Water damage by the numbers infographic

Water damage is one of the most common causes of homeowners losses, causing billions of dollars of damage to homes each year. Make sure you’re home is protected with the right homeowners insurance policy and a water backup endorsement.

Tip: in the event of water damage, contact the Hanover claims team for referral to a service contractor who can begin water cleanup and drying work.

Contact Lallis & Higgins Insurance for more information.

Source: hanover.com

Most people have an idea of what’s covered and not covered under their various insurance policies. But at Lallis & HIggins Insurance we get a lot of questions about borrowing or loaning a car.

You might be looking to borrow your neighbor’s truck for a home-improvement project or a trip to the local landfill, we thought it was a great time to provide a little more information.

Generally, auto insurance coverage follows the vehicle rather than the driver. So in most instances, as long as the owner of the car has insurance, it’s covered even if someone other than the owner is driving it — as long as they have the owner’s permission.

The borrower’s insurance is considered secondary, meaning that in the event of an accident, it could apply if the owner’s insurance is insufficient to fully cover the damage.

It’s important to note that there are some exceptions to what is called “permissive use” coverage. For example, permission must be given by the owner, unless the borrower has a reasonable belief that they are allowed to use the car. However, the borrower cannot give permission to someone else. So if your teenager allows one of his or her friends to drive your car to {local destination}, your coverage likely won’t apply.

Coverage might also be denied if the borrower operates the vehicle in a negligent or criminal manner. And if the borrower is using your car for business purposes, your personal auto policy likely won’t cover that.

If you have a regular long-term arrangement to either borrow or lend a car, the borrower should probably be added to the owner’s personal auto policy. Those who don’t own a car, but often borrow one, might also consider “named non-owner coverage,” an endorsement that provides bodily injury and property damage liability, uninsured motorists coverage and more.

Ultimately, it’s usually safe to loan your friend your car for occasional errands or projects. And the same goes for borrowing a car. Just make sure it’s for “normal” use. You’ll want to confirm that the car has coverage and that your insurance, whether you’re the owner or borrower, will apply.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions — after all, you don’t want to wait until after an accident to get answers!

Parking lots in Weymouth, Quincy, MA – we love the convenience but hate the frustrations, especially when people are driving too fast, backing out of spots without looking and otherwise modeling bad parking lot behavior. That behavior just so happens to be the cause of many a door ding and irritated driver. Even worse, careless behavior can cause a collision or injury. So, let’s all slow down and follow these five tips to make parking lots safer for everyone:

1. Don’t Speed

Speeding decreases the amount of time you have to react when a child runs out in front of you, another driver stops suddenly or a car begins backing out unexpectedly. Is a collision – or even a fatality – really worth the price of getting to your destination just a bit sooner?

2. Use Your Eyes – and Mirrors and Cameras

Keep a lookout for perils at all times, even if the lot seems empty. When you’re pulling into a spot, watch for doors being opened. When backing out, look all around, in your mirrors and in your rear-view camera and proceed slowly.

3. Give Yourself – and Others – Some Space

Parking in between the lines and in a spot sized for your vehicle may help to minimize dings and scratches. Better yet, park in a less-crowded area and enjoy the stroll into the store – just don’t park where you feel unsafe. And, always park away from stray carts.

4. Expect the Unexpected

Assume things will happen. That someone will dart out in front of you, that a cart will come rolling toward you, that someone backing out of his/her spot won’t see you backing out of yours. When you’re on guard, you’re better prepared for those who aren’t.

5. Be Respectful

A little kindness goes a long way in a parking lot or parking garage. So stop for pedestrians, don’t cause traffic jams waiting for a spot and, above all, don’t lose your cool. Remember, when you’re watching for dangers, you have a better chance of avoiding them. If an incident does occur, we here at Lallis & Higgins Insurance are ready to help.

Now everyone can find the time to apply for life insurance. It's faster and easier than ever before.

If you're between the ages of 18 and 60 and seeing $500,000 or less in life insurance, it's more convenient than ever to apply for level term life insurance with SBLI through Lallis & Higgins Insurance. Provide some basic information, schedule a quick phone call at your convenience to answer some medical questions and get an answer in days. Trusted coverage that's affordable with an application process that doesn't intrude on your day. Now no one has an excuse to not apply.

The cost of protecting your family is as low as $0.38 per day.

For more information on life insurance, contact Lallis & Higgins Insurance.

Well, the Patriots just added a new Superbowl ring to their collection. They'll certainly also be scheduling a rider on the home insurance policies for those rings as well.

Homeowner’s insurance policies are very important because they provide coverage for our personal property. Did you know, however, that there are some limitations to that coverage?

Most homeowner’s policies carry coverage limitations on personal property like jewelry, silverware, firearms, etc. Unless your property is scheduled, or specifically itemized with a value on your policy, your home deductible will apply to a loss.

You may want request to schedule jewelry items on your homeowner insurance policy. You may also have the choice of scheduling them on a replacement cost basis or an agreed value basis.

Replacement Cost Coverage: Your insurance company may pay the cost to repair or replace the damaged or lost property without factoring in depreciation; however, the amount paid will not exceed the least of these amounts:

1. Replacement cost at the time of loss;
2. The full cost of repair at the time of loss; or
3. The amount of insurance that applies to the property as shown on the declarations page of your policy.

Agreed Value Coverage: For each item designated on your policy as having agreed value coverage, the full amount shown is paid. The amount is agreed to be the value of that article or property.

You may also have the option to insure some personal property on a blanket coverage basis. In that case, your insurance company will pay the replacement cost at the time of the loss, but not more than the individual coverage amount for any single item of insured property.

Several types of property can be scheduled specifically (with no deductible, and/or broader coverage). This includes cameras, collectibles, coins, fine arts (prints, paintings, sculptures, etc.), furs, golf equipment, musical instruments, silverware, sports equipment, and stamps.

Scheduling items on your home policy broadens perils the coverage will apply to for jewelry. Some of those include lost, damaged or misplaced. Many home insurance policies will cover an item if it’s stolen from the home, but may have limitations beyond that if the article is not scheduled.

Be sure to contact Lallis & Hinggins Insurance, an independent insurance agent to determine if you have the best coverage for your personal property.

These awards celebrate and recognize the best our community has to offer. We invite you to vote for your favorites in dozens of categories, including Lallis & Higgins Insurance. If you vote in more than 15 categories, you'll be entered in a sweepstakes to win $1000!

It's easy to do. Simply choose a category, write in who you think is best and fill in your email address. Continue and complete the registration form (You MUST register to vote). Afterwards, you’ll receive a confirmation email which will contain a link that will allow you to auto login each day to vote again if you wish. For businesses with more than one location, please indicate the address of your #1 choice in the town field.

Results will be published in a special section inserted into your newspaper the week of June 24th and will be available online at WickedLocalFavorites.com.

Vote for your local favorites today! Deadline to vote is Sunday, February 17 at 11:59 p.m.

Remember...You must vote in at least 15 categories for your chance to win $1000.

Let the voting begin!

NOTE: Only businesses in certain towns are eligible to win, please click the "Rules" link at the bottom of the page to view the list of towns.

Finally, the first snow of the season! Lallis & Higgins Insurance wants to share with you some of the "best" sledding hills around Boston. Here are sledding spots we think are worth driving to.

Flagstaff Hill—Boston

Situated in Boston Common, near the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and parallel to Charles Street, Flagstaff Hill might be Boston's most iconic sledding spot. The slope is long, even, and wide, so even though it gets crowded, there's ample room for kids to fit in some decent runs. Make a winter-fun day of it and hit Frog Pond rink to take a twirl and warm up with some hot chocolate.

Larz Anderson Park—Brookline

This hilly park is tailor-made for sledding, with lots of real estate—64 acres!—on various sides of the park for staking out a route. Like Flagstaff, the hilly area abuts a public ice rink, so families can get some skating in before or after sledding time.

President's Lawn, Tufts University—Medford

Local families share this hill with Tufts students, who congregate here for sledding (with the school's blessing). Hit the hill in the morning for the least-crowded conditions (co-eds are still sleeping), and be aware that's it's pretty steep, so maybe not the best for tots.

Danehy Park—Cambridge

Stigma aside, you gotta appreciate how much covered-over landfills, like this one at Danehy Park, make for primo sledding. It's one of the highest spots in Cambridge and uber conveniently located near Fresh Pond and its many walking paths.

Millennium Park—West Roxbury

Another landfill, another super sledding spot: This oft-overlooked park bordering West Roxbury (and technically in Boston) is huge, and never too crowded, making it a perfect winter escape.

Seven Bump Hill—Malden

Nestled behind Fellsmere Pond in West Malden, Seven Bumps is one of the most traditional and beloved sledding spots in the area. Your kids can see if they can see the seven bumps that the spots is named after; regardless, there's plenty of hilly terrain to explore.

Arnold Arboretum—Jamaica Pond

The Arboretum graciously allows sledding on its property, and you'll enjoy gorgeous views of the meticulous maintained property while sledding. Peter's Hill is the best spot to be able to enjoy the lovely trees without running into them, as it's the most wide-open slope (and the most popular).

Sugar Bowl—Jamaica Pond

Inverted bowls like this are extra safe for little ones, but add a sledding challenge for bigs—kids try their best to slide down with enough speed to coast a decent way up the opposite side.

Needham High School—Needham

The giant, wide hill aside the football field is where students congregate during games; and where kids from three towns in either direction gather when flakes start to fall. Big kids concoct jumps toward the center of the hill; smaller children are better off sticking to the edges of this bustling slope. After, grab donuts and a hot drink at Dunkin's across the street.

Spy Pond Park—Arlington

This big pretty park is best known for its skating pond, but skirt the edges for some nifty sledding runs.

Clay Pit Pond—Belmont

The surrounding park near Belmont High isn't big, but sloping down from Concord Avenue toward the pond is a perfectly pitched sledding hill that those in-the-know flock to at snowfall.

Prospect Hill Park—Waltham

A big trek up pays off with gorgeous views of Waltham, Watertown and the city from the cliff-like hilltop of this park. Runs are long, thrilling, and fulfilling.

Source: mommypoppins.com

Every homeowner needs to take measures to keep their homes safe. Living in Quincy and Weymouth or anywhere on the South Shore means that you will most likely experience severe and harsh winter months.

Let’s look at some steps you can take to keep your homes safe and secure during the winter months.

Make sure your fireplace is clean

When you think of winter, one of the first images you’re likely to think of is being curled up in front of a warm, crackling fire. If you enjoy getting your fireplace roaring when it’s cold and miserable outside, you’re not alone!

Before lighting the first fire of the season, make sure that the hearth is clean and the chimney is free from any obstructions. If the chimney is blocked, it could lead to noxious and harmful fumes filling your home.

Check that your heating system is in order

Central heating is a wonderful thing. The minute you step into your home from the frigid weather outside, you can breathe a sigh of relief: your home is warm and toasty.

During the winter months, a large number of household fires take place. These have been attributed to faulty heating systems. Schedule a check-up with the company that installed your heating system right before it starts to get cold. This will also ensure that your heating system is heating your home properly.

Be careful with the candles

You might be lighting them on festive dinners or in the evening when you’re winding down. Whatever the case is, make sure you handle the candles with care.

This means making sure that no candle is left burning unattended while you’re out or in a different room. Make sure candles are placed at a safe distance away from anything which can catch fire, such as curtains. If you have young children and pets, take extra care to ensure that candles are placed where they cannot be knocked over or reached by them.

Keep the steps and walkway leading up to your home clean

If you’ve been graced with a nice amount of snow or freezing rain, the last thing you want is a slippery walkway. The cold temperatures make matters even worse and often result in your steps and walkway freezing over. The icy surface can lead to many accidents if not taken care of.

Make sure that you keep your walkways and steps clear of all snow. Sprinkle salts over all of these areas to prevent any snow or ice accumulating at these points.

Install a carbon monoxide alarm

Whether you’re lighting your fireplace or using other various forms of heating, a carbon monoxide alarm is very important to have. These alarms monitor the levels of carbon monoxide in your home and are triggered when there is a dangerous amount of carbon monoxide in the air.

Having one of these alarms could potentially save your life.

Insulate exterior water lines

You don’t want your water supply to freeze over, do you? With those horribly cold temperatures, it’s a good idea to get all your exterior piping properly insulated. This will ensure that even when temperatures fall below freezing, you’ll still have warm flowing water.

Get your home properly insulated

Make sure the exterior of your home and your walls and windows are equipped to handle the cold. Get storm windows installed in the event that you’re stuck in the middle of a relentless blizzard.

Weather stripping and insulation should also be installed to ensure that your home remains warm.

Make sure your home is well lit

Winter means shorter days and longer nights. When faced with longer periods of darkness, take care to make sure your home is well lit. Burglars and thieves like to operate under the cover of darkness. Consider installing a few extra lights outside to make your home brighter and less attractive to criminals.

Keep your driveway clean

Make sure you shovel your driveway and scatter salt or sand to keep it from freezing over. This will make it easier for you to walk to and from your home. It will also make accessing your car much easier and can help prevent your garage door from freezing.

Clear the drains

Before winter sets in, make sure that all of the exterior drains are free from any leaves or debris. Otherwise, they will likely freeze over and prevent snow, slush, and freezing rain from adequately draining. If this happens, you stand the risk of too much moisture building up on your roof. Alternatively, if the debris freezes in the drains, the drains could also burst.

Whenever winter rolls around, make sure you and your family are prepared for the colder months ahead. This includes taking all steps necessary to ‘winter-proof’ your home. By doing so, you can eliminate or reduce the risk of having to deal with a number of problems and can have a relatively enjoyable winter.

For more information on home insurance and keeping your home well protected, contact Lallis & Higgins Insurance.

Excite.com

When the U.S. government partially shut down on December 21st, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determined it no longer had the authority to enter into new contracts, including new or renewal NFIP flood insurance policies, during the shutdown period. Real estate closings scheduled during this time that require flood insurance may be affected.  Lallis & Higgins Insurance is here to help bridge that critical gap with private flood insurance options.

How We Can Help

Private flood insurance is a growing alternative to the NFIP that may satisfy lenders’ flood insurance requirements. Our experienced team makes it quick and easy for you to secure flood insurance to meet your lifestyle and your home's needs.

• Secure a quote in as little as one minute
• As few as 12 underwriting questions with no elevation certificate requirement
• Underwritten by Lloyds of London and Scottsdale Insurance

Our goal is to make sure everyone in Massachusetts has access to flood insurance, even during times of political impasse. Lallis & Higgins Insurance can offer other Flood options through Lloyds and Scottsdale that may save homeowners up to 38% off the NFIP rate. If you want to learn more about flood insurance options, contact Lallis & Higgins Insurance.

Our warmest Holiday wishes from the entire team here at Lallis & Higgins Insurance. Calendar year 2018 was, and continues to be, a truly remarkable year and we take this moment to recognize the joy that each and every one of you has brought to our personal and professional lives. We exist because of your faith and trust in us.

As calendar year 2019 approaches, we reflect upon the foundational recognition that "your success is our success". Our New Year’s wish for 2019 is to nurture our positive and ever strengthening partnership and to deliver ever increasing value to you and your family through the entirety of 2019.

Throughout this Holiday season may you be blessed with health and surrounded by friends and family. All the best! Cheers!