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Insurance Risks for Holiday Homeowners

Insurance Risks for Holiday Homeowners











Truro, (PRWEB) June 1, 2009

Regional insurance firm Cornish Mutual, which has Members across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset, says many people may be unaware employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement and holiday homeowners could face a costly claim or even a prison sentence if a member of staff is injured whilst working on or in their let property.

Latest figures* from the Health & Safety Executive show there were 28 fatal injuries to workers in the South West in 2007/08 and 2,337 reported major injuries in the region – Over two thirds (66%) were amongst workers in service industries.

Chris Ridgers, at farm insurance specialist Cornish Mutual said: “Your employees may be injured at work and they might try to claim compensation from you if they believe you are responsible. It could be a cleaner who goes into the property on changeover day or a gardener you employ to maintain the property – anyone who’s working under your guidance and using your tools and equipment.”

Whilst public liability insurance is not a legal requirement, the cost of not having holiday home insurance could amount to hefty claims from guests injured whilst staying in the property. With 20 per cent of all visitors to the South West choosing to stay in Self Catering accommodation**, it is important for property owners to make sure they have sufficient cover to guard against these risks.

Recent examples of claims experienced by Cornish Mutual include a guest who tripped over a step and fell onto a wood burner sustaining nasty burns and another guest who broke a number of bones after falling over a concrete mushroom in the garden. Other liability claims include damage to a property or its contents.

Malcolm Bell, Chief Executive of South West Tourism said: “We want all visitors to the South West to come to the region and have a safe and enjoyable time when they are here. There is so much to see and do in the South West and we are lucky to have some of the best self catering properties in the UK. Property owners need to make sure they do all they can to ensure their visitors enjoy their stay and this includes having adequate cover for their business.

“We would encourage property owners to take out public liability insurance to ensure they are covered should an accident happen.”

Iain and Gill Butterworth run specialist holiday homes letting agency ‘Holiday Homes & Cottages South West’, based in Torquay, Devon. Their Agency Agreement (legal contract between owner and the company) incorporates a declaration that the owner confirms that they have ‘adequate commercial public liability insurance’.

Gill added: “We recognise the importance of having insurance that is appropriate and offers the right level of cover. We, therefore, do not take on a new property before ensuring the owner has the right cover in place.”

Cornish Mutual’s Let Property and Buy to Let Property Insurance products include holiday homes – this provides cover for buildings, contents and public and employers’ liability insurance. For more information visit http://www.cornishmutual.co.uk or call 0845 900 1288.

*HSE, South West government office region (GOR), Statistics of occupational ill health, safety and enforcement 2007/08

**South West Tourism, South West Visitor Survey 2007

For more information, contact:

Ryan Martinez    

Deborah Clark Associates

01208 77900

07887 746569

Melissa Ward    

Cornish Mutual    

01872 277151    

07702 673343     

Notes for editors:

Founded by a group of Westcountry farmers in 1903, Cornish Mutual is the only general insurer based in the South West. Even today, the company is still owned by its Members, and remains at the heart of rural communities throughout Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset.

Although staying true to its origins in agriculture (around two thirds of Cornwall’s farmers are Members), Cornish Mutual now provides household, commercial, events and personal accident insurance to Members of all descriptions, living or working throughout the South West countryside.

For more information on Holiday Homes & Cottages South West visit http://www.swcottages.co.uk or call 01803 299677

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.









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Insurance Companies Must Respond to Recent January 9 Storm Damage Claims, Houston Lawyer Says

Insurance Companies Must Respond to Recent January 9 Storm Damage Claims, Houston Lawyer Says











Houston attorney Brad T. Wyly


(PRWEB) January 17, 2012

Powerful storms, including a reported tornado, swept through Houston and its surrounding areas last week, causing damage to homes and businesses that may be covered through individual insurance policies, says Houston attorney Brad T. Wyly.

Unfortunately, Wyly says, too many of these first-party insurance claims will lead to disputes between home and business owners and their insurance companies.

“After a natural disaster strikes, such as a storm, tornado or hurricane, you expect your insurance company to do what the policy says they’ll do and pay full value on your claim,” Wyly says. “However, insurance companies make money by minimizing the amount of money they pay to settle claims. In too many cases, that means they will unreasonably delay or deny claims.

“If that occurs to you in the aftermath of these terrible storms, it’s important to seek the help of a first-party insurance claims lawyer who has experience with handling these types of disputes and who is committed to protecting the rights of insured parties,” said Wyly, whose Houston law firm evaluates business / commercial property first-party insurance claims and residential / homeowners claims.

According to the Houston Chronicle, homes and businesses throughout the Houston region were hit hard last week by storms that dumped up to four inches of rain overnight in parts of Harris County and nearly seven inches in spots near Sugar Land.

In addition to rain and flooding, the storms also brought strong wind gusts, including a tornado packing 95 mph winds that touched down briefly in the Mission Bend community southwest of Houston on January 9, the Chronicle reported.

If the hail, strong winds, flooding or falling branches and other debris from the storms harmed an insured’s residential and / or business properties, the insured may have already filed a claim for compensation. The terms of the policy will control what is covered, Wyly said.

A Texas insurance company must acknowledge the claim within 15 days of receiving it. In most cases, the insurer will then send a claims adjuster to inspect and evaluate the damage, Wyly said. If the insurer accepts the claim, the company must pay within five days of acceptance.

“Issues arise when the insurance company, after sending out an adjuster, agrees to pay only part of the claim or rejects the claim outright,” Wyly said. “There are also cases where the insured party waits weeks, months – even years – for the company to pay the claim. When you’re dealing with the need to make immediate repairs to your home or business, a lengthy delay can be extremely frustrating.”

According to the Houston first-party insurance claims attorney, Texas law entitles policyholders to penalty payments if an insurance company fails to meet required deadlines.

If the company fails to attempt to reach a fair and reasonable settlement of a first-party insurance claim, then the policyholder may be entitled to bring a bad-faith insurance practices lawsuit against the company under the Texas Insurance Code, Wyly added.

“The bottom line is that insurance companies have a legal duty to deal with their policyholders in good faith, whether you are a residential property owner or a business property owner,” Wyly said. “When the company fails to fulfill that duty, the law entitles you to relief.”

About Wyly Law Firm, P.C.

The Wyly Law Firm, P.C., is a Houston law firm that represents home and business owners in first party insurance disputes and personal injury victims, including those injured in car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrian accidents, throughout Houston and surrounding communities, including Harris County, Baytown, Pasadena, Galveston, Beaumont, Bellaire, Cloverleaf, Spring Valley, Missouri City, Aldine and Jersey City. The firm also handles business law issues and disputes.

Attorney Brad T. Wyly, the firm’s founder, is a skilled negotiator and lawyer. Wyly has extensive experience in personal injury cases, including claims involving complex accidents, catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths. He has been named a Rising Star in Law & Politics magazine. To contact Wyly Law Firm, P.C., call (713) 574-7034 or use the firm’s online form.

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







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Gasoline Prices Rise with Tensions in Egypt

Gasoline Prices Rise with Tensions in Egypt











AAA Montclair


Oakland, CA (Vocus/PRWEB) February 18, 2011

Although demand for gasoline in the U.S. is dropping, the price at the pump is rising, largely thanks to uncertainty about international affairs. The Golden State’s average gas price has jumped by six cents over the last month, according to the latest report from AAA Northern California, which tracks gas prices as a service to consumers.

According to AAA’s latest report, all but two Northern California metro areas tracked by AAA saw a single digit increase at the pump over the past month. California’s average gas price is the third highest among all 50 states. The Golden State’s average for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $ 3.41, up six cents since last month’s report on January 11. For perspective, that’s 44 cents higher than California’s average price on this date last year, when it was $ 2.97.

Northern California gas prices are now averaging $ 3.42, up seven cents from last month. In the San Francisco Bay Area, motorists can expect to pay an average price of $ 3.48, which is a 7-cent increase. The national average price of $ 3.12 is up by three cents, which is 47 cents more than the national price on this date last year, when it was $ 2.65.

“Recent uncertainly about the political turmoil in Egypt has helped to make investors nervous, forcing up the price of crude oil,” explained AAA Northern California spokesperson Matt Skryja. “However, over the past week investors finally took notice that the United States’ oil reserves had risen, showing a decrease in demand. This helped to stabilize the price per barrel.”

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, weekly averages for gasoline demand have been dropping for the last six weeks. Just this week, traders begrudgingly agreed that market fundamentals—hefty crude supply and weak demand—needed to be accounted for and, while keeping one eye firmly trained on Egypt, oil prices began to retreat. This downward pressure on crude prices was compounded by strength in the U.S. dollar versus the euro. When the dollar strengthens, investors, including those holding foreign currencies, are less likely to invest in commodities, including crude, which pressures prices down.

The least expensive average price in Northern California can be found in Marysville and Chico where regular is $ 3.34. Of all the metro areas in Northern California where gas prices are tracked by AAA, Eureka’s average price of $ 3.62 is the highest. It’s also the highest price reported by AAA in the lower 48 states. The least expensive gasoline in the country is found in Casper, Wyoming, where for the second consecutive month the average price of gas is $ 2.68. Wailuku, Hawaii, holds the dubious crown for the highest average price in the nation, at $ 4.01 per gallon.

One way consumers can reduce the amount of money they spend on fuel is to shop aggressively for the lowest price. AAA now offers text alerts via mobile phone for the lowest local gas prices.

AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report is the most comprehensive retail gasoline survey available, with over 100,000 self-serve stations surveyed everyday, nationwide. Data is provided in cooperation with OPIS Energy Group and Wright Express, LLC.

To sign up for text alerts with the lowest local gas prices, visit http://www.aaa.com/gas.

About AAA

AAA is one of the top five insurance providers in the state of California with nearly 1 million car insurance (auto insurance) policyholders and insuring approximately 1.7 million cars in California. AAA’s insurance company, the California State Automobile Association Inter Insurance Bureau, began offering auto insurance in 1914. One out of every five cars on Northern California roads is insured by AAA.

Homeowners insurance was added in 1974 and has become California’s fourth-largest insurer of residential property. In addition to auto insurance and home insurance, AAA offers motorcycle insurance, watercraft insurance, motorhome insurance, renters insurance, rental property insurance, flood insurance, umbrella insurance, travel insurance and life insurance to customers in approximately 20 states, including Nevada and Utah.

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Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







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