Safety for Graduation Parties

graduation capsIt is the season for graduation parties – colleges and high schools. We all love to celebrate, especially after the year of Covid, for a joyous occasion. Graduating is a big accomplishment and many parties will be thrown to congratulate the students.

In order to have a successful party keep these things in mind:

  • Do not serve alcohol to minors.
  • Encourage each car to have a designate driver.
  • Take away keys from party goers who have had too much to drink.
  • Have a lot of water (flavored water is much more enticing, so make a few pitchers and keep them on all tables) available for people to stay hydrated and not drink more alcohol.
  • Good food is essential. If the guests are busy eating they may be too full to drink a lot!
  • Remember that you have neighbors, respect them. Keep the noise to a respectable level and don’t let the party rage all night.
  • Alert your neighbors that you will be having a party and let them know you will clean up any trash that may get in their yard.
  • There are many outdoor games that all ages will enjoy, have lots of activities to entertain guests.

Graduation parties are fun, just make them safe too! You are liable for the people drinking at your party, so make sure everyone is ok to drive before they leave. It is important to also have a personal umbrella policy! Our motto: “You don’t have to be a millionaire to be sued for a million dollars!” Protect yourself and your assets, call us about adding an umbrella policy to your account www.mancuso-nowak.com.

How to Handle a Grease Fire

Did  you know that the #1 cause of house fires is cooking.  Most of us cook every day, but do you know what to do if something goes wrong?  Grease can quickly escalate the severity of a cooking fire, so we should all know the best and worst ways to handle a grease fire.

Best Ways to Extinguish a Grease Fire:

  • Turn off the burner!!!  Fire will never go out with a heat source still active.
  • Always keep a tight fitting lid for all pans/pots readily available because you can quickly put a lid on a small grease fire to smother it and put it out.
  • If your grease fire is small another option is pouring baking soda on the fire.  A large amount of baking soda is often needed, so keep this in mind.
  • A grease fire that is too big for a cover or baking soda will need a fire extinguisher.  Always have one in your kitchen for emergencies.
  • Call 911 if the fire is unable to be controlled.

Worst Things to Do for a Grease Fire:

  • Do not use water!  It will cause your oil to explode!
  • Do not try to move the pan.  You could easily burn yourself or catch something else on fire.
  • Do not use a similar product to baking soda, only baking soda.  Flour and other baking items do not work the same as baking soda.

Prevention is the best way to avoid a dangerous fire, but if there is an emergency it is essential to be prepared. It is also important to have home/renters insurance to protect you in a time of loss, call us for more information. www.mancuso-nowak.com

How an Umbrella Policy Can Prevent Financial Distress

umbrellaWhat is an Umbrella policy and why do you need one?
An Umbrella policy has a minimum coverage of $1M and as the name implies it goes over your auto and home/tenants policies. It provides an additional $1M (or more) of liability coverage over the underlying policies which typically carry limits of $250K per person/$500K per accident for auto and $300K for homeowners. Certain carriers require more/less limits on the underlying but these are the most common underlying coverage requirements.

Umbrella policies are not super expensive for the amount of coverage they provide. Most policies range from $200-$350 a year. The coverage not only pays for damages that occur on your property, but also damages that your family (including pets and kids) cause to someone else’s property.  The additional coverage is necessary because it provides the added protection most of us need in the litigious society in which we live. The large awards the court systems have been granting are astonishing. If someone slips and falls on your property or you get in a car accident that is your fault, an injured party could be awarded a sum that exceeds your home or auto policy limits. The umbrella policy would protect you and your assets by paying the additional money up to the policy limit.  You could easily prevent financial distress by having an Umbrella policy.

Families with dogs should seriously consider buying an Umbrella policy. Even if you have the most gentle, non-biting dog the statistics are there. The average dog bite claim has rose from $19,162 in 2003 to $29,396 in 2011. These numbers are for the average dog bite. If a visitor to your home is severely injured the cost could exceed $1M. According to the Insurance Information Institute dog bites account for a third of all homeowners claims. The statistics are alarming and definitely warrant a look into getting an Umbrella policy. Protect your family and assets.

Umbrella policies are one of the smartest ways to protect you and your family from a devastating financial loss. Call us for more information and to review your options: www.mancuso-nowak.com.