Attention: Nurses, EMT’s, Counselors, Teachers, and all medical and educational professionals! You may need to consider getting additional coverage to fully protect yourself!
Claims against medical and educational professionals continue to increase and you can be sued even when striving to do all the right things. The O’Neill Group is proud to offer liability insurance to Professionals that can be added right onto your homeowners policy.
Professional Liability will pay if you become legally liable for an injury due to an alleged act or omission, whether you are working for your company or when furnishing services on your own time, which will NOT be covered by your employer’s policy.
Accidents can happen, and you can practice your profession with confidence knowing you will be defended, even if a suit is groundless or fraudulent. And the best part is it’s easy and inexpensive – anywhere from $25 to $100 depending on your profession. Get the protection you need and deserve at a very affordable cost.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Key Employee Coverage
Do you have an employee you truly can’t live without? For example, does “Bob” hold the “secret recipe” to your “special sauce?” Of course this is an over-simplified example, but it brings an important concept to light: anticipating the loss of a truly valuable employee.
If your business is dependent upon the expertise or knowledge of a particular person in your company, you should also consider obtaining “Key Person” protection. This type of plan helps to compensate a business for financial losses due to the death or long term disability of a key person. Remember, key employees aren’t necessarily just the management team. You may have key people you depend on to sell to specific clients, or who have other special skills and duties that no one else in your company currently performs.
Would it be business-as-usual without YOUR “secret recipe” holder? If the answer is no, then contact our office today to find out more about obtaining key employee insurance for your most important asset - your staff.
If your business is dependent upon the expertise or knowledge of a particular person in your company, you should also consider obtaining “Key Person” protection. This type of plan helps to compensate a business for financial losses due to the death or long term disability of a key person. Remember, key employees aren’t necessarily just the management team. You may have key people you depend on to sell to specific clients, or who have other special skills and duties that no one else in your company currently performs.
Would it be business-as-usual without YOUR “secret recipe” holder? If the answer is no, then contact our office today to find out more about obtaining key employee insurance for your most important asset - your staff.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Commercial Drivers Texting Ban
If you had been watching news programming last summer, you probably saw a clip of a bus driver in Texas who caused an accident by paying more attention to his phone than to the road in front of him. If you didn’t catch the clip, check out the incredible video that shows it all caught on tape at: www.oneillinsurance.com/texting.html.
Texting while driving is a major distraction and risks lives. Data compiled last year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states that texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 out of every six seconds. This means that at 55 mph a texting driver travels the length of a football field without looking at the road.
And, that’s exactly why the U.S. Department of Transportation has put in place a ban on texting for all commercial truck and bus drivers. Your company and your employees driving your commercial vehicles can be held liable for violating this ban and can be subject to stiff penalties and fines on top of any damages and injuries he/she may cause in the process.
Our best advice is to make sure that your employees are aware of the new regulations and the dangers of texting while driving. Make it known that texting won’t be tolerated while they are operating your company vehicles.
Texting while driving is a major distraction and risks lives. Data compiled last year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states that texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 out of every six seconds. This means that at 55 mph a texting driver travels the length of a football field without looking at the road.
And, that’s exactly why the U.S. Department of Transportation has put in place a ban on texting for all commercial truck and bus drivers. Your company and your employees driving your commercial vehicles can be held liable for violating this ban and can be subject to stiff penalties and fines on top of any damages and injuries he/she may cause in the process.
Our best advice is to make sure that your employees are aware of the new regulations and the dangers of texting while driving. Make it known that texting won’t be tolerated while they are operating your company vehicles.
Don’t Let The Grinch Steal Your Identity!
Avoiding Scammers at The Holidays
When we think about theft, we often find ourselves picturing thieves stealing our belongings, much like the Grinch did to the poor residents of Whooville. However, The Grinch had nothing on the sophisticated thieves around today. These new scammers employ advanced tactics to obtain access to your personal information and credit. Their ploys can spell disaster for you and your family should you fall victim to one of their schemes.
“Spoofing," or "phishing," frauds attempt to make internet users believe that they are receiving e-mail from a specific, trusted source or that they are connected to a trusted web site, when that is not the case. For example, you may receive an email that prompts you to shop at your favorite online store for holiday gifts… only to find out that the link is not to the “real” store at all, but to a “spoof” site instead. The phonies will never send your purchase, but instead steal your credit card information and possibly your entire identity.
Many scammers’ websites and emails may look to be authentic. Here is some sound advice to follow in order to protect yourself from becoming a victim:
If it sounds too good to be true... it most likely is. Don’t be afraid to question the offer or the instructions.
If you encounter an unsolicited e-mail that asks you either directly, or through a website, for personal financial or identity information, exercise extreme caution.
If a website address is unfamiliar, it's likely that it is not real. Only use the website addresses that you have used before. Spoof sites usually have an excessively long strong of characters in the header, with the legitimate business name somewhere in the string, or possibly not at all.
Most companies require you to log in to a secure site before you provide financial information.
Most importantly, if you have doubts about an email or website’s legitimacy, contact the company directly by phone. Odds are good that you will find you just avoided a scam.
To find out more about internet threats, we invite you to visit www.ic3.gov, where you can learn about the latest scams or file a complaint about a scammer. We also encourage you to check your free credit reports on occasion to make sure that
When we think about theft, we often find ourselves picturing thieves stealing our belongings, much like the Grinch did to the poor residents of Whooville. However, The Grinch had nothing on the sophisticated thieves around today. These new scammers employ advanced tactics to obtain access to your personal information and credit. Their ploys can spell disaster for you and your family should you fall victim to one of their schemes.
“Spoofing," or "phishing," frauds attempt to make internet users believe that they are receiving e-mail from a specific, trusted source or that they are connected to a trusted web site, when that is not the case. For example, you may receive an email that prompts you to shop at your favorite online store for holiday gifts… only to find out that the link is not to the “real” store at all, but to a “spoof” site instead. The phonies will never send your purchase, but instead steal your credit card information and possibly your entire identity.
Many scammers’ websites and emails may look to be authentic. Here is some sound advice to follow in order to protect yourself from becoming a victim:
If it sounds too good to be true... it most likely is. Don’t be afraid to question the offer or the instructions.
If you encounter an unsolicited e-mail that asks you either directly, or through a website, for personal financial or identity information, exercise extreme caution.
If a website address is unfamiliar, it's likely that it is not real. Only use the website addresses that you have used before. Spoof sites usually have an excessively long strong of characters in the header, with the legitimate business name somewhere in the string, or possibly not at all.
Most companies require you to log in to a secure site before you provide financial information.
Most importantly, if you have doubts about an email or website’s legitimacy, contact the company directly by phone. Odds are good that you will find you just avoided a scam.
To find out more about internet threats, we invite you to visit www.ic3.gov, where you can learn about the latest scams or file a complaint about a scammer. We also encourage you to check your free credit reports on occasion to make sure that
Monday, November 22, 2010
Deck The Halls Like a Wiseman
We’ve all thought “It won’t happen to me.” Or, “It’ll be fine for a while.” But, the fact is that just one unwise decision or one moment’s distraction could cost you damage, or even total destruction, of your home or office.
It’s so easy to get caught up in festivities and joy of the holiday season, and to let safety guidelines take back seat to decorating. When you are preparing your place for the holidays, remember to keep these few wise ideas in mind:
- Never leave burning candles unattended, and be sure to put them out before heading to bed.
- Check your light strands before plugging them in, for tears, rips and fraying. Replace any damaged lights and chords.
- Never overload an electrical socket with lights or other decorations.
- Do not place heaters, candles, or hot items near your live or artificial trees. They are highly flammable.
- Practice ladder safety when putting up outdoor lights, and make sure the lights are rated for outdoor use.
- Keep Mistletoe, Holly, Poinsettia and other holiday plants from pets and children.
Building Vacancies Can Affect Your Coverage
In today’s economic climate, it seems as though more and more businesses are shutting their doors. One minute a business is thriving, and the next there is a “For Lease” or “Closed” sign in the window.
Here’s something you may not realize: If your business “neighbors” move out, or if new “neighbors” move in, you should definitely let our office know. The change in occupancy could affect your coverage. If you own the property and your tenants move on, it is equally important to let us know of the change immediately. Vacant (or partially vacant) properties create a unique set of circumstances that lead to a higher risk, and you need to be aware of the vacancy provisions in your policy so that you don’t run into a “no coverage” situation at the time of a claim. Your coverage should be thoroughly examined to ensure you are getting the maximum protection for your business should damages occur while the property is between lessees.
If you are not sure if we are aware of vacancies in your building, contact our office and we will get the answers for you. It is better to be safe than sorry!
Here’s something you may not realize: If your business “neighbors” move out, or if new “neighbors” move in, you should definitely let our office know. The change in occupancy could affect your coverage. If you own the property and your tenants move on, it is equally important to let us know of the change immediately. Vacant (or partially vacant) properties create a unique set of circumstances that lead to a higher risk, and you need to be aware of the vacancy provisions in your policy so that you don’t run into a “no coverage” situation at the time of a claim. Your coverage should be thoroughly examined to ensure you are getting the maximum protection for your business should damages occur while the property is between lessees.
If you are not sure if we are aware of vacancies in your building, contact our office and we will get the answers for you. It is better to be safe than sorry!
Business Changes... Fast!
Business moves so fast these days! Thanks to technology, it seems mergers, acquisitions, change of location or a variety of other changes can occur now more quickly than they used to.
Although we take measures to visit with our commercial clients often, it’s important that you keep us up-to-speed with your business changes when they occur. Here is a partial list of reasons to contact us before our next scheduled update:
• Change in ownership or structure
• Addition of equipment
• New drivers or vehicles
• Building or property additions
• Increase in inventory or warehouse stock
• Increased (or decreased) security on premises
In fact, whenever there is a change within your organization, it’s a wise move to give us a quick call. We’ll let you know if you will require additional insurance, or if the current policies will need to be updated in some way. A few minutes can give you a lot of peace-of-mind!
Although we take measures to visit with our commercial clients often, it’s important that you keep us up-to-speed with your business changes when they occur. Here is a partial list of reasons to contact us before our next scheduled update:
• Change in ownership or structure
• Addition of equipment
• New drivers or vehicles
• Building or property additions
• Increase in inventory or warehouse stock
• Increased (or decreased) security on premises
In fact, whenever there is a change within your organization, it’s a wise move to give us a quick call. We’ll let you know if you will require additional insurance, or if the current policies will need to be updated in some way. A few minutes can give you a lot of peace-of-mind!
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