“JUST AROUND THE CORNER”
Hopefully we will see some summer this year,
before the days shorten and the chill is in the air!
Winter will be upon us before we know it, and this year will present
some challenges for our business, more so than in past winters.
The rush to alternate heat sources, with oil at unaffordable levels
for many people, certainly will lead to fires resulting from improper
installations, inexperience with proper operation, and wood not sufficiently
seasoned.
Additionally, many people are closing off portions of their houses
to reduce heating demand, as well as closing houses completely and moving
in with friends or relatives. The freeze-up and water damage losses will
follow.
Not only property exposures are affected – joint living arrangements
can also lead to some interesting liability exposures, as to who is an “insured” (you’ll
be hearing more from us shortly, as it relates to umbrella policies).
We are once again joining with some of our peer companies to sponsor
television ads which will feature our Maine Fire Marshal, John Dean,
talking about loss prevention.
Hopefully, this will help mitigate losses, and save lives.
We all need to take every opportunity to talk to our insureds and the
public in general to get safely through this challenging season.
Walter C. Smythe, CPCU, AAI, CIC
psmythe@patrons.com
President
