Erie Insurance gets perfect score from NY Insurance Department

ERIE INSURANCE GETS PERFECT SCORE
 

Buying Auto Insurance from Erie Insurance                                                                                                      
From NY Insurance Department
by Peter Wallin,  Elmira,  NY Insurance Agent
www.WallinInsurance.com 

Sixty-two of the state’s 179 auto insurers, led by Erie Insurance Co., had no consumer complaints
upheld against them by state regulators in 2009 and 2010, according to a report released by the
former state Department of Insurance.

The Annual Ranking of Automobile Insurance Complaints is designed to help consumers evaluate the performance of their own carrier or another company they may be considering. 

Erie was the largest of the 62 carriers with a perfect record, with an average of $64.1 million in written premiums for auto insurance over the two-year period. It had 18 complaints filed against it, but 15 of them were either rejected or withdrawn, while the other three had “questions of fact” that could not be resolved.

Our agency has represented ERIE since our very beginning – in 1998.  Erie first started selling insurance in NY in 1995.  Our agency is located at www.WallinInsurance.com.

Among other major carriers:

– GEICO, the state’s biggest carrier with $1.28 billion in premiums, was ranked 66^th.

– Allstate Insurance Co., the state’s second-largest carrier with $1.19 billion in premiums, had 170 complaints upheld out of a total of 1,350. It ranked 130th on the list.

– State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., the No. 3 carrier with just over $1 billion in premiums, ranked 80th, with 37 complaints upheld out of 426.

– Liberty Mutual, the fourth-biggest carrier with $475 million in premiums, came in 98th. It had 26 complaints out of 192 upheld.

These statistics were obtained from an article in the Buffalo News, October 10, 2011.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors now Required in Homes

By Peter Wallin
Elmira, NY Insurance Agent                                     
www.WallinInsurance.com

CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS REQUIRED UNDER NEW LAW

Amanda Hansen was a teenager whose life was tragically ended by a carbon monoxide leak from a defective boiler while she was sleeping at a friend’s house in a Buffalo Suburb in January 2009.  When I heard about it I was heartbroken.  I used to live in this neighborhood.

Amanda’s Law, passed in the 2009 Session of the New York State Legislature, established a new requirement for installation of carbon monoxide detectors in ALL homes.

Under the law, one-family homes, two-family homes, dwellings located in condominiums or cooperatives, and multiple dwellings must have a carbon monoxide detector installed regardless of the date of construction or sale.

The new law requires that the carbon monoxide detector be a device meeting New York State standards, and that it be installed in an operable condition in dwellings where there are appliances or systems that may emit carbon monoxide or have an attached garage.

Prior to Amanda’s Law, carbon monoxide detectors were required in one-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, and dwellings located in condominiums or cooperatives only if they were constructed or offered for sale after July 30, 2002. For multiple dwellings (such as a tenement, hotel, and dormitories) carbon monoxide detectors were required if they were constructed or offered for sale after August 9, 2005.

As a result of Amanda’s Law, a carbon monoxide detector will be found in nearly all residential structures in the state. This creates a safer living environment for New York residents and creates a greater awareness of home safety issues that are intensified by seasonal heating issues prevalent in the Northeast.

Amanda’s Law took effect on February 22, 2010.  For more information please visit me at www.WallinInsurance.com or Peter@WallinInsurance.com

NY Flood 2011 Insurance update

FLOOD 2011 Update                          

By Peter Wallin, Insurance Agent
Elmira NY
www.WallinInsurance.com

It has been a devastating few months for many of our friends and neighbors in the Southern Tier.  Yes, we did have some insurance clients who had flood insurance policies and they are working to have their claims settled.  Unfortunately, many affected people did not live in a flood zone and were not required by their bank to carry flood insurance.  The damages they sustained were not covered.

We have seen several smaller insurance claims paid when the homeowner carries a special endorsement called “Sewer and Drain Backup.”  PLEASE make sure you have this coverage.  It is very affordable and our companies have paid numerous claims when there is a power outage and a pump stops working, or back up of water from an overflowing pipe or drain. 

As far as auto insurance goes, if you carry comprehensive coverage on your car you are covered for flood.  Water that damages your vehicle is something that will be picked up by your insurance company.  This is subject to your deductible.

Please read your home and auto insurance policies carefully so you fully understand what is covered and what is not.  As always, we are available to answer your questions.                   

Peter Wallin
WallinInsurance Agency Inc
1364 College Ave
Elmira, NY 14901
877-310-7276
www.WallinInsurance.com

Key Risks of Teenage Driving, by Peter Wallin

Key risks of teenage driving
   by Peter Wallin,  Elmira NY Insurance Agency

According to California DMV Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers across the United States. For both men and women, drivers aged 16 to 19 years of age have the highest average annual crash and traffic violation rates of any other age group

 

Teenage Driver Crash Risk Factors
The traffic accident rates for 16- to 19-year old drivers are higher than those for any other age group. What causes teenage drivers to be such risky drivers? The following is a list of their primary risk factors.

Poor hazard detection
The ability to detect hazards in the driving environment depends upon perceptual and information-gathering skills and involves properly identifying stimuli as potential threats. It takes time for young novice drivers to acquire this ability.

Low risk perception
Risk perception involves subjectively assessing the degree of threat posed by a hazard and one’s ability to deal with the threat. Young novice drivers tend to underestimate the crash risk in hazardous situations and overestimate their ability to avoid the threats they identify.

Risk Taking
Teenagers tend to take more risks while driving partly due to their overconfidence in their driving abilities. Young novice drivers are more likely to engage in risky behaviors like speeding, tailgating, running red lights, violating traffic signs and signals, making illegal turns, passing dangerously, and failure to yield to pedestrians.

Not wearing seat belts
Teenagers tend to wear safety belts less often than older drivers. Why?

Lack of skill
Novice teenage drivers have not yet completely mastered basic vehicle handling skills and safe-driving knowledge they need to drive safely.

Alcohol and drugs
Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is a common cause of serious crashes, especially fatal ones, involving teenage drivers. Teenagers who drink and drive are at much greater risk of serious crashes than are older drivers with equal concentrations of alcohol in their blood.

Carrying passengers
For teenagers, the risk of being in a crash increases when they transport passengers-the fatality risk of drivers aged 16-17 years is 3.6 times higher when they are driving with passengers than when they are driving alone, and the relative risk of a fatal crash increases as the number of passengers increases. Passengers who are age peers may distract the teen drivers and encourage them to take more risks, especially for young males riding with young male drivers.

Night driving
The per mile crash rate for teenaged drivers is 3 times higher after 9:00 pm during the day. This is because the task of driving at night is more difficult; they have less experience driving at night than during the day; they are more sleep deprived, and/or because teenage recreational driving, which often involves alcohol, is more likely to occur at night.

Peter Wallin
Elmira NY Insurance Agent
1364 College Ave
Elmira, NY 14901
877-310-7276
www.WallinInsurance.com

Car accidents are the leading cause of death of people 16-20 year olds.

By Peter Wallin
Elmira NY Insurance Agents and Father of 3 young drivers

Teen’s driving tied to folks– Strict rules from parents lead to safer kids and fewer accidents. 
According to a USA Today article, parents who are actively involved in setting rules and
boundaries lead to safer teen drivers.  “The real message is that parents matter,” experts say. 

“If you take this seriously and you are an active parent in knowing where your children are
going and setting appropriate rules combined with warmth and support, you can actually make a tremendous difference.”  

As a father of 3 young drivers  (ages 18,19,21)  I worry every time they get behind the wheel.  I know I have no control over them once they leave my driveway, but I am hoping they have learned enough from my wife and me through the years.  They have watched us drive and we have been their role models.  Now, we ask that they text us a quick message when they reach their destination (not while they are driving!).  We just want them to be safe. 

 Car accidents are the leading cause of death of people 16-20 year olds.

For more information and articles on Youthful Drivers visit
www.WallinInsurance.com