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Halloween Safety Tips for Parents

24/10/2017

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Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids, and to help ensure they have a safe holiday, here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). 
ALL DRESSED UP:
  • Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
  • Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.
  • Because masks can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives. Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over eyes. Makeup should be tested ahead of time on a small patch of skin to ensure there are no unpleasant surprises on the big day.
  • When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories look for and purchase those with a label clearly indicating they are flame resistant.
  • If a sword, cane, or stick is a part of your child's costume, make sure it is not sharp or long. A child may be easily hurt by these accessories if he stumbles or trips.
  • Do not use decorative contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from an eye care professional. While the packaging on decorative lenses will often make claims such as "one size fits all," or "no need to see an eye specialist," obtaining decorative contact lenses without a prescription is both dangerous and illegal. This can cause pain, inflammation, and serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to permanent vision loss.
  • Review with children how to call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they ever have an emergency or become lost.
  HOME SAFE HOME:
  • To keep homes safe for visiting trick-or-treaters, parents should remove from the porch and front yard anything a child could trip over such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations.
  • Parents should check outdoor lights and replace burned-out bulbs.
  • Wet leaves or snow should be swept from sidewalks and steps.
  • Restrain pets so they do not inadvertently jump on or bite a trick-or-treater.
 ON THE TRICK-OR-TREAT TRAIL:
  • A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.
  • Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.
  • If your older children are going alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home.
  • Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.
  • Because pedestrian injuries are the most common injuries to children on Halloween, remind Trick-or-Treaters:
    • Stay in a group and communicate where they will be going.
    • Remember reflective tape for costumes and trick-or-treat bags.
    • Carry a cellphone for quick communication.
    • Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
    • If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.
    • Never cut across yards or use alleys.
    • Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks (as recognized by local custom). Never cross between parked cars or out driveways.
    • Don't assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn't mean others will!
    • Law enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.
HEALTHY HALLOWEEN:
  • A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats.
  • Consider purchasing non-food treats for those who visit your home, such as coloring books or pens and pencils.
  • Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
  • Try to ration treats for the days and weeks following Halloween.

Happy Halloween Hunting!
TWFG Insurance Tony Voiron
​www.twfglouisiana.com
(504) 322-7299
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How Homeowners Insurance Protects You.

13/10/2017

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What Protection Does it Offer?
From your rooftop to kitchen range, we’ve gathered some homeowners insurance basics. Learn how it helps you to protect one of your biggest investments—your home!
 
A standard homeowners insurance policy insures the home itself and the things you keep in it. It is typically a package policy, which means it covers both damage to your property and your liability or legal responsibility for any injuries and property damage you or members of your family cause to other people. Let’s take a look at each aspect of coverage in more detail:

Part I: Property Protection
Dwelling:
This offers protection as a result of damage to the structure of your home, including fixtures, plumbing and heating, due to a covered loss like fire or hail storm damage. You need enough coverage for the cost of rebuilding or repairing your home, less the cost of the land.

Other structures:
This includes coverage for detached structures, such as a garage, garden shed and fixtures attached to land such as a driveway, sidewalks, patio, fence and swimming pool.

Personal property:
This covers the contents and personal items in your home such as furniture, clothing and sporting goods. It also extends to your personal belongings anywhere in the world. To determine your property’s value, we’ll provide you with a home inventory checklist to help you quickly and easily itemize your belongings. We recommend insuring your personal property for its replacement cost value. Replacement cost value ensures that you can replace yesterday’s purchases at today’s prices.

Loss of use:
In the event that a covered loss forces you from your home, such as because of a fire, loss of use provides a safety net for additional expenses over and above your normal living expenses while you are unable to live in your home, up to the policy limit.

Part II: Liability Protection
This portion of your policy covers against lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage that you or family members may cause to other people. It pays for both the cost of litigation and any court awards, up to the limit of your policy. It covers you whether you are at home or away.

In the event that a visitor is injured in your home, medical payments coverage allows the person to submit medical bills directly to your insurance company. The benefit is that expenses are paid to the injured person up to the policy limit without a liability claim being filed against you.

Additional Considerations (Disasters) 
Damage caused by many disasters is covered in a standard homeowners insurance policy, but floods, earthquakes and other specific types of occurrences are generally excluded. Since policies can vary widely, the best way to be sure about specific exclusions is to read your own policy.

Vacant Property
If your home is left vacant due to a move or new construction, you are vulnerable to losses from vandalism and other mishaps. Please check with us to learn more about the coverage options available to protect your property. 

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Motorcycle Safety - Beyond the Basics

9/10/2017

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Did you know?
That 22 percent of riders killed in crashes are not licensed or are improperly licensed to operate a motorcycle.
When you’re attempting to control this much force, it’s essential that you have the licensing and training to be in complete control of your motorcycle.
  • Know your bike’s capabilities - how it performs in a curve or on slick roads and how quickly it can stop.
  • Errors like over braking, driving too fast or under cornering are major factors in many solo accidents. 
  • Many insurance carriers, including Safeco, offer discounts to riders who attend the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s safe riding courses or are active in an approved group or groups that promote safe riding. Do both those things and you can reduce your premium.
  • Motorists fail to see riders when they are coming out of a driveway, making a left turn in front of an oncoming rider or when the motorcycle is in the driver’s “blind spot.” 
  • In a crash, the SUV wins. When cars and motorcycles collide, it’s usually because the driver of the car failed to see the cyclist.
  •  With more SUVs on the road, it’s even more critical to take extra steps to become more visible. 
  • Use your headlamps - both night and day - and wear yellow, red or orange jackets to make yourself easy to see.
  •  Make a point of positioning yourself in your lane for visibility.
  • Remember: Ride sober. Driving impaired is just as deadly for riders as it is for drivers. In 2009 alone, 37% of fatally injured motorcycle riders had a BAC (blood alcohol content) of at least .01 g/dL. 
  • No one’s too old to wear a helmet. It’s estimated that wearing a helmet can help reduce your risk of a fatal accident by 37%.
  •  Buy a full-face helmet for the best protection for your head and eyes. 
  • Wear other protective gear as well: heavy leather or synthetic gloves, long pants and jacket and over-the-ankle leather boots.
  •  This advice applies to all riders - not just teenagers learning to ride. In fact, more than half of all riders killed in motorcycle crashes in 2009 were 40 years of age and older.

Content provided by Safeco Insurance and TWFG Insurance Tony Voiron, ever reminding to to put safety first.

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Rebuilding After a Disaster

2/10/2017

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Hurricanes, fires and other disasters can cause widespread devastation that threatens the safety of your family and home. But once a disaster passes, you aren’t necessarily out of danger. If your home is damaged, it may not offer sufficient protection for your family. Plus, assessing damage and the rebuilding process itself can be costly, even if your insurance policy helps to pay the bills.

Returning Home
Before you can rebuild or repair your home, you’ll have to complete detailed inspections to see the extent of the damage. However, you should also keep your immediate safety in mind at all times. Even if you’re eager to return home, there could be a number of hazards present after a disaster that aren’t easily visible.

Here are some tips for when you re-enter your home:
  • Don’t return to your neighborhood until it’s declared safe by local officials.
  • Inspect the outside of your home for cracks in the foundation and sagging in the roof.
  • Don’t enter your home if there’s a hazard present, such as damaged power lines, floodwater that’s above the basement or the smell of natural gas.
  • Walk through every room of your home with a friend or family member, and take note of any noticeable damage or lost property.
  • Don’t drink tap water until it’s been declared safe by local authorities.
  • Be aware that wildlife may have taken refuge in your home, especially after a flood. Use a shovel or other long tool to rummage through anything you can’t see, and never approach a wild animal directly.
  • Never force open a door that appears to be jammed. It’s possible that damage to your home has forced a door to support some of the building’s structure.
  • Refrain from using wired electronics until you know the electrical systems are working properly.

​Cleaning and Repairs

Once you’ve determined that your home is safe, you many want to start cleaning or performing small repairs yourself. However, the precautions you take during the recovery process can change depending on the type of disaster that affected your area. Use the following best practices to identify potential hazards in your home and prepare yourself for the cleaning and rebuilding processes.

General Best Practices

  • Be aware of hazards that may be unique to your home. For example, older homes may contain lead paint, asbestos or other dangerous substances that can become exposed after a disaster.
  • Wear appropriate protective equipment. You should always wear gloves and goggles when cleaning chemical spills or working with household cleaners.
  • Read the manufacturers’ instructions on all cleaning products and devices before using them.
  • Never mix chemicals together, either when disposing of them or using them to clean.
  • Be aware of carbon monoxide hazards. Because the gas is difficult to detect and your home’s carbon monoxide detectors may not be working properly, it can be hard to detect a dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide. Never use fuel-burning devices inside your home, including portable generators that run on gasoline.
  • Remove any standing water from your home as quickly as possible. Standing water can serve as a breeding ground for microorganisms and disease-carrying insects.
  • Check the outside of your home to see if wind or debris has damaged the roof, windows or siding. If the damage appears to be severe, consult a professional about making repairs.
  • Properly dispose of all waste materials and garbage, and never burn them.
  • Take pictures of your home before and after it’s repaired. These pictures may help when making insurance claims.
  • Make a record of any important documents that were damaged or destroyed, such as passports, birth certificates, Social Security numbers and insurance policies.
  • Keep the receipts for any purchases you make while cleaning or rebuilding.
  • Contact us at (337) 656-2890 for help getting in touch with certified professionals and reviewing your homeowners policy.
Floods
  • Wear an N-95 respirator if mold is present. If standing water has been in your home for at least two days, it’s likely that mold has begun to grow.
  • Call a professional to help you clean if there’s a large amount of mold present.
  • Remove any standing water as quickly as possible. However, if your basement is flooded, you should only pump out about one-third of the water a day. If any more is pumped out, it could cause the walls to collapse or the floor to buckle.
  • Dispose of any food and containers that came into contact with floodwater, even if they appear to be airtight.
  • Clean and dry all hard surfaces in your home. If anything can’t be cleaned and dried, it should be thrown away.

Fires
  • Enter your home only after the fire department has said that it’s safe. Fires can cause severe damage to a building’s walls and floors, and they may not be structurally sound.
  • To protect against serious health risks, avoid contact with soot and dirty water left over after a fire.
  • Wear a mask while cleaning to prevent the inhalation of ash, soot and other residue.
  • Check to see if your utilities are in working order. The fire department usually turns off utilities when fighting a fire and will know if they’re safe to use. Never try to turn your utilities back on by yourself.
  • Use cleaning products that contain tri-sodium phosphate to help reduce the odor of smoke. Be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions before you use one of these products.
  • Use a mild soap and warm water to remove stains from soot and smoke from hard surfaces. Make sure to rinse and completely dry all surfaces shortly afterward.
  • Talk to a professional about replacing drywall or insulation that’s been soaked by water from fire hoses.

Working with Contractors
  • Hiring a contractor to repair your home is a good way to make sure the job is done professionally. Unfortunately, disasters also attract scam artists who prey upon those affected by a disaster, and you need to remain skeptical when using contractors. Here are some best practices for working with a contractor:
  • Only use contractors who have a good referral from TWFG Insurance - Kelly Lee LLC, family members or friends.
  • Check to see if complaints have been lodged against a contractor you’re considering by visiting www.usa.gov/state-consumer.
  • Be wary of contractors who encourage you to spend too much, offer “special deals” or ask for your credit card number before you’ve signed a contract.
  • Ask to see copies of contractors’ general liability and workers’ compensation insurance policies before you work with them.
  • Get a written price estimate that includes any spoken promises made by a contractor.
  • Take your time to review a contract before you sign it, and be sure to ask for explanations about any price variations you notice. It’s also a good idea to get an attorney to review a contract before it’s signed.
  • Never agree to pay a contractor upfront. A deposit of one-third the total price is standard.
  • Only pay contractors with a check or credit card, and pay the final amount only after the work is finished and has passed your review. Also, keep in mind that paying with a credit card may offer protection from your bank and the credit card company if the contractor makes an unauthorized purchase.

Recovery Resources
  • Recovering from a disaster of any type is an extremely stressful experience, and one where your family’s safety and financial future may be in doubt. Here are some resources you may be able to use to help provide for your family and rebuild your home:
  • TWFG Insurance - TWFG Insurance Tony Voiron, available by calling (504) 322-7299
  • Immediate needs federal website
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance website
  • Federal disaster assistance website
  • Disaster unemployment assistance program
  • Disaster legal services website
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