How to handle home and auto damage claims caused by fallen trees...     

With Hurricane Sandy just barely behind us, we hope that you were fortunate enough to avoid any accidents involving fallen debris and downed trees, splintered by the swirling gusty winds. But, in the event that you've got some of this kind of damage to your property, or if we find ourselves facing another windy storm in the near future, you should know a few things about how to handle this type of claim and prevent tree-related damage from happening.

One of the first questions many people have when a tree falls onto another's property is, 'Who is responsible for the damage?' If a tree damages your property, you should file the claim with your agent right away - whether the fallen tree grew on your property or not. Then, it's up to your insurance company to decide whether to contact the other property owner for repayment of that claim and reimburse your deductible, if successful. This is a process called subrogation. Your insurance company may only engage in this process if the tree was not well maintained or was already in poor health, making it a hazard to surrounding properties. This is also important to understand in the event that you have any unhealthy trees on your own property.

Crisis Averted, Time & Technology Marched On... 

In the first days of November of 1962, Americans were just starting to exhale after viewing  President Kennedy's televised announcement that the Soviet Union had started to dismantle their missiles in Cuba. Within a week Premier Khrushchev declared the withdrawal complete as 42 ballistic missiles loaded onto Soviet vessels sailed away. In other international news, South African dissident Nelson Mandela  began a five-year prison sentence. While serving this term, he was indicted and convicted for other crimes that kept him behind bars for an additional 22 years. 

Rapid advances in technology were not limited to the space and arms races. The first Boeing 727 was rolled out and an agreement was signed for the development of the Concorde supersonic airliner, both eventually made the world an incrementally smaller place. The post office introduced the "Zoning Improvement Plan" that implemented the five-digit "zip" code scheme and New England Telephone announced the necessity for seven-digit phone numbers and the elimination of alphabetical exchanges in Newport. Read more... 

November 1962 campaign ads, read like they were written today. Hot topics included income taxes, bridge construction tolls, medical care for the aged, social security, education, opportunity for youth, the minimum wage ($1.25) and jobs! Republican, John H. Chafee narrowly defeated Democrat incumbent R.I. Governor John A. Notte, in a race that was recounted for nearly 3 weeks before producing a final result. The Urban Renewal referendum, backed by "Newport's Progress Team" comprised of... Read more

Midterm elections kept Democrats  in control of the House and increased their majority in the Senate. Former VP,  Richard M. Nixon, who had narrowly lost the 1960 presidential election to JFK was heavily defeated in his bid to become Governor of California, while the President's younger brother, Teddy... Read more   

Post-election day, the Newport Daily News replaced political ads with a proliferation of seasonal offerings featuring Thanksgiving turkeys and pre-Christmas sales. At the movies, you could take-in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? or  Captains Courageous at the Strand,  The Manchurian Candidate at the Opera House or Speed-O-Rama with four "death-defying" features at the Panta Drive In. The "Louisiana Lip," Cassius Clay (Mohamed Ali) predicted and defeated the reigning light heavyweight champ Archie Moore with a knockout in the fourth. 

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Now Open!   

Our new office at 2623 East Main Road in Portsmouth, RI (next to Clements Market) is now open to serve you! 

For some large and small non-profit organizations in existence, raising funds for worthy causes and doing good for social groups in need, it may not always seem like a priority to deal with business-related concerns like legal protection and insurance. But, it's important for any non-profit organization to treat these matters just as any for-profit business would to protect your interests and funds, so you can focus on your organization's primary mission to help others.

First, you should consider your liability risks. While some may feel that others wouldn't be inclined to take up claims against a non-profit based on principle, that's not always the case. Do you rent or own a property that your non-profit is run out of? If so, a general liability and property insurance policy would be a good idea. Do you run a non-profit out of your home? Read your homeowners policy and talk to your agent, making sure that you're covered. If you sell any goods to raise funds, product liability will cover you in the event that a customer is injured by a faulty or unsafe product. To protect your own employees and directors, talk to your commercial agent about a workers' compensation and directors and officers liability policy.

Learn more...

We value all of our clients, but we're always happy to promote the businesses of our commercial clients.We've added a new 'Featured Client' section to our website and e-newsletter, where each month, we'll showcase one of our commercial clients. If you're one of our valued commercial clients, email us a photo, a brief description of your business (150 words max.) and the link to your website and we'll contact you shortly about your submission. Hey, who couldn't use a little free advertising?