The application for insurance is a transfer of information from a prospective insured to an insurance carrier. The representations made by the person seeking insurance are considered by the insurer in determining whether or not an offer of coverage will be extended and if it is, what premium will be assessed. The information contained on the application document forms the basis of the policy/contract which comes into play at the time of a loss. Essentially, the application paints the picture of a risk which is reviewed by an insurance company which offers coverage and charges premium for the exposure revealed in the document.

An application is divided into several sections.

General information is requested such as the name of the insured as well as mailing and physical address of the risk along with contact information including phone number, email address and alternative contact numbers. The real meat and potatoes of the underwriting begins with the description of the risk wherein it is classified in terms of acceptability to an insurer. Typically, the next section of questions deals with the rating basis wherein the level of exposure for the risk is determined. For instance, service businesses are typically rated based on payroll whereas manufacturing or distribution businesses are typically rated based on gross annual revenues.

The role of the agent is to assist the applicant in completing the application.

Often times the agent will ask the questions of the prospective insured and fill in the answers based on the responses. Applications for certain lines of insurance, such as professional liability, are commonly completed by the applicant themselves as the questions are nuanced and germane to that individual’s specific field of expertise. The bottom line is that the person signing the application bears the responsibility of reading the document thoroughly and making sure that all of the information disclosed is accurate. At Rolfs Insurance Services we try to make this process as fluid as possible. Reviewing the questions and discussing their significance with our clients allows for the development of a relationship and understanding which creates the foundation for a trusting relationship.

Workers Compensation Costs Can Be Managed by Following These Simple Rules

Every employer can take these 8 simple steps to help control their costs related to workers’ compensation insurance.

1. Hire the best person for the job

Take time to find the right employee for your workplace. Use tools like employment applications, reference checks, drug screens, motor vehicle records checks and background checks.

2. Establish a safety program

Develop policies, procedures and rules. Provide your employees with the necessary training, proper tools and personal protective equipment to do their job safely.

3. Enforce safety rules

It is not enough to train employees and provide them with the proper tools. Routinely remind employees to work safely through the use of workplace audits, safety meetings, toolbox talks, annual training, etc.

4. Provide immediate medical care

Have pre-arranged medical facilities for your employees to go to in the event of a workplace injury. Be prepared to provide transportation for non-emergency injuries. For emergencies call 911. Always require a post-accident drug test to be administered.

5. Report all injuries immediately

All injuries should be reported to FCBI within 24 hours of the occurrence. Ongoing communications with your injured employee and the claims adjuster is extremely important.

6. Investigate all accidents and near misses

Review the accident to find out what happened and take necessary steps to make sure it does not occur again.

7. Provide Light Duty employment

Once an employee is released to return to work, regardless of what capacity, be prepared to offer light duty.

8. Certificates of insurance

Never allow another company to work for you unless they have provided you with a valid certification for Workers’ Compensation insurance.

Get a quote for workers compensation insurance, or contact us for more information regarding workers compensation insurance and the associated insurance costs pertaining to specific business operations.

Pembroke Pines, FL, September 6th, 2019 – Rolfs Insurance Services has been selected for the 4th year to be part of an elite group of independent insurance agencies around the United States participating in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) “Best Practices” Study Group.

Only 267 independent agencies throughout the U.S. qualified for inclusion in the 2019 Best Practices Study.

An IIABA affiliated state association or an insurance company must first nominate the agency which then must qualify based on outstanding customer retention, growth, stability and financial management. More than 1,300 agencies were nominated this year.

The Best Practices Study was initiated by IIABA in 1993 as the foundation for efforts to improve agency performance. The annual study of leading independent insurance agencies, which is conducted for IIABA by Reagan Consulting of Atlanta, Ga., documents the business practices of these high performance agencies and urges others to adopt similar practices.

Hundreds of workshops and seminars have been conducted at various producer association functions, company sponsored agency meetings and national automation users group conventions.

The IIABA and Reagan Consulting jointly maintain the Best Practices Gateway website (http://www.reaganconsulting.com/research/best-practices) that provides executive summaries of the annual Best Practices Studies, the Best Practices Study Comparison Workbook tool and ordering information for Best Practices products.  The Gateway, as well as the annual study, is made possible in part through the financial sponsorship of various insurance companies and industry organizations.

The 2019 Best Practices Study sponsors include: Agency Business Solutions and Amerisure, Applied, Beyond Insurance, Central Insurance Companies, Chubb, EMC Insurance, The Hanover Insurance Group, The Hartford, Imperial PFS, InsurBanc, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Safeco Insurance, MetLife, Nationwide, Travelers, Vertafore and Westfield Insurance.

Rolfs Insurance Services was founded in 1997 and offers a wide range of insurance products including personal and commercial lines of property and casualty insurance as well as life and health coverage with professional guidance and advice.

For more information on the Best Practices Study, contact Jennifer Becker at IIABA, 1-800-221-7917.

Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance – property, casualty, life and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement precuts. Web address: www.independentagent.com.

Rolfs Insurance Services is a general lines insurance agency. This means that we offer many different forms of coverage. Essentially, these types of insurance are broken down into personal lines and commercial lines. We pair these products with personalized professional services. Our goal is to take care of and care for the people that we serve. On a personal level, people tend to own homes, cars, pleasure craft such as motorcycles, RVs and boats, as well as valuable items like jewelry, art, musical instruments and other collectibles. This type of property can be quite valuable as well as having the potential for financial liability associated with its ownership. We offer insurance products to protect this kind of property and the potential for financial loss associated with them.

Coverage offered includes, but is not limited to:

• Homeowners insurance
• Auto insurance
• Personal  umbrella liability coverage
• Jewelry and other collectible floaters
• Boat/yacht insurance
• Motorcycle insurance
• Life insurance
• Health insurance
• Disability income insurance
• Long term care coverage

The insurance needs of a business may be quite complex requiring many different forms of coverage to tailor an insurance package for proper financial protection.

A business may own property in the form of buildings and inventory in many different locations, as well as many different types of vehicles and tools. Additionally, businesses employ people for whom they are responsible in terms of any injuries or illnesses that they may sustain while on the job. A business is responsible for the services that they provide in addition to the products and completed operations for which they manufacture, distribute and perform. In order to protect our business clients, we offer:

• Property insurance
• Commercial general liability
• Professional liability
• Business auto coverage
• Workers compensation
• Business interruption coverage
• Group health

We are staffed by competent caring people who want to serve our clients. Our goal is to provide the strength of knowledge delivered with integrity for protection and peace of mind to all with whom we do business. We are a relationship driven agency that strives to understand and take care of our clients’ needs.
Our services include:

• Risk analysis
• Guidance and advice
• Insurance market breakdown
• Certificates of insurance
• Policy changes and endorsements
• Claims reporting and processing
• Key man life insurance

Rolfs Insurance Services intends to help people manage the financial risks associated with the unforeseen circumstances that can lead to a loss. This is accomplished through the products and services that we offer. At the heart of our organization are the trusting relationships developed over time with our clients, underwriters and all others with whom we associate. We believe in helping people to achieve their goals in both their personal lives as well as in business.

It’s a nice life on the couch in the condo when an errant drop of water splashes your crown. Looking up, there is an angry wet spot complete with sagging ceiling and discoloration. Thinking quickly and prudently, the couch and the other furnishings get moved out of harm’s way, the floor is covered, and the bucket is placed to catch the ensuing drops. Swiftly, the building management office is called to let them know of the situation. In a perfect world, the management company works with a water restoration company to immediately send someone to stop the leak, dry the place out, and photograph and document the occurrence. After the building management and water restoration companies have been called, be sure to take all prudent steps to keep additional loss from happening and then photograph the scene for your own records. Remember to maintain all documents and receipts when dealing with the situation. Call your agent because water losses must be reported within 14 days of the happening.

Now the fun really begins.

The claim gets reported and the insurer dispatches a field adjuster to the scene. The field adjuster asks questions as to when the loss occurred, where the damage is located, and determines what it will take to repair the damage and adjust the loss. Remember, insurance is about money in that the carrier pays to make the insured whole. It is up to the insured to secure bids for repairs and make decisions as to returning the place back to as it was prior to the loss. The field adjuster turns in the field investigation to the claims examiner who works from within the insurance company.  The claims examiner compares the facts surrounding the loss to the policy language and makes a determination as to what is covered and what is not, along with assessing the values of the objects that must either be repaired or replaced in order to quantify the claim in dollar terms.

Our role at Rolfs Insurance Services is to help in reporting the claim as well as to provide guidance in terms of explaining the system to the insured. Knowing what and what not to do is important in a claim and your relationship with us helps to provide the peace of mind in knowing that matters are being handled correctly. Our goal is to help you at the time of a crisis by providing timely information and service when it counts most.