The Concklin Blog

Did you know motorcycles are prone to theft?  In some areas, motorcycle owners have over 13% chance of having their bike stolen! While your location and the style of bike you have will affect the likelihood of a theft, following these 10 easy steps can help reduce your bike from being a target.

Does your business have a distracted driving policy? When employees drive distracted their chance of being in an accident increases tremendously. Not only is this dangerous for your employees and the others sharing the road, if the employee is in an accident while doing their job – such as driving to meet a client, to the bank, to make a delivery, or another task in their job description – a claim could be made against your company for damages. On average distracted driving costs employers $75,176 per non-fatal incident, a fatal crash is 10 times more costly - and that was back in 2019. Costs have only increased since then. This doesn’t even take into consideration the lost workdays.

HO3 Insurance Policy If you own your home, it is likely you have an HO3 insurance (Homeowners 3), as this is the most common – and deservedly so – homeowner’s policy there is.  You might wonder why HO3? What are HO1 and HO2? How many different types are there?  How can you be sure the policy you have is the right policy if you don’t understand your other options?

Flooding is a risk to your business, regardless of if you are on the coast or inland – all 50 states experience floods.  The average commercial flood claim is around $89,000 in the last 5 years.  In fact floods on average cause $3.5 billion dollars in damage annually.  The risk is so massive that insurance companies would need to charge outrageous premiums in order to cover the damages. This led to the creation of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in 1968. Without the NFIP those most in need of coverage would not be able to afford it.

The price of insurance is going up - personal auto is seeing an increase on average 3.1% and homeowners is even higher, averaging 8.4%. What is the extra money covering? Here are some of root causes of these increases:

Drunk driving continues to be the cause of approximately 10,000 vehicle-related fatalities each year. Victims and their families file suits against restaurants and bars for serving customers who were later involved in a collision.  Dram Shop Laws establish a chain of responsibility in 30 states, which means restaurants and bars, as well as their employees, can be held directly liable for damages and bodily harm caused by individuals to whom they served alcohol. Having liquor liability insurance helps mitigate the costs should your establishment be held legally liable for damages, but best practice is to prevent drunk driving from the beginning.

There are two ways in which the insured can be compensated for a loss caused by a covered peril: Replacement Cost or Actual Cash Value.

Keeping up with your commercial property landscaping is not only vital to keep your property looking nice, but it is also important for reducing your liability risk. When vegetation is left unattended it can lead to a variety of hazards.

When talking about perils and insurance there are a few important definitions you need to be aware of. A peril is the cause of the loss (damage or injury). A covered peril means you have insurance against the peril that caused the loss. What is covered by your Homeowner's Policy will be determined by what level of perils are included.

Do I need to insure my snowmobile? Different states have different rules, laws, and regulations regarding snowmobiles.  In Illinois liability coverage is mandatory if you are operating your snowmobile outside your personal property.  Even if your state does not require insurance for your snowmobile, it is still advisable to carry liability coverage in the event you are in an accident and found liable for injuries to others or damage to someone else’s property.

A survey done in 2015 found that 79% of adults who worked in a non-managerial position at fast-food restaurants throughout the country have been burned at work within the previous year and 58% said they had suffered multiple burns.  The Burn Foundation estimates 12,000 employees in the food industry suffer burns each year—the highest number in any employment sector. Burns are a serious risk in the food industry and often result in workers’ compensation claims needing to be filed.  On average a worker will miss 17.5 days of work as a result of suffering a burn.

Fall and Winter Seasons bring new fire safety concerns to businesses. It’s important to take the time to recognize the increase in fire risks to your business and ensure employees are properly trained in all safety precautions.

A homeowners policy packages together the specific types of property and liability coverage that a homeowner is likely to need into a single policy.   6 Types of Coverage in One* Coverage A - Dwelling Coverage. Coverage B - Other Structures. Coverage C – Personal Property. Coverage D – Loss of Use. This coverage is sometimes call Additional Living Expense and Rental Value. Coverage E – Personal Liability Coverage. Coverage F – Medical Payments.

Food delivery service brings convenience to customers and has helped many restaurants survive shutdowns and capacity limitations imposed over the last year and a half. While being able to offer delivery has been a boon for restaurants and patrons, it does come with its own safety concerns.If you offer delivery as part of your restaurant experience, there are several precautions you can take to help protect your staff and your bottom line.

If the last year and a half has taught us anything, it is that anything can happen, and those with a plan will inevitably succeed at a higher rate than those without. However, recent studies show that 60% of small businesses do not have a formal emergency response plan, also known as a business continuity or recovery plan. A business recovery plan, if maintained and implemented correctly, can be the difference between successfully recovering from a business interruption and going out of business.

This one endorsement could make up the difference. If you’ve ever traveled via London’s iconic “Tube” system, the phrase Mind the Gap is likely etched into your brain. The warning is repeated thousands of times a day, cautioning people about the space between the platform and the train and has become ingrained in popular culture. Mind the Gap. Mind the Gap. It repeats, over and over. However, the Tube’s gap isn’t the only gap to be cautious of. Your auto insurance policy may have a gap that could leave you holding the bill.

The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave, is not training your employees and having them stay.- Henry Ford Restaurants are ramping up staffing needs to meet loosening capacity restrictions and the opening of patio dining. With the current difficulty of finding applicants (not to mention retaining qualified staff) it may be tempting to sacrifice proper training in favor of quickly getting employees out on the floor and working.Poorly implemented, rushed, or incomplete training of staff can lead to costly mistakes – including workers’ compensation claims, increased liability claims, and dissatisfied customers.

The collection, use, storage, and destruction of Biometric Identifiers is a hot topic for employees.  There have been many lawsuits and business owners may be surprised to know it is being excluded from many Employment Practices Liability Insurance policies. This can leave a gap in coverage for employers that are collecting biometric data as privacy laws continue to expand and evolve.  In Illinois, the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIBA) prohibits the collection of Biometric Identifiers from employees, customers, vendors, residents, or other third parties without their written authorization.  Companies must also have a public policy for the handling and use of such information.

Buying a new home is an exciting stage in your life, and there is a lot that goes into it. The ideal home will be perfect from the ground up – but don’t forget what is below ground. Having a properly installed and maintained sump pump is your first defense against water escaping from sewers and drains, such as toilets, within the residence. This type of water backup is more common in areas where:

March 2020 saw a wave of disruption strike the restaurant and hospitality industry like nothing we could have predicted. Government mandated shutdowns, followed by strict capacity restrictions, and a constantly changing sea of guidelines have left restaurant owners scrambling.As we move through March 2021, we look back at some of the most innovative ways restaurant owners have managed to keep their businesses open and prospering.

Commercial Vehicle Telematics is a great way to monitor and improve your fleet’s driving habits and reduce vehicular accidents. The number of accidents involving commercially used vehicles continues to trend upwards and is a great concern in the insurance industry, impacting rates and availability of insurance in some industries. Similar to Personal Vehicle Telematics, commercial vehicle telematics provides insights on the vehicles speed, acceleration, hard breaking, and location/route. Depending on which telematics program is deployed other metrics may also be available, such as swerving, or frequent lane changing.