Umbrellas and Dogs… What do they have in common? Nope, not this kind…

Did you know that more than 4.7 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs each year?  Roughly 900,000 of those people require medical attention as a result of the bites, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dog bites accounted for more than 1/3 of all home insurance liability claims paid out in 2009, equaling $412 million in costs.  During the last six years, the cost of the average dog bite lawsuit has been growing by almost 30 percent:  in 2009 the average lawsuit was $24,840 – rising slightly from $24,461 in 2008.  The lawsuit costs are rising due mainly to increased medical expenses, and they’re rising fast.

If you’re having trouble with a dog you already own, the best thing to do is to prove that the dog has successfully completed an obedience program. Yes, this will actually help.

If you don’t yet have a dog but are planning to own one, be careful when choosing one. The current leading types of “red-flag dogs” are Pit Bulls, Chows, Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Presa Canarios, Rottweilers, Siberian Huskies, wolf hybrids, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers – but the list is always growing and changing.

You may also want to invest into an umbrella policy. If your furry little friend decides to attack someone (or even just a nip in some cases) and that someone decides to file a claim, an umbrella policy will provide you more protection than just having a regular homeowner’s policy.  Having an umbrella policy has gotten many dog owners out of some sticky situations.

For more information on homeowners insurance atlanta or umbrella insurance atlanta, contact us today!  At Lloyd Pro Group Insurance, we specialize in Georgia Home Insurance, Car Insurance Atlanta, umbrella insurance, and much more.  Visit us at www.lloydprogroup.com!

Myth No. 5: Rental Car Coverage is included in my Atlanta Car Insurance if my car is stolen or damaged in an accident.

The truth is, even if you have comprehensive and collision coverage, there is a chance that your Atlanta Auto Insurance might not include rental car coverage. Rental car reimbursement is not routinely built-in with most insurance policies, but you can add it at an inexpensive cost.

If you do have this coverage, it won’t automatically last until your stolen car is recovered or your damaged car is fixed. There’s a limit on how much your insurance company will reimburse you per day, plus a cap for a maximum amount per accident.

For example, Nationwide Insurance in Atlanta typically charges (depending on your policy) $20-$40 per day cap with a $600-$1100/month max. Keep in mind, there is about a $3 difference between each rung. Adding this feature will run you $8-$13 total per 6 month policy period. If you are looking to rent a mid-sized vehicle (example would be a Toyota Camry) this will run you about $35 per day. You might want to be safe and get the $40 coverage for the $13/6 months if you need the space.

Lloyd Pro Group, your Atlanta Insurance Agency, proudly representing Nationwide Insurance in Atlanta, has the answers for you when it comes to myth and fact concerning your insurance. Give us a ring at 404-892-2864 or find us online at www.lloydprogroup.com. We will spend the time to make sure you clearly understand your Atlanta Car Insurance, Atlanta Home Insurance, or any other type of Atlanta Insurance.

Operation Zero Tolerance is underway now. Every Labor Day, Georgia rallies up hundreds of Law enforcement officers to conduct high-visibility sobriety road checks to save lives on roads where you drive and live as part of a national impaired driving campaign called Over the Limit, Under Arrest.

Last year, close to 12,000 people died nationwide in crashes involving impaired drivers as drunk driving persists as one of America’s deadliest crimes.

“The National Crash Clock provides some significant highway safety data to add point of view to our personal safe driving survival guides:

• What time of day are you most likely to encounter a drunk driver?  The Crash Clock shows the answer is, AT NIGHT.   Alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes is four times higher at night (36%) than during the day (9%).” This doesn’t mean people are not driving drunk during the days. Football Season and Holiday Weekends have a much higher occurrence.
• What days of the week are you most likely to encounter a drunk driver?  The Crash Clock shows the answer is, ON WEEKENDS.  Thirty-two percent (32%) of drivers involved in fatal crashes on weekends are alcohol-impaired, compared with 15 percent (15%) during the week.
• What is the most common denominator for drunk drivers?   National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows 21-to-34 YEAR- OLD MALES are the most likely impaired driving offenders (34%), followed by 25-to-34 year-old male drivers (31%), and male drivers 35-to-44 years old (25%).. Note- this says MOST – not ALL. Be careful of EVERYONE on the roads!
• Are repeat DUI offenders more likely to be killed in a DUI crash?  NHTSA crash data shows drivers who were involved in (caused) fatal crashes with a BAC of .08 or higher, are 8 times more likely to have a prior conviction for driving impaired, than a driver involved in a fatal crash who had consumed no alcohol. This has nothing to do with their victims!

“This national DUI data is really a warning for cautious drivers everywhere to make sure all passengers are buckled up every trip, every time,” says GOHS Director Bob Dallas. “Every safe driver’s personal highway survival guide should tell them safety belts are still your best protection against an unexpected crash with a drunk driver at anytime and anywhere, day or night.”

Lloyd Pro Group Insurance, representing Nationwide Insurance in Atlanta, wants to make sure you are SAFE this Labor Day Weekend, and every day! Please drive offensively and defensively. Avoiding distractions while you are driving is your best defense. Please call us at 404-892-2864 on online at www.lloydprogroup.com  if you encounter any problems. We are here to serve you with not only your Atlanta Car Insurance, but for YOU.

Myth No. 4: My Atlanta Car Insurance will pay off what I owe on my car loan if my car is totaled.

There is some math involved, but when your car is totaled, your Atlanta Car Insurance policy will not pay off the remaining balance of what you owe. It will pay you the actual cash value of your car, less your deductible. Actual cash value is how much your car was worth before the accident, factoring in depreciation. A good resource for finding what this might be is through Kelley blue book. You are still responsible for any amount outstanding on the loan or car lease, if there is a difference.

Now, there is a way to cover the difference between the car’s cash value and the amount you owe on a loan. The only way for this to happen is if you purchase gap insurance. Designed to cover both car loans and leases, gap insurance covers you if your car is totaled prior to you paying off your loan or before your lease term expires. Purchasing this additional coverage could save you some anguish in the already unfortunate process.

Your Atlanta Insurance Company will decide whether your car is totaled, via recommendations from the mechanic. Usually, a total loss is confirmed when the repair costs would exceed a 70% of the car’s value. At that point, the insurance company will take your car to a salvage yard and offer you the actual cash value of the vehicle.

Lloyd Pro group, your favorite Atlanta insurance agency, proudly representing Nationwide Insurance in Atlanta, has the answers for you when it comes to myths and facts regarding your insurance. Give us a call at 404-892-2864 or find us online at www.lloydprogroup.com. We will set the record straight and make sure you clearly understand your Atlanta Car Insurance

Myth or Fact- Part 3: If my car is stolen, vandalized, or damaged by hail or fire, my Atlanta Car Insurance will cover me.

My Atlanta Car Insurance will cover me if my car is stolen, right? If my car is vandalized, my insurance company will take care of me, right? With all these hail storms, if my car is not under cover and damaged, will my car insurance cover me? How about a car fire? That’s what insurance is for, right?

If you have only comprehensive coverage, you are not covered for any of these things. Most states require that you only buy liability coverage, which is a policy that is a completely basic, stripped-down version. This means your policy will pay only for damage you cause to others. You need to have both collision and comprehensive coverage in order to fully protect your vehicle from all of the different types of damage.

What Comprehensive Coverage pays for is damage to your car that is not the consequence of a car crash. That includes theft, vandalism, hail, fires and accidents involving animals. Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle from a car accident. Don’t forget, we cover you for your Atlanta commercial vehicle insurance  as well.

Lloyd Pro Group, your loyal Atlanta Insurance Agency, proudly representing Nationwide Insurance in Atlanta, is here to protect you not only in great prices and coverage of Atlanta Car Insurance, but your Atlanta Home insurance or Atlanta Business Insurance as well.

Visit our website at www.lloydprogroup.com or you can reach us at 404-892-2864.

Atlanta Car Insurance Myths- Part 2: Thieves only steal new cars.

Quite the contrary. Car thieves, statistically, tend to steal older model cars. A  National Insurance Crime Bureau report, the top 10 most-stolen vehicles reported in 2007 were the 1994 Honda Accord, 2002 Ford Explorer, 1999 Ford Taurus, 1994 Acura Integra, 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2002 Dodge Caravan, 2004 Dodge Ram 1500, 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup, 1989 Toyota Camry, 1995 Honda Civic, and the #1 Most stolen vehicle of 2009 is the 1994 Honda Accord.

“ The reason we see so many older vehicles on the list is because they are easier to steal,” says Frank Scafidi, a National Insurance Crime Bureau spokesman. “Also, people are keeping their cars longer (in the faltering economy). That creates a good market for used parts. A lot of times, when they are stolen, they don’t make it back on the street intact.”

It seems as though bandits have different preferences from state to state. Criminals in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan steal more domestics, especially Dodges and Fords. Thieves in California and Florida are more likely to lift Hondas, Toyotas and other imports. Auto thieves in Texas tend to steal pickup trucks.

Just a side note: If you have an older vehicle and have dropped comprehensive coverage to save money, you are not covered for theft and do not qualify for rental car coverage.

Lloyd Pro Group, your loyal Atlanta Insurance Agency, proudly representing Nationwide Insurance in Atlanta, is here to protect you not only in great prices and coverage of Atlanta Car Insurance, but your Atlanta Home insurance or Atlanta Business Insurance as well.

Visit our website at www.lloydprogroup.com or you can reach us at 404-892-2864.

Admittedly, your Atlanta Car Insurance isn’t the easiest code to crack. We, here at Lloyd Pro Group pride ourselves in being patient and each agents speaks a language that most insurers don’t: YOUR language! We are here to answer any questions and explain your policy the way you can clearly understand. We make sure you know what is covered and what is not, and make sure you make smart decisions for the betterment of you and your family. We know there are rumors, urban legends, myths… about many things that are unexplained. Don’t let insurance be one of them. Here, we expose some of the myths that you may have heard in this new miniseries of Insurance truths!

Myth or Fact? Part 1: Red cars are the most expensive to insure.

The Fact is Red will not cost you more than yellow, blue, black, or gold. Roughly 29% of drivers surveyed by Nationwide Insurance think car color is a determining factor when it comes to Atlanta Insurance rates – especially if a car is red. Most insurance companies will not even ask about the color of your car when they’re putting together your Atlanta car Insurance quote.

More than likely, the myth came from the fact that people with red sports cars have the image of being wild and reckless, but it isn’t true. Many people think that red stands out in the eyes of the law and drivers of red cars receive more tickets since they are profiled with this steamy persona. Simply not true. Insurers are interested in the year, make, model, body type, engine size and age of your vehicle. The color may be an important factor when you buy your car, but it really doesn’t matter to your insurance company.

Lloyd Pro group, your favorite Atlanta insurance agency, proudly representing Nationwide Insurance in Atlanta, has the answers for you when it comes to myths and facts regarding your insurance. Give us a call at 404-892-2864 or find us online at www.lloydprogroup.com. We will set the record straight and make sure you clearly understand your Atlanta Car Insurance.

Some people take it to the extreme, but it’s not necessary to be a germophobe. Just take these following simple precautions and you’ll be fine. In a Self.com poll, 75 percent of readers said they flush public toilets with their foot, and 63 percent avoid handrails on subways, buses, and escalators. 1 in 10 said they avoid shaking hands. How do you handle these situations?

According to SELF magazine contributor Maryn McKenna, author of Superbug: The Fatal Menace of MRSA, we should at the very least be cautious and aware. Take t from her- she’s a self-described “scary disease” reporter who’s been following around Centers for Disease Control detectives for years, tracking drug-resistant staph (or  MRSA)—a bug that was at one time contained to hospitals and jails, but has made its way into the general public.

Here are the top 5 most germ-ridden places that you may encounter at points throughout your day. Surprising fact: It’s not the bathroom!

Germs at the gym

“McKenna states she never wear shorts to the gym anymore. There are times when people become absorbed in their workout and sit down on a bench without wiping it down. It’s impossible to be mindful all the time, but it is important to be aware. At the very least, change out of your gym clothes immediately after your workout. Staph reproduces in sweaty, salty environments, so the longer you stay in your gym clothes the more likely you are to be at risk.”

Germs in Crowded Environments

McKenna says, “Staph—all Staph—lives on our skin and in our nostrils. We are the carriers. It can, of course, live on us without making us sick, but certain environments (an extreme example would be an Army barracks) increase risk of infection.” If you’re somewhere crowded and sweaty and hot, wash your hands often. “Your hands are undoubtedly the easiest way to transport bugs, but washing your hands is like whacking them over the head with a hammer. The friction of rubbing your hands together loosens them, and the suds lift them away from your skin, rinsing them away with water.”

Germs at the makeup counter

This one here is mainly for the women. “Never ever try something that people are putting their fingers in. That skin contact transfers all kinds of bugs.” If you’re concerned, ask the attendant at the counter if they have a new tester you can use. It’s not an uncommon request that most sales associates don’t mind accommodating.

Germs in the kitchen

McKenna continues, “These types of bugs, such as Staph, are starting to make it into the food chain so it’s important to wash produce well and use separate cutting boards for meat. It’s not about being paranoid; it’s about integrating simple steps into the workflow of your day.”

 Do you question when to expunge that kitchen sponge? It’s best to toss it out after about a week, or when it starts to smell bad. Why? Unsafe bacteria are probably lurking on the surface and could spread to your food.

Germs at the doctor’s office

McKenna concludes with, “Drug-resistant staph has really exploded in healthcare. If you’re going to the hospital for a planned event, such as an out-patient surgery (even something as simple as a mole removal!) be sure to ask the hospital staff about how they keep the hospital clean. Challenge them about it.”

Here are a few other everyday tips that you can use when not in the high germ areas. If you don’t want to get sick when surrounded by sneezing people, wash your hands or put on some hand sanitizer as often as you can. Cold and flu bugs don’t become strongly embedded on your skin, which means soap and water will wash them away easily. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers (both gels and lotions) kill viruses outright, and they’re as effective as hand washing. Keep a small bottle on your desk and in your purse.

Lloyd Pro Group likes to protect our clients in any way we can- whether it is with Health Insurance in Atlanta or tips to keep you healthy. Contact Lloyd Pro Group for a free Atlanta Health Insurance quote for you and your family at 404-892-2864 or visit our website at www.lloydprogroup.com.

Dear Sir,

I am writing in response to your request for additional information in Block 3 of the accident report form. I put “poor planning” as the cause of my accident. You asked for a fuller explanation and I trust the following details will be sufficient.

I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work, I found that I had some bricks left over which, when weighed later were found to be slightly in excess of 240 lbs. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley, which was attached to the side of the building on the sixth floor.

Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and untied the rope, holding it tightly to ensure a slow descent of the bricks. You will note in Block 11 of the accident report form that I weigh 155lbs.

Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building.

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel, which was now proceeding downward at an equally impressive speed.

This explained the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collar bone, as listed in section 3 of the accident report form.

Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley.

Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of beginning to experience pain. At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel.

Now devoid of the weight of the bricks, that barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs. I refer you again to my weight. As you can imagine, I began a rapid descent, down the side of the building.

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up.

This accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and several
lacerations of my legs and lower body.

Here, my luck began to change slightly. The encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain, unable to move, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let go of the rope and I lay there watching the empty barrel begin its journey back down onto me.

This explains the two broken legs.

I hope this answers your inquiry.

We, at Lloyd Pro Group, representing Atlanta Nationwide Insurance, hope to never encounter a claim such as this- and we include YOU in that “we”. Although accidents can happen, and there are claims each day, Lloyd Pro Group is here to cover you in every aspect. Call us for a free quote on Atlanta Workers Comp Insurance at 404-892-2864 or visit us online at www.lloydprogroup.com.

Looking at over one million insurance claims, analysis has revealed that auto accidents are more likely to happen on Monday the 27th than on any other day.

Researchers have uncovered a disproportionate series of other bizarre non-auto related mishaps which have occurred on this day, including:

• One man put his foot through a ceiling while getting Christmas decorations from the attic.
• On the same day, an absentminded woman flooded her house after leaving the bath taps running
• Another’s pet cat started a house fire by knocking over a candle.

Also happening with greater frequency were crashes in parking lots, tree branches falling on cars, and accidents caused by trying to avoid animals. It is thought that Monday the 27th could hold greater risks than other day because the combination of post-weekend tiredness. Another factor could be that the end of the month contributes to increased carelessness.

Nationwide Insurance processed around five percent more claims on Monday February 27 than would be expected on any other average day. The good news: they don’t seem to happen as often as Fridays the 13^th, which occurs about 3 times a year. The next one in next month, though, so be careful!

The fear of Friday the 13th, technically known as paraskevidekatriaphobia, is thought to have its origins in the Bible, as it was on a Friday when Eve took a bite from the apple, when the great floods began, and when Jesus was crucified. It also marked the end of the Knight of Templar.  The significance of the unlucky number 13 could date back to early Western civilization, when it was thought to represent devil worship.

Of course, we, here at Lloyd Pro Group, would recommend you be careful each day, and are by no means superstitious, it is more informative that we bring you this story. Enjoy your day, whether it be Friday the 13^th, Monday the 27^th, or any other day. But be careful!

Contact Lloyd Pro Group at 770-497-1200 for questions about your Atlanta Car Insurance, Atlanta Home Insurance, or any other insurance need- we are here to help any day!

www.lloydprogroup.com