While home insurance is not required under the law in Illinois, you will want to obtain a policy anyway. If you owe a mortgage on your home, you will more than likely be required to have a policy but a homeowner’s insurance policy will provide you with the protection and peace of mind you and your family deserve.

Homeowners insurance is a type of coverage that will help you to replace or repair your house or its contents if an event occurs in which they are damaged. It will also provide coverage if someone who is visiting your home is injured somehow.

The amount of home insurance you will need to obtain is determined by the value of your home and its contents. One of our knowledgeable agents at the Martin Insurance Team can assist you in determining the amount of coverage you need by assessing how much your home is worth and how much it would cost to replace your belongings, appliances, furniture, and other items if they are destroyed or damaged.

A homeowner’s insurance policy will cover your entire house and property and other buildings and structures that are located on your property, such as a garage or shed. It will also cover your personal belongings, and liability for damages or injuries to a person or their property while visiting you at your home. A home insurance policy will cover damages caused by a fire, vandalism, or a natural disaster, such as high winds or a hail storm. It will also replace your items if your home is broken into and they are stolen. You can also opt for additional coverage for incidents, such as floods or earthquakes.

To determine the best home insurance policy for you and your situation, contact the experienced and trusted home insurance agents at the Martin Insurance Team in Evergreen Park, IL.

The leaves are turning bright colors and the days are getting shorter, that can only mean one thing, winter is right around the corner. Getting your home ready for winter is something that most homeowners start to think about as soon as the weather starts getting colder.  Martin Insurance Team in Evergreen Park, IL is a full-service independent agency that takes the time to get to know their clients. 

Clean gutters

Once all the leaves have fallen from the trees, it is time to clean the gutters. This is a job best handled by a professional but if you must climb a ladder yourself, never do it alone. Having a spotter provides the extra pair of eyes you need to make sure you don’t get hurt.

Chimney inspection

Nothing is quite as romantic and warming as a fire in the fireplace. Hanging stockings on the mantle at Christmas with a fire crackling is a scene familiar to most people. Before any of this can happen you need to make sure that your chimney is in good repair and cleaned. Hiring a chimney sweep will get the job done. 

Change the batteries

Twice a year it is time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon dioxide detector. Carbon dioxide is a danger in the winter when the house is closed up and the air can’t escape. 

Plug the leaks

It’s time to check all the places where you are losing heat. Heat costs money and letting it escape is like throwing dollar bills into the fireplace. Check the windows and doors for cracks. Be prepared with caulk and weather stripping. 

These are just some of the ways that you can get your home ready for winter. If you are prepared to discuss your home insurance needs, at  Martin Insurance Team in Evergreen Park, IL we are here to help. Give us a call or visit our office for a free quote. 

Many homeowners in Evergreen Park, IL make the mistake of assuming that their homeowner’s insurance will protect their property in case of an accident, natural disaster, or other situations that cause damage. Often, homeowners insurance will not cover your home if you are renting out to tenants. Landlord liability insurance helps to protect your property if something goes wrong.

What Is Landlord Liability Insurance?

Landlord liability insurance covers you financially in case a tenant or guest attempts to file a lawsuit against you for damages. Damages include financial harm, emotional distress, physical injuries, and a fatality. It assists with paying for costs if it’s determined that you’re legally liable for an injury on your property.

What Is Covered By Landlord Liability Insurance?

Liability protection: This typically covers medical or legal expenses that may occur if a tenant or guest experiences an injury as a result of poor property maintenance (example: shoddy sidewalk, mold, icy walkways, etc).

Property damage: This covers property damage that stems from fire, gas/electric defect, irresponsible tenants, or from a natural disaster.

Loss of Rental Income: This covers you in the event that your property becomes completely uninhabitable due to termites, rat infestation, mold. With some insurance policies, you will receive a temporary rental reimbursement to offset the rental fees you would have received otherwise if your property was not occupied by tenants.

Why You Need Landlord Liability Insurance

Even with homeowners insurance in Evergreen, IL, chances are your policy will not cover your property if it’s occupied by tenants. With landlord liability insurance, the structure of the property is protected and includes liability coverage that can help you avoid expenses paid out of your own pocket if it’s determined that you are at fault in particular situations.

Takeaways

If you’re considering landlord liability insurance, it’s essential that you speak with an agent at The Martin Insurance Team to tailor coverage that best fits your situation. The Martin Insurance Team will review your needs and help you determine which type of landlord liability insurance is the most appropriate for you.

Personal Umbrella Insurance

Having standard homeowners, auto, or other types of insurance may not be enough coverage to keep you protected in special circumstances. Your dog attacks someone, your kids get in trouble throwing a party and someone is injured, or any number of incidents that involve other people can be financially devastating in the event of a lawsuit. This is where having more coverage with an umbrella insurance policy comes in.

Having extra umbrella insurance can safeguard against costly lawsuits and give you greater peace of mind. You may regret not getting this extra coverage especially if you have a lot of valuable assets to protect. Martin Insurance Team in Evergreen Park, IL has years of experience helping individuals with the most affordable umbrella insurance tailored to their needs.

Staying Protected

The layers of liability protection from an umbrella policy far outweigh the minimal extra costs. Lawsuits that involve other parties can be costly, but can also generate extra stress. In the unfortunate event of a lawsuit, you will be happy you invested in extra coverage. The amount of extra coverage is really up to you and your budget. If you have many high-dollar assets and properties, having extra coverage becomes almost a necessity if you don’t want to suffer big losses.

Insurance Professionals in Illinois

The professional team at Martin Insurance Team of the Evergreen Park, IL area can help you learn about your different options when purchasing additional umbrella liability policies. We have years of experience working with our clients to make sure they and their families are protected above and beyond with the best quality umbrella insurance policies. Stop in or give us a call today to see how we can help.

Based in Evergreen Park, IL, Martin Insurance Team assists the community by helping them find insurance coverage. We have established partnerships with several of the top insurance companies in the nation. This allows us to offer our clients flexible policies that will help them protect their assets.

Restaurant/Liquor Insurance Overview

Opening a restaurant in the Evergreen Park, IL area is an exciting time for many entrepreneurs. In order to help your business achieve its full potential, it’s important that you protect it. Restaurant insurance allows you to protect your investment. Liability coverage ensures that you are protected in the event that someone is injured while dining at your restaurant. Restaurant insurance also allows you to cover all of the equipment used to help operate your business. You can breathe a little easier knowing that you are covered in the event that your property is damaged.

You’ll also be covered in the event that a natural disaster causes your food to spoil. Worker’s compensation allows you to protect your employees and ensure that your workforce has high morale.

If you plan to obtain a liquor license so that you can sell liquor at your restaurant, consider the benefits of liquor liability insurance. The policy protects you against some of the risks of allowing liquor at your restaurant. If an inebriated customer starts to cause problems, you will be covered from any potential liability issues. You can also amend your policy to classify your employees as regular patrons just in case some of them try to drink on the job. The policy also covers your restaurant from being held liable in the event that a patron suffers psychological damage from drinking.

Martin Insurance Team Will Help You Protect Your Investment

For more information on restaurant/liquor insurance policies, visit our website today!

There’s no need to tell you that businesses can make some serious errors from time to time. Whether it’s a technical glitch in a computer system or a grave error committed by the staff, there’s no end to potential disasters. When it comes to general liability vs. professional liability, the two types of insurance are easily confused in Evergreen Park, IL. Martin Insurance Team wants you to know more about how the two functions and what you might need to stay safe. 

General Liability Insurance 

General liability insurance tends to cover bodily injury as opposed to more abstract errors. So if a client is allergic to the pillow mints used in a hotel or a shopper slips on an unmarked patch of a wet floor, general liability would likely be able to provide support. If you happened to leave out a clause of a contract though and a client or vendor decides to sue you for this mistake, then general liability would be unlikely to help. 

Taking the Precaution 

You never really know what’s going to happen on a daily basis, and small business owners especially need to be careful not to assume that they’re immune from major consequences. Planning ahead means having enough insurance to keep your livelihood up and running. From missed time off work to bodily injury, the impact of even one incident can end up being serious for even large companies let alone small businesses. 

If you’re in Evergreen Park, IL and what to understand more about how general liability will work for you, call Martin Insurance Team to go over your options. We’re here to explain which incidents are covered and whether the extra protection is right for how your business operates on a daily basis.