With the holidays around the corner, it’s time to think about what you need to do to be a good host. While insurance may not be something you think about, having protection for your guests and property can be vital to ensuring things are merry and bright. We’ll also discuss how to prepare not only your insurance for the winter holidays, but also your house and car, so you can focus on what matters.

Protecting Your Guests with Liability Insurance

When guests get hurt in your home, it’s your liability insurance that protects you and pays out. Depending on your policy, it’s a good idea to bundle umbrella insurance with your current insurance for deeper and wider liability coverage. In addition, you can:

• Remove Slip-and-Fall Hazards: Ensure that exterior walkways are free of snow, ice, and leaves, and that your interior has been cleared of hazards like children’s toys.
• Keep Parking & Driving Safe: Make sure obstacles (such as mailboxes and unexpected curbs) are well-marked. Shovel and set out deicers as needed.
• Safe Eating and Drinking: Ask around about food allergies. Check if your homeowners policy covers food poisoning and incidents involving alcohol.

Learn more in our blog, How Umbrella Insurance Helps with the Holidays.

Protecting Your Home Against the Elements

Fall and winter bring flurries of both rain and snow, which can lead to dangerous conditions for your home. Flooding is especially common in winter, during snowmelt and storm surges, which also pose a risk of hurricane wind and water damage. If you’re new to New England, you’ll also need to watch out for Nor’easters—massive annual snowstorms. Make sure to review your homeowners insurance to ensure you have coverage for the likely conditions in your area.

Making Sure Your Car is Ready for New England Winters

Another place you’ll want to ensure you have your insurance all lined up is your auto insurance. While the car insurance minimums are more robust than those in many states, MA-required insurance still leaves a lot of gaps. You should also:

• Winterize Your Vehicle: This includes a checkup, antifreeze, battery test, and making sure you have the right car emergency tools, including an ice scraper, jumper cables, and an emergency kit.
• Protecting Against Snow and Ice Damage: Snow and ice damage (and flooding) aren’t covered under normal policies. Instead, you’ll need comprehensive insurance—learn more about it here.

At Safeside Insurance Agency, we wish you a happy holiday season. We’re here to help you party without worries, but also to be of assistance when things go wrong. Our goal for the past 30 years has been to help individuals and families in Worcester County and the greater Massachusetts area get the right coverage for the right price. Learn more about us and how we can help, contact us online, or call us at (508) 753-8862.