Information and ideas for customers of John F. McBride Insurance Agency • Summer 2015

?Test YourInsurance

I.Q.Q. John, are my trees andshrubs covered for damages bymy homeowner’s policy?

A.Your trees and shrubs arecovered for losses by vandalism,theft and fire by standard (HO-3)homeowner policies. But not lossesfrom wind damage. However, if afallen tree damages your home orblocks access to it, you may be cov-ered for its removal- generally upto a $500 limit.

We invite you to submit questions for this regular column. Email or call us.

By John McBride, Jr.

© 2015 John F. McBride Insurance Agency, One Treble Cove Road, North Billerica, MA 01862 • Home • Auto • Business • LifeCall: 978-663-3301 • Fax 978-670-9194 • www.mcbrideinsuranceagency.com

Personal TouchThe

I n s u r a n c e

Put life insurance on your side with McBride!

CONSUMER ALERT

If you use a borrowed car, are you insured ifyou have an accident? Yes... and no!

We have all had times when we haveneeded to borrow a car from a rela-tive or friend or neighbor. Or maybeused a loaner provided by a repairshop.

Insurance based on thelender’s policyIn most states, insurance coverage fol-lows the vehicle. In a nutshell, whenyou borrow a car, you are borrowingthe owner’s auto insurance policy too.But if you use the borrowed vehicletoo often, this could be construed as“regular use”, and any insurance claimpayments could be denied if you havean accident.

What is “regular use?”Regular use can be using the same vehi-cle too much in a short period of time.Or it can be a random and recurring pat-tern of use over a long period of time.

Regular use examples• If you have a company car at yourdisposal, this would qualify as regularuse. You will not be able to apply yourpersonal auto policy or the policy ofanyone else in your household if youhave an accident.

• If you use the vehicle of a friend or neigh-bor or non-household relative once a week ora couple of times a month over a period ofyears, this could be “regular use.”

Non-regular use is okayIf you use a car to go away for a weekendwith the owner’s permission, that’s not aproblem. If you borrow the car to go to thegrocery store every week for a year, thatcould be a problem; insurance coveragecould be denied.

Solution: Special EndorsementIt is called “Use of Other Auto Endorse-ment.” It allows the removal of the “regu-lar use” exclusion. You gain the protectionand security of your own auto policy cov-erage even though you use a non-ownedvehicle “too much!”

If you are interested in this endorsementor have questions about other issues (andthere are some) concerning the borrow-ing and lending of cars, call us.

• Live in an area with an aging in-frastructure? If you don’t have insur-ance coverage for sewer backup, you maywant to look into it. Contact us.

• Good time to check your brakes.We have had a salty winter. Older vehi-cles are especially vulnerable to rusting ofbrake systems. According to the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA), a zinc-aluminum alloy wasused in the coating of brake systems up tomodel year 2007. It is more susceptible torust than the nylon and plastic coatingsthat have replaced it.

• Vacation driving money-saver.Decrease your gas costs by keeping allfour tires properly inflated, and keeping inmind that every 5 mph you drive over 60mph can reduce fuel economy by about 8percent.

• Protect your possessions with aninventory. We encourage you to use yourphone camera to do an inventory of yourpossessions, especially valuables such as an-tiques and art objects. A photo record will fa-cilitate a claim if you should have one.

• Two home risks that require specialinsurance: valuables such as jewelry, sil-verware, collections, antiques or art objectswhich are worth more than the modestamount covered by a standard homeownerpolicy. Ask us about adding a floater toyour policy.

• Strange, but true. We can’t sell you anUmbrella Policy if you own a vacant home.Please talk to us about this situation if it ap-plies to you.

• “Spring Cleaning” for your cover-ages. We offer a clean sweep of yourhome, auto or life insurance programs.Times change. There could be a few ol’cobwebs such as coverages that don’tmatch your needs today; or lack of cov-erage that you should consider; or waysto save money by bundling coverages.Call or email for a review.

• Thanks to everyone who recommendsus to relatives, friends and business associ-ates. Your referrals are very much appre-ciated. They are the highest complimentthat we could ever receive.

THANK YOU FOR REFERRING US TO A FRIEND!About 60% of our new customers are the result of referrals from loyal clients like you. When yourefer someone, ask him or her to mention your name when they contact us. We’d like to thank youpersonally!

It is understood that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional service. If legal orother expert advice is required, the services of a professional should be sought. Insurance information is general in nature;for specific coverage provisions, review contractual policy provisions.

We do annual reviews. Not everyone does.McBride Insurance Insights

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IN THIS ISSUE:

• New MA headlight use law

• Are you insured using a borrowed car?

• Hitting the road on your bike

• Flash drive backup solution

John F. McBrideInsurance Agency

One Treble Cove Road North Billerica, MA 01862

FACTS OF LIFE

Have all the life insurance you’ll everneed? Before you decide, call McBride.

NEW MA DRIVER SAFETY LAW

For more information about how life insurance might work for you and your family,call John McBride. We represent Ohio National Life Insurance Company, nationalleader in whole life insurance.

Heads-up aboutheadlight use

Effective April 7th, drivers mustturn on their headlights whentheir windshield wipers are on,and during times of low visibil-ity during the day. The new lawcalls for mandatory use of head-lights when, “due to insufficientlight or unfavorable atmosphericconditions”(like rain, snow andfog), visibility is reduced to lessthan 500 feet. It also requiresuse of headlights from a halfhour after sunset to a half hourbefore sunrise. There is a $5 finefor a violation. It is considered asurchargeable minor motor vehi-cle traffic violation for insurancepurposes. For more details go towww.massrmv.com and clickon Events and Announcements.

SELF-INSURANCE

Quick TipTime!

Consider using a low-cost portable,encryption-enabled USB thumb-driveto protect your important financialfiles and other files from pirates whocould hi-jack your computer or blockaccess to its content with ransomwareand other malware. USB units start atabout $5.

SAFETY FIRST

Hitting the road on your bikeSafety officials pass along these “musts” for safe cyclingon roadways. Wear your helmet atop your head, not tilted.Make sure it fits snugly and does not block vision. Wearhigh visibility reflective clothing. Use a bell as well asfront and back lights. Know your hand signals, obey traf-fic rules. If you bike with someone, ride single file exceptto pass. Never wear headphones. When you pass another rider or pedestrian say, “On your left.”

Safety recalls are mandated by federal law for vehicle models cited for situationssuch as braking or steering problems or faulty air bags or wiring that catches on fire.New model cars with safety recalls cannot be sold to consumers but used cars can be.There is an online source where used car buyers can check for recall notices: Safer-Car.gov, an NHSTA site. The user needs to enter the car’s vehicle ID number (VIN).Also, a potential buyer could insist that the used car dealer or private owner submitproof that a vehicle has not been recalled or has been properly repaired after a recall.

Selling recalled used carsthat may not have been repaired is okay

Graduation Parties and theSocial Host LawGraduation season is right around the corner. It certainly is atime to celebrate for graduates and their parents. In-home andout-of-home parties abound. We love a good party as much asthe next person, but as “insurance people” we have a responsi-bility to remind our customers about the “social host” law (partof Chapter 138, Section 34 of the Massachusetts General

Laws) which also covers selling and serving alcohol to minors. The penalties for viola-tions are severe.