Vargas & Vargas Insurance

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Dorchester, MA 02124

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Flashback: Fallen Leaves in Autumn Leave You Liable!

There is no doubt that the beauty of the autumnal leaves is a highlight of the season.  But such splendor can mask danger. 

Those same beautiful leaves can be dangerous once they hit the ground! Fallen leaves can cause slippery conditions because they contain a large amount of water. 

Fall is also a time when we experience the first frost,which can add to the slippery surfaces. As the temperature drops, the wet leaves can freeze with a thin layer of ice creating hazardous conditions.

In addition, during the fall, the sun rises later, sets earlier, and often brings foggy days.  This limited exposure to sunshine does not allow for wet/frozen leaves to dry out and pathways and walkways are now dim.   All can contribute to a greater potential for accidents.

School is in session and children are walking out and about, your postal worker delivering your mail, and of course come Halloween “trick or treaters” will be traversing your property. 

These are all potential liability claims should they slip and fall on your property. It only takes one false step to become the victim of a “slip-and-fall”accident.

Avoid any chance of injury to yourself or others by clearing walkways and driveways of all fallen leaves, and ensure that they are well lit.  If you currently use landscape lighting on a timer, be sure to reprogram your timers in anticipation of the end of daylight savings time.

Protect your family and yourself against these all too often occurring accidents by reviewing your Massachusetts homeowner’s insurance coverage with your agent today. Call us at 877.550.0025.

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Falling for Autumn

Leaves are falling all aroundor they will be. Yes, i’m getting sidetracked with Led Zeppelin’s Ramble On lyrics.

It’s time to maintain your home during the Fall in order to prep your house for winter.  Here are several basic maintenance items to attend to as the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer.

The cost of maintenance is always less than the cost of a claim.

  • Gutters and Downspouts.  The build up of leaves and other debris makes for a constant battle during the fall.  Climb the ladder and clean those gutters!  Grab your hose and run it through the downspout to clear blockages.   Accumulated detritus in your gutters creates a water condition at the edge of your roof. This means that water may cascade directly down from the soffit deep below your foundation.  Next thing you’ll have water seeping up and into your basement.
  • Windows and Doors.  Remove the window air conditioners, replace window screens with storm windows.  Same for screen doors.  Check doorways for loose or broken edging and insulation.
  • Heating Systems: Autumn is a great time to replace the filter for your furnace! The smallest of details could be the cause of the biggest of problems.
  • Landscaping around the base exterior of your house.  Be sure that dirt hasn’t built up at a reverse angle down towards your foundation: rake the dirt so that it angles downward and away from your foundation.  This helps to prevent water buildup against the foundation which then seeps down and into your basement.

Please call to inquire how water accumulation in your home may or may not be covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy. If your house “floods”, you will want to know how it affects your wallet.

Please check out our other blogs on claim prevention tips. You can reach us by calling 617-298-0655 or text us at 617-409-0329 for a free, no-obligation annual review.

Click here to Visit our Contact Us page.

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