insurance to younger workers but not to older ones.
• The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 forbids discrimination against disabled workers or job applicants. Under this law, an employer cannot refuse to hire a person who has difficulty walking solely on that basis; the employer must have another, legitimate reason.
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, sex stereotyping, and sexual harassment of workers. Decades ago, an employer could fire a woman for becoming pregnant. The Civil Rights Act outlawed such actions.

Although these laws have been in effect for several years, some employers still try to get around them. In 2008, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission leveled penalties against employers in the amount of $83 million for age discrimination; $57 million for discrimination against disabled workers; $12 million for discrimination against pregnant women; $79 million for race discrimination; $109 million for sex discrimination; and $25 million for discrimination on the basis of national origin.

What are valid considerations for an employer to use in hiring decisions? Instead of focusing on an applicant’s age, the employer should look at her track record of performance, accomplishments and continuous learning. Rather than assuming that she won’t work at a fast rate or will be slow to adopt new technology, the employer should find out through job simulations, reference checking, and testing. Instead of looking at an applicant’s disabilities (difficulty walking, for instance), the employer should look at his job skills, such as ability to calm angry customers and quickly troubleshoot problems. Rather than ask an applicant whether she is a Christian or a Wicca or an adherent of any other religion, ask what she did to generate leads and close sales when the economy slipped into recession.

Prior to conducting interviews, employers should review with all involved personnel the legal restrictions on what they may ask or say when speaking with applicants. If necessary, training on effective and legal interviewing techniques should be given to these employees beforehand. It should be emphasized that interviewers need to focus on the tasks involved in the job and the applicant’s ability to perform them.

No matter how much preparation and training an employer does, things can still go wrong. It is important that businesses carry employment practices liability insurance from a financially strong insurance company. A good insurance agent can obtain multiple coverage quotes, give advice on the various coverage features, and discuss the claims-handling performance of different companies.

Hiring new employees is always a difficult and uncertain proposition. Finding the right person for the job can be tricky. Complying with legal parameters can be trickier, but it is essential. By avoiding illegally discriminatory practices, employers can build a strong workforce and stay out of regulators’ cross hairs.

And remember if you find yourself in the middle if a lawsuit that involves your company’s hiring practices, it is not covered by your general liability insurance policy.  In order to have coverage for these types of lawsuits, you will need to have an Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) policy.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Do You Have a Dress Code For Your Business?

As the manager of a business, you want to focus on those things that drive success – productivity, innovation, performance, and strategy. As you work to grow the business, you probably do not want to deal with more mundane office matters. Sometimes, however, these issues can have a major impact on employee morale, and they must be handled well.

One such issue is the employee dress code. It would be nice if all employees used common sense every day and wore tasteful, professional clothing. Taste and professionalism, however, can be in the eye of the beholder. It is likely that your organization needs some kind of guidance on appropriate dress.

If the organization has an employee handbook, it probably has a section on acceptable dress for the workplace. So ask yourself these question with regard to your company’s dress code:

• Is the policy too vague to be useful or overly specific?
• Does it comply with legal requirements?
• Does it require dress that is more formal than necessary given the amount of customer contact employees have?
• Does it allow clothing that is too informal for regular customer contact?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, consider updating your company dress code. If not, make sure that you are enforcing it. Also, it may be wise to periodically remind employees of the dress code policy. This will inform new employees and reinforce the policy with veterans.

In order to avoid tension in the workplace or even lawsuits, you should enforce the dress code without partiality. Individuals and groups of employees should be treated equally. Federal employment laws and regulations permit employers to set employee dress codes and to treat men and women differently within social norms. It is acceptable to require men to cut their hair while not making the same demand of women. It may not be acceptable to require women to wear skirts or men to wear uniforms while not making equivalent demands of the other sex.

Be aware that federal and state laws protect employees from discrimination on the basis of religion. Employers must make reasonable accommodations to employees who want to dress a certain way for religious observance reasons.

Some men may cover their heads or wear beards for this reason; women may wear clothing that almost completely covers them up; employees of both sexes may wear certain pieces of jewelry. Unless complying with these requests would pose an undue hardship for the organization, the employees’ wishes must be honored. Employers may refuse such requests if the clothing or style creates a safety hazard; in most other cases, they must make the accommodation.

On the other hand, the law does not require employers to allow workers to display tattoos and body piercing. Rather, employers are free to make business decisions about the display of these styles. Some employers may permit it for employees who seldom or never interact with customers. Others may permit it for everyone, especially if their customers frequently have tattoos or piercings. Still others may decide that it is inappropriate for their businesses in all cases. The decision is entirely the employer’s, based on the balance between business needs and the need to attract and retain good employees.

This is really what dress codes are all about. Every business projects an image, and how its employees dress affects that image. Managers naturally want to put their best foot forward with customers. At the same time, a good workforce is not easy to build and retain. A too-strict dress code will repel good job candidates and may cause valuable employees to consider leaving. Inflexibility may violate anti-discrimination laws and inspire workers to file lawsuits. It is in an employer’s best interest to develop a dress code that reflects well on the business and keeps employees happy.

And remember, if you find yourself in the middle if a lawsuit that involves your company’s dress code, it is not covered by your general liability insurance policy.  In order to have coverage for these types of lawsuits, you will need to have an Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) policy.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Does your business have an employee dating policy?

In the modern workplace, men and women work together for eight or ten hours a day; sometimes even longer. When people spend that much time together, it’s not surprising that occasional romances will bloom. Many people have met their spouses at work. Unfortunately, workplace romances don’t always have happy endings. When a couple in an office breaks up, the atmosphere can become, at best, uncomfortable and, at worst, hostile. Productivity can suffer as the ex-partners feud with each other. More serious, in some cases the firm may have a significant financial exposure when love goes wrong.

Relationships between two people of equal position in the company may not be cause for concern, but romances involving supervisors and their subordinates can expose the company to legal liability. Workers outside the relationship may detect favoritism toward the subordinate when he or she receives pay raises, promotions, or other desired rewards.

Conversely, if the couple breaks up, the subordinate may be sensitive to any actions that smack of retaliation. In the worst cases, the subordinate may decide he or she is a victim of sexual harassment and take legal action against the company. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received almost 14,000 complaints of sexual harassment in 2008. Almost 30 percent of these settled in the injured employee’s favor, costing the employers $47 million, not including damage awards won through litigation.

Employers who wish to avoid close relationships with government investigators may consider several options, including:

• Not having an office romance policy. Firms who choose this option may emphasize anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies instead.
• At the other extreme, some companies have outright bans on employee romances. While this may have some appeal, it can be difficult to implement because the forbidden behavior may be hard to define. Also, courts may not uphold such a ban.
• Some companies require employees who date each other to notify a company representative, such as the human resources manager, when the relationship begins and if it ends. This may protect the company from ensuing sexual harassment claims.
• Many companies have policies against spouses working for the same company or against employees supervising significant others, spouses, or other relatives. This can make it less likely that other employees will perceive favoritism, but the company must apply the policy equal to members of both sexes to avoid discrimination claims.
• Some companies actually require employees in a relationship to sign contracts. These agreements state that the employees have entered into a voluntary relationship, affirm that they understand the company harassment policy, describe how to report complaints, and describe acceptable and unacceptable behaviors.

In addition to adopting one of these options, employers can take some steps to reduce their chances of having to fend off sexual harassment claims.

• First, they should communicate to supervisors that relationships with subordinates should be avoided.
• They should create an environment where supervisors and other employees feel safe to report improper behavior.
• They should have policies against harassment and implement procedures for making complaints.
• They should take steps to end direct reporting relationships between romantic partners by transferring one of them, if possible.

Human nature being what it is, there will probably always be workplace romances. Thoughtful consideration and implementation of policy alternatives will help protect a company from potential resulting lawsuits. However, all the best precautions may still fail to prevent litigation, so all employers should carry employment practices liability insurance (EPLI). An experienced insurance agent can provide advise on the available EPLI coverage options and companies. With preventive measures in place and risk financing in the form of a good insurance policy, employers can focus on their top priorities: Growing their businesses.

 

Power surges can cause major issues with your home electronics

The arrival of summer can mean several welcome events: a return to outdoors living, an opportunity for vacation, and more time with the family. One of the issues people may not associate with summer are the power surges that often occur due to the tremendous demand for energy, especially to cool homes. A power surge is a brief spike in electrical power. While on the surface it may not seem like much to be concerned about, power surges can cause serious damage by burning up electrical circuits inside appliances. They can also damage electrical outlets, light switches, light bulbs, air conditioner components, and even garage door openers.

You can protect your valuable electrical appliances from the damaging effects of power surges. The most cost effective way is by purchasing surge protection strips. You can plug in your television, DVD player, and stereo into the strip and it should provide adequate protection against most surges. It’s a good idea to pick up a surge protection strip for the kitchen counter so that you can protect small electrics like the toaster, blender, food processor etc. You can also find surge protectors that fit into electrical outlets that will protect your phone and answering machine. You can buy most types of surge protectors in any local hardware store.

When it comes to your PC, however, you will have to be a bit more selective about protection, because of the delicacy of its internal components. Back-up power packs that are specifically designed to protect your hardware can be found in stores that sell computer accessories as well as in many electronics chain stores. They can be somewhat expensive, but are certainly less expensive than replacing your entire system.

Before you purchase any surge protector, there are certain features you need to look for. The first feature to look for is a surge protector that is labeled with the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) logo. The UL logo tells you that the unit has been tested to determine if it meets certain standards. Any product that is UL tested will be labeled as a “transient voltage surge protector,” which means that it meets or exceeds the minimum standards required to be an effective deterrent against power surges.

A surge protector’s performance is rated in three ways.

• The first is clamping voltage, which is the level of voltage surge that has to occur before the surge protector kicks in and diverts excess voltage from the item being protected. You want to find a surge protector that has a low voltage number so that it takes less of a surge to activate it. Look for a protector with a clamping voltage of less than 400 volts.
• The second way to rate a surge protector’s performance is response time: the amount of time it takes for the surge protector to respond to the surge. You should look for a unit with a response time of one nanosecond or less.
• The third performance-rating factor is energy absorption, or how much energy the unit will absorb before it fails. For the longest lasting performance, look for a unit rated between 300 and 600 joules. Remember, the higher the number, the longer the life of the surge protector.  Just like any other appliance in your home, your surge protector will eventually wear out and will need to be replaced.

 

Beware of Scams

Don’t let yourself be the next victim.

Recently several of our clients have been taken advantage of by a scam.  Don’t let yourself be a victim.  If it does not feel right, it is probably not right.

An elderly customer was fooled by 2 people dressed up like the gas company and wanted to check out a potential gas leak in her home.  One of them asked her to wait outside with him while the other one went in to check out the leak,  As it turns out, they were not from the gas company and instead stole some money and jewelry out of the customer’s home.

Another client received a call from what she thought was the social security administration advising her that there was an issue with her social security check this month and they wanted to confirm her social security number and bank account information.   She had just heard about this type of scam on the news and hung up on them and then called the social security administration back from her phone to see if there was an issue.  Of course, there was not.

Supposedly Microsoft Corporation called one of our clients, to tell her that they needed to run a diagnostic on her computer because they think she may have a virus.  Her computer had been running a little slower than usual, so she allowed them to dial into her computer.  It was a scam, they were not Microsoft, and they downloaded a program on her computer that ended up stealing her personal information off her computer and she was the victim of an identity theft.

Finally, another client received an email from IRS, they thought, telling them that they had a tax refund due, but they needed their account information.   Our customer was so thankful of having some extra money, that they did not even think that this could be a scam.   Instead of money being put into her account money was taken out of her account by these thieves.

Don’t allow yourself to be the victim of these crimes.  IRS will never send you an email asking for bank information.   Microsoft is not going to call you because you may have a virus on your computer.    If the gas company comes knocking, ask for identification, and if something does not look right or feel right, then call the gas company to confirm before letting them in your home.   It is easy to be the victim of fraud, so make sure to double check where emails are being sent from, sometimes the name in the email will say one thing but if you look at the senders email address you will see it say something else, this is a sign it is a scam.  Call and verify before giving out any information on your account.

Also, talk to your Trusted Choice Insurance Agent and be sure that you have identity theft coverage on your homeowners insurance policy or automobile insurance policy,  or your commercial policies in the event that you are taken advantage of by one of these schemes.

Liability risks of a youth sports coach.

Your child wants to play a youth sport and wants you to be the coach. That is great! You have always dreamed of one day coaching your child and teaching them the proper way of playing the sport, whether it is baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, football, field hockey, etc.

So as you prepare, you watch coach training videos, read the county coaching requirements and read several books on the proper way to coach the kids. One other thing you should make sure you read is your insurance policies. Once you decide to coach a team, you are taking on a major responsibility and there are situations that you could be put in that would make you personally liable for their safety.

Let’s say you are at practice, and a storm is approaching. You look up at the sky and think that you have time to get a little more practice in before the storm hits. Then, all of the sudden you here the ‘BOOM!”. You look around and see one of your players on the ground, and your heart sinks……

After it all clears, you realize that your decision to keep practicing put your players at risk, and it won’t be long before you see the lawsuit paperwork.

When we decide to coach our kids, we are taking on a lot of responsibility.  There are several things that could happen to your players that you could be held personally liable for.  Such as (but not limited to):

• The lightning strike in the example above
• Having player collapse of dehydration from not allowing adequate water breaks
• Having a player continue playing even though there were signs of a concussion or other serious injuries
• Having an auto accident while transporting players to and from a game or practice
• Conducting a practice without the proper equipment which results in an injury (ex: No helmets during batting practice in baseball or softball)

Although most coaches are probably thinking that they would never put their players in the situations above, it can happen even to the best of them.

There have also been cases where coached have been sued due to an injury to a player during a game or practice.  In most of these types of cases, the coaches have won the lawsuits, but it still takes time and money to hire a lawyer and properly defend.  Examples are:

• A baseball player misjudged a fly ball during an outfield drill and the ball hit him in the mouth, causing extensive damage to their teeth. The coach was sued for negligence in conducting the drill.
• A softball player injured her leg while sliding and the parent sued the coach for not teaching proper sliding technique.

So before you agree to coach a sport, you really want to look over the liability insurance levels on your homeowners insurance and your personal umbrella insurance policies.  If you are not sure if you are adequately protected, please consult with your Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agent to go over your insurance coverage.

After all, you do not want to put all of your assets at risk when all you want to do is help out the youth of your community.

I personally help coach my son’s baseball team and I understand the risks associated with it.  But like the other coaches who dedicate their time and energy for our youth, for me, the reward far outweighs the risks.  There is no greater feeling than working with the kids and watching them become better athletes and better people right before our eyes.  But i do make sure I have the proper insurance protections in place should there be a moment in time that I get pulled into one of these lawsuits.

Contact Huff Insurance Today

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

If You Get Sued, Will Your Homeowners Insurance Cover You?

The answer is……..It depends on the type of lawsuit…..

You may be surprised to hear that your homeowners insurance policy will not cover you for every type of lawsuit.  This article will go into a few examples of those lawsuits that may not be covered on the standard homeowners insurance policy.

It is common for neighbors to disagree. For example, you may think that your Chesapeake Bay Retriever barking at people passing by is an asset for keeping your home safer from intruders. However, your neighbor who enjoys peace and quiet would think your dog is a nuisance. Another neighbor may enjoy listening to his or her music at a loud volume, but others who live in the neighborhood will likely find it annoying.

Some situations may not be about noise. People who live in neighborhoods with a uniform appearance may hassle a new homeowner who decides to paint his or her house a bright shade of green. Whether the source of the problem is noise or something else, disagreements between neighbors can, and do, escalate into lawsuits. Before this happens to you , it is important to know what types of provisions your homeowners insurance policy provides for legal issues.

Many people think that a homeowners insurance policy covers all lawsuits filed against them. For this reason, people are usually not as careful as they should be about preventing them. For example, consider a new homeowner who moves into a subdivision, replaces the existing fence with higher boards and paints them contrasting colors. If the subdivision has rules about the permissible colors and acceptable maximum height of fences, they will try to get the new homeowner to comply. Homeowners who refuse may find themselves facing a lawsuit for violating the subdivision’s code. The courts will likely favor the subdivision’s rules, and a homeowners insurance policy will not provide coverage for the legal battle. Therefore, it is important to understand exactly what legal issues are covered under the policy.

Loud noises, eyesores and changes are all issues that do not physically harm another person. While they may be annoying, they are not issues that would be covered by a homeowners insurance policy if they escalate into a lawsuit. Always remember that a homeowners insurance policy offers protection for two types of liabilities, which are property damage and bodily injury, for example:

• The family dog bites a visitor (But check your policy to make sure your breed of dog is not excluded from coverage)
• A guest trips and falls over a loose step riser
• Your kid hits a baseball through a neighbors window
• Your drive on the 5th hole down at the golf course goes off track and hits another golfer, causing injury
• You have a dead tree on your property, and a limb falls and damages your neighbor’s car

Since coverage is limited to two types of physical damage, it is important to work as hard as possible to settle disputes with neighbors which do not involve bodily injury or property damage. For example, if neighbors complain about a barking dog, it may be best to enroll the dog in training or purchase a no-bark citronella collar. Trim overgrown shrubs or trees that neighbors may complain about. Many people get angry and frustrated when a neighbor makes accusations or complains. Anger is usually what causes people to be stubborn and refuse to compromise. Always listen to what neighbors have to say, and try to understand the situation from their perspective. Use common sense to arrive at a solution that is favorable to both parties. However, the best way to avoid anger and confrontation is to fix possible nuisances before neighbors complain. For additional information about avoiding problems and lawsuits with neighbors, discuss the issues with your Trusted Choice Independent Agent at Huff Insurance.