Lake City News

It’s no secret that teen-aged drivers, given that they’re just getting their feet wet behind the wheel, tend to be some of the riskiest drivers on the road. According to the stereotypes, they drive too fast, overlook basic safety practices and generally cause problems for the rest of the driving community.  According to a recent report from InsuranceQuotes.com, the average married couple can expect to see their insurance rates jump by 79% when they add a teen driver to their policy.  Read more from PropertyCasualty360.com 

Today is the first day of August, which means we have another six weeks or so of thunderstorm season.  We are not out of the woods yet.  Did you know there are three main ways lightning enters homes and buildings? Find out the answer and more lightning safety tips here: http://j.mp/1qAAqgP

 

The clock starts ticking the moment there is a car accident in Florida.  We are currently advising our customers to see the doctor following an accident if there is even a slight suspicion of injury.  If the doctor is not seen within 14 days, Personal Injury Protection benefits drop from $10,000 total to just $2500.  By seeing the doctor within the first 14 days, full benefits are protected.    Call us 386-752-8660 if you need more detail on changes to PIP benefits.

 

If you spent time outside today, you know summer is almost here.  Is your air conditioner keeping up?  If it is not, there are two quick things you can do on your own:  1) change your air filter.  A dirty air filter is hard on your air conditioner and keeps it from operating optimally.  2) clean the condenser (outside) unit.  Leaves tend to accumulate in the outdoor condenser unit. Just spray the coils with your water hose.  Clean coils may make a difference.  If these ideas do not work, it may be time to call your heating and air professional.

Who knows of someone who has had the sewer back-up into their home?  It is an awful stinky dirty mess, but it is easily prevented.  Yes, many insurance policies provide coverage for sewer back-up, but who wants this stuff in their house in the first place?  The pop-off valve below was purchased for $9 at Home Depot.  We installed it on the sewer line clean-out here at the office.  With a pop-off valve, sewage will spill out on the ground OUTSIDE your home rather than inside your home.  If you are hooked up to the sewer, you should do the same thing.

Spring storms are here.  Typically, these storms are quick and violent.   While many homes are fairly secure against direct wind pressure, few homes will withstand impact from a large tree limb.  Now is the time to look up to see if there are dead limbs around your home that need pruning.  Remember, if you hire an tree trimming contractor, it is smart to require 1) proof of liability insurance and 2) proof of workers compensation insurance.