What to Do in a Car Accident

Car accidents can be terrifying, and it is easy to get flustered afterwards and not know what steps to take. Reading about what to do in a car accident can give you some sort of peace of mind, so that if you do happen to be involved in a vehicle accident, you’ll know what to do.

 

Check Yourself for Injuries and Call 911

Check yourself first before checking anyone else in the car. If you can move freely and safely, slowly get out of the car and call 911. However, if feel pain and suspect you are seriously injured, remain in the vehicle, call 911 and wait until medics arrive.

Get Out of the Car

If you can move safely, get out of the car and go to the side of the road or sidewalk. If your car is safe to drive, and you are not injured, you should try to get it out of the way of traffic before exiting.

Exchange Information

If the accident involved other drivers, it is important to exchange information. Getting information does not mean anyone is admitting fault. In fact, you do not need to discuss that at all. Just ask for information. Here is what you should collect:

  • Full Name and Contact Info
  • Other Driver’s Insurance Company and Policy Number
  • Other Driver’s License Number and License Plate Number
  • Type, Color and Model of Vehicles Involved
  • Location of Accident- Be as Detailed as Possible
  • The Names and Badge Numbers of the Police Officers at the scene

Take Pictures

Using your smartphone or a camera, take several pictures of the accident. Include as many details as you can by taking pictures of the cars involved from different angles, close and far away. If you have any visible injuries, take pictures of those as well.

Notify Your Insurance Company

If possible, call your insurance company and begin filing your claim while you are still at the scene of the accident. This way, you can make sure you have everything they need.

Pool Safety Tips

Owning a pool is a big responsibility, but it can also bring a lot of fun and happy memories. If you own a swimming pool or are thinking about installing one, here are some pool safety tips to keep you and your family safe this summer.

 

Never Leave Children Unattended

An accident can happen in the blink of an eye. It is important to remember to NEVER leave children unattended in a pool, for any reason, not even for a few minutes.

Teach Your Kids to Swim

If you have young children, teach them to swim right away. Kids can learn to swim as early as babies, so it is never too soon to teach them. While floaties and swimming toys can help keep kids afloat, you should not rely on them to keep your kids safe.

Install Proper Barriers and Fences

Your town or county might have specific rules and regulations for homeowners with pools, so be sure to check for specifics. All pools should be enclosed, with gates and alarms, if possible. Covers should also be used in the offseason.

Learn CPR

If you own a pool, it never hurts to be as prepared as possible. Take a CPR class and know what to do in a pool emergency. Older children and teenagers can be taught CPR as well.

Make Sure All Visitors Follow Safety Rules

Having friends and neighbors over to swim is part of the fun of owning the pool. However, it is important to make sure that anyone that visits your pool area is aware of your rules and follows them. Check to see if each visiting child can swim and supply floaties, life jackets or swim wings if necessary.

 

Following these pool safety tips will keep you and your family and friends safe so you can enjoy your summer. Happy swimming!

How to Protect Your Pets in the Summer

The summer heat can be harsh. The bright sun and high temperatures are not only rough on us, but they can also be extremely hard on our pets. When it comes to our furry friends, it is important to keep them as safe as possible during the warmer months. Here is how to protect your pets in the summer.

 

Water, Water Everywhere

The most essential thing pets need in the heat is access to fresh water. So if you usually have one water bowl available to them, add a couple more during the summer. Make sure there is one or two inside, where they can easily reach it, and at least one more outside. Check them frequently and fill up when necessary. You can even throw a few ice cubes in their outdoor water bowls to keep them nice and cool longer.

Never, Ever, Leave Your Pets in the Car

The temperature inside a car in the summertime can rise to 175 degrees in minutes. Even if it is only 75 degrees outside, your car’s temperature can reach well over 100, and very quickly. For this reason, never bring your pets with you when you are running errands if you plan to get out of the car without them. Even if you keep the windows down, do not do it. Not only could it be deadly for your animal, but it could also result in legal trouble for you.

Keep Paws Off of Hot Asphalt

If something is hot or painful to the touch for you, your dog or cat will feel the same thing on their paws. Try taking your pets for walks during cooler times of the day like early morning or sunset. If you have to take them walking during the day, try to stick to areas with plenty of shade or grass.

 

Using these simple tips will allow you and your pets to stay safe and healthy during the hot summer.

New Jersey Community Honors Medical Heroes at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

While we all work together to fight the COVID-19 outbreak, it is always great to hear some good news! We are seeing some of the best in humanity come out in a time like this to either make donations or just do whatever they can to make people smile! There was a great story that happened in Somerville, New Jersey where people did something incredible to show their support for medical professionals at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

It looked like a parade outside of the hospital as hundreds of people from the local area coordinated a unique way to show their appreciation for the hospital workers (all while keeping a safe social distance of course!). In conjunction with the local Elks chapter, a very well and safely planned support group was organized to make a “visit” of sorts to the hospital. People held signs with messages of a simple “Thank You” to signs that called the hospital workers “Heroes”.

Hospital workers can feel overwhelmed on a normal day, let alone during a pandemic like this one. It is important for people to show their support in as many ways as they can to give them a well deserved “pat on the back” and let them know that they are appreciated. Through this very brief visit, these citizens were able to clearly communicate these sentiments in an incredibly creative way.

The heroes working in these hospitals said they were extremely grateful for the support from the local community. Whether it is through something like an impromptu parade or even just a thank you letter, they are recognizing the amount of overwhelming support from other people. It is just another example of how the best in humanity comes out in a time like this!

Fun Ideas To Stay In Touch With Friends and Family While Social Distancing

In a time like this, continuing to socialize is exceptionally important. Thankfully, we are in an era where technology can help us do absolutely incredible things! There are countless ways to keep in touch with your friends and family while continuing to properly social distance yourselves from each other. Below are just a few ideas on how you can continue to socialize (and have a ton of fun while you are doing it!)

 

House Party (Virtual)

House Party is a great way to start a video chat with many people at once. It’s really easy to use and very reliable. Just set up the “party” and send the invites to get started! Soon enough you will have everyone on your screen as if they were in the same room as you!

Parking Lot Meal

Order some take out, meet in a nearby parking lot, and call your companion! By staying in your own vehicles, you could keep a safe distance apart while seeing the person and enjoying a meal with them. It’s a great way to get out of the house for a bit and catch up with your friends and family.

Send Handwritten Letters

This one may sound silly but it’s a very fun way to keep in touch! It’s something that you can look forward to whenever the mail comes. Turn your pals into pen pals and we bet that you’ll still do it once you are able to see each other again in person.

Play Party Games Online

There are many games that can be played together online through the use of your cell phones as controllers. You can still have family game night without even seeing each other through some really fun games online that the entire family can enjoy!

How To Show Your Appreciation To Emergency Responders

Even though many people are able to stay at home in a time like this, emergency responders don’t have that luxury. They continue to provide their crucial services during this outbreak. Every time they do, they are selflessly risking their health for the benefit of others. Because of this, people are looking for ways to show their appreciation! Below are some ways to say “thank you” to our beloved emergency responders.

Buy Lunch, Dinner, Coffee, etc.

A great way to show your appreciation is to get together with some neighbors and buy a lunch, dinner, coffee, etc. for a local response team. This can be easily coordinated through one of the many restaurants offering take-out. It will give you an opportunity to support your local community and a local restaurant at the same time! We would recommend calling ahead to the location you plan on making the donation to before ordering anything. This will give you an opportunity to make sure they haven’t already had plans for the day you wanted to make your donation.

Send Thank You Cards

Thank you cards are a timeless way to show your appreciation. Just a quick note showing they are appreciated could brighten up the whole station’s day. You can even get the kids involved to draw pictures or write their own cards as well. It is a really simple but effective way to say thank you to those who are protecting us every day!

Monetary Donations

Here are ways you can easily make monetary donations. The EMS link is specifically for the Freehold EMS team however, most towns have their own website to facilitate donations. This way, you can donate to the EMS team in your hometown!

Police Officers

http://njlepba.com/members/donor-page.php

EMS

http://www.freeholdems.org/donate

Firefighters

https://www.njfmba.org/pac_fund

How To Personally Help During The Coronavirus Outbreak

It has been incredible to see how many people in the country are helping in any way they possibly can in the battle against the coronavirus. There is an incredible variety of ways you can help locally. For those looking for ideas on how they can help, we put together a list of different ways to contribute in New Jersey!

 

Volunteer Time (In Person or At Home)

Some organizations are offering both in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities. The United Way of Ocean and Monmouth Counties has a volunteer portal for all of their current opportunities.

Donate Items

If you have found yourself with an excess of any items, you should contact local charities, especially food banks, to find out if they could use them. Also, if you have any craft skills/sewing experience, you can make items like masks or nurse caps and donate them to local medical facilities. Call your local hospital to find out if they can use them or if they know of a facility that does!

Donate Blood

The American Red Cross is reporting a blood shortage because of the pandemic. If you contracted and fully recovered from COVID-19, then you can potentially help those that are currently sick. Learn about both opportunities on their website – redcross.org .

Donate Money

New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund

This organization was created specifically to address the COVID-19 outbreak. 100% of every dollar donated to them online will for to organizations that provide essential services to those in need and to assist those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elijah’s Promise

Based in New Brunswick, Elijah’s Promise provides the local community with nutritious meals. Due to the outbreak, they are running low on supplies and are in need of monetary donations.

 

Every contribution, no matter how small, will help us beat the virus together! If we all contribute in some small way, we can make a big difference!

Neighborhood Connections to Health

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Creating unified, healthy, and safe towns through community collaboration & partnership.”…that’s the mission statement of Neighborhood Connections to Health. Their goal is to bring the community of Freehold Borough together in order to help those in need. The organization started in 2016 with the intention to address the health disparities in Freehold Borough. They do this through providing people in their community with access to healthy food, information about biking/walking safety, guidance to prevent lead poisoning, intergenerational activities, and much more!

One of Neighborhood Connections to Health’s main efforts is providing the community with a mobile pantry. In conjunction with fulfill, they collect food donations to get them to people in the community that need it the most. Even in this time where it is more difficult to collect donations and deliver food, they are still getting it done while following all of the guidelines provided by the CDC. As a result, this is a great time to donate to the cause so they can continue to provide food to those who need it more than ever before. To donate, just visit their site on a desktop or laptop computer and click on the “donate” button in the top right corner. Every dollar counts!

A lot of people are trying to find the best ways to help their community in this time of need. Most people would be surprised to find out they can help immensely without having to leave their computer! If you have donated or aren’t able to, then share their cause on social media to spread the word about Neighborhood Connections to Health and any other local organizations. Just one short post about the organization can help them get another donation that they wouldn’t have received without your post! Visit their Facebook Page and/or Twitter Account to start helping them get the word out about their cause!

Insure Your Toys! Make Sure Your Boats, Jet Skis, Motorcycles, ATVs, etc. are Covered!

Making big purchases like boats, jet skis, motorcycles and ATVs are some of the fun perks of being an adult. But just like your vehicles, you should make sure your toys are covered with the proper insurance policy. Your gadgets are worth a lot of money, and they provide you with a lot of joy, so to have peace of mind knowing you won’t be out the money if something happens, get them covered. Here’s a little bit more info on the subject.

 

Toys Are NOT Covered on Your Homeowner’s Policy

Your homeowner’s insurance policy won’t cover anything that moves. Meaning no boats, no jet skis, no ATV’s or other fun, stuff. This means not only are you not covered for the price of the item if it becomes damaged, but you also will not be covered if you hurt yourself or someone else while using it. Your vehicle liability insurance could potentially cover damage to another vehicle if, for example, you were towing your toy on a trailer with your car, and it rolled off and caused damage to someone else. However, you should have your current policy reviewed to be sure you at least have that specific situation insured!

 

Contact an Insurance Agency for Policies

Most states may require you to have a license to operate certain toys, but they will not require you to purchase insurance. The responsibility of finding and obtaining proper insurance is entirely your obligation. Contacting an Insurance Agency with experience with these kinds of policies is your best bet.

 

It’s Not Worth the Risk Not to Have Insurance

These fun toys are often used with family and friends on vacation or holidays. Can you really afford to pay for hospital bills, damage or a new toy if something happens? Do yourself a favor and purchase an insurance policy to cover all the “what ifs”, so you can enjoy playing with your toys.

 

To insure your toys, car, home or business, call Leigh Insurance Agency, Freehold, NJ for all your insurance needs. We’ll help find the perfect policy for you.

Review The Deductibles In Your Homeowner’s Policy

Homeowner’s insurance is necessary so you can have peace of mind that unexpected events won’t be financially devastating, and your home can be repaired as soon as possible. In fact, most banks require homeowner’s insurance to secure a loan. However, it’s essential to review your policy before purchasing, so you’re entirely aware of what deductibles you’ll be responsible for paying. Let’s take a closer look.

 

What’s a deductible?

A deductible in a homeowner’s insurance policy is the amount of money that you will be responsible for paying out of pocket while your insurance pays the balance of the covered loss. For example, if you sustain $1200 worth of covered damage but have a $500 deductible, the insurer will pay only $700 and you will have to pay the balance to make your repairs.

 

Should you go for a high or low deductible?

There are several factors you should consider when deciding on the right policy with the right deductible. You should think about how much you can afford to pay in insurance payments versus how much you can afford to pay out of pocket if something bad happens to your home. A higher deductible gives you a lower insurance premium to pay, but it means you’ll have to pay more out of pocket when you file a claim.

 

What are the two types of deductibles for homeowner’s insurance?

Homeowner’s policies have two different deductibles. They are:

  • Fixed deductible- this deductible is the fixed amount that you pay out of pocket when you file a claim for a covered loss.
  • Percentage Deductible- these deductibles are specific to storm-related claims. They are calculated based on the percentage of your home’s value. So, if you own a $200,000 home and you have a 1% hurricane/wind/hail deductible, $2000 would be your deductible for that claim.

 

Some policies have two deductibles, a percentage deductible for hurricane/wind/hail damage and a fixed deductible for all other types of claims.