Property Insurance for Nitrogen Ice Cream Shops

 There is a new Ice Cream craze in Florida. It is Nitrogen Ice Cream. County Insurance Group had the opportunity to provide Insurance for one of the Nitrogen Ice Cream Stores in West Palm Beach. We at County Insurance Group provide affordable Business Insurance Coverage for all our clients. We go the extra mile to satisfy our client needs. 

Nitrogen ice cream, which has been steadily growing in popularity the past few years, is made by using liquid nitrogen to flash-freeze the cream base. The speedy process does not allow as many ice crystals to form as traditional freezing methods, creating ultra-creamy ice cream. Instant ice cream also can mean a fresher treat, often without preservatives.

Not to mention, it’s really fun to watch. Kids stare in wonder as the liquid nitrogen is released into stainless-steel bowls, causing a cool vapor mist that floats over the counter and down to the floor where it evaporates within seconds.

 The preparation process is computerized so that employees drop ingredients into commercial stand mixers and the liquid nitrogen flows in from a 30,000-pound tank through special plumbing attached to each station.

Seeking affordable Business Insurance Coverage is our specialty. We at County Insurance Group  look forward to the opportunity to quote your Business Insurance. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that the societal cost of Drowsy driving is $109 billion. Our present day society is driven with distractions and survive on a lot less than the required amount of sleep. Approximately 84 million people survive on less than seven hours of sleep per day. This has attributed to an estimated 5000 people killed each year in Drowsy related crashes. This would amount for seven percent of all crashes. The groups that make up the Drowsy driving groups were identified are First responders, Law enforcement, Health care workers, New parents, Teens and young adults, Shift and night workers and people suffering from sleep disorders. It was also found that there is a correlation between these groups and some commonalities. First, the group’s accidents normally occur on high speed roads, mostly later in the evening and no evidence of braking. It normally involves only one car and results in serious injuries or death.

Well, now that we are aware that there is a problem, the next step is problem resolution. The strategy is to educate the driving public, legislation and of course auto engineering as is the case with Tesla and their driverless car. Google and Apple have been rumored to have a driverless car in the works. On the legislative front we can expect new laws tabled to address driver fatigue. New Jersey and Arkansas are the only states with Drowsy driving laws on the books. We can expect states to be vigilant in enforcing laws to curtail this new problem of increasing concern. We at County Insurance Group take pride in educating our customers. Affordable Auto Insurance Coverage, Affordable Home and Commercial Insurance Coverage is our specialty.

Florida Regulators Approve Rate Increase for Citizens Policyholders

We at County Insurance Group have our pulse on what is going on in the insurance industry. Our focus is on providing affordable auto insurance, affordable home insurance and affordable commercial insurance coverage. So, when the The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation approves a 6.4 percent overall rate increase for 2017 for Citizens Property Insurance Corp. we are the first to communicate that to you. Homeowners across the state will get an increase which has been necessary to address what it calls a disturbing increase in "Non-Weather Water Loss claims and litigation".  

State insurance regulators made adjustments to Citizens 2017 rate request following a public hearing in August, making minor reductions to Citizens loss trends for homeowners multiperil rates while accepting Citizens’ proposal regarding increases in rates for wind-only coverage.

The effective date for both new and renewal rates within the Personal Lines Account (PLA) and Coastal Account (CA) is February 1, 2017. Rate filing decisions for the commercial residential and commercial non-residential accounts are still pending. 

Lightning Strikes in Florida

Throughout the years many people have jokingly referred to Florida as the Lightning capital of the world. Well the statistical data is out and Florida did receive the top honors of the most Lightning claims in 2015. The state of  Florida had a payout of over $13 million in claims with a total of 156 claims.  The cost of an average claim was $11,898.

We at County Insurance Group take great pride in explaining to our policyholders the danger of being inadequately insured. Lightening coverage is a covered loss on a typical HO-3 policy. The trick is to be advised on the necessary precautions that should be taken to avoid extensive damage such as surge protectors to protect expensive appliances and electronic items of value. Some policies do provide coverage for power surges that result from a lightning strike. Of even greater importance is to make sure that the home has the proper estimated replacement cost. In the event of a lightning strike that results in a fire, being underinsured could be the difference of either rebuilding your home exactly the way it was or the inability to do so.  Please stop by our office for a policy review and give us a call

.http://countyinsurancegroup.com

Investigating a Fatal Collision of a Tesla on Autopilot

Part of the growing pains of introducing new technology is that growing pains sometimes come with a steep price. Unfortunately in this case it was the loss of life. The crash involved a 40-year-old Ohio man who was killed when his 2015 Model S drove under the trailer of an 18-wheeler on a highway near Williston, Florida. Understanding your policy  and its limitations are part of the service that we at County Insurance Group take pride in educating our customers.

The details of the accident are likely to add fuel to the debate over whether self-driving cars are ready for the real world. Autopilot didn’t notice the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake wasn’t applied, said Tesla, which reported the May 7 incident to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In a blog post, Tesla said that the fatal crash is the first known fatality in more than 130 million miles of Autopilot driving.

If the Autopilot system didn’t recognize the tractor trailer, then Tesla will have to recall the cars to fix the flaw, said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, an advocacy group in Washington. Ditlow said that Tesla’s Autopilot system needs to be able to recognize all possible road conditions.

“That’s a clear-cut defect and there should be a recall,” Ditlow said in a phone interview. “When you put Autopilot in a vehicle, you’re telling people to trust the system even if there is lawyerly warning to keep your hands on the wheel.”

Tesla Autopilot features in October. Autopilot is a step towards autonomous or self driving cars, and includes features like automatic lane changing, auto steering and the ability of the vehicle to parallel park itself. Tesla stresses that drivers still maintain responsibility for safe driving and should keep their hands on the wheel at all times.

Google is also testing self driving cars. This will be the beginning of several discussions as to the readiness of self driving cars for our highways.

Alligators at the Walt Disney Property in Florida

Recently the news from a Disney property in Florida was captivated by the horror of an alligator snatching a two year boy from the edge of a lagoon.  There is much head scratching about why Disney had not posted any signs warning of the presence of alligators in the area. The company has since installed signage. This lapse of attention to detail is not the norm for the highly regarded and respected global Disney brand. Disney has set aside nearly a third of its land outside Orlando as a wildlife conservation area. There will be many insurance questions that will have to be answered. Why was there no signs?. Why was the lagoon populated with so many alligators within such close proximity to guests?.

The Walt Disney Company has had more than 240 “nuisance” alligators captured and killed over the last 10 years at its Florida theme park property according to state records. The state considers an alligator a nuisance if it's at least 4 feet in length and is believed to pose a threat to people, property and pets. The records reveal the  parks constant struggle to keep the alligators away from humans. The property has numerous canals and waterways which make it easy for the alligators to travel which is behavior pattern that is typical of them. Disney has been removing an average of 24 alligators a year from the property.

Well,  let us be clear Florida is alligator country. There are 1.3 million wild alligators in Florida. That is roughly one for every 15 residents. Records show that the largest alligator trapped on Disney property was caught last year and measured 13 feet long. It is so sad for the family to lose their son at of all places a theme park. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

Property Insurance Protection against Lightening Strikes

Property Insurance,protection against devastating whether events Ft Lauderdale

Property insurance,South Florida weather can at times leave some devastating property loss. We have past experiences of what can happen after a Hurricane or serious thunderstorm tornado and other natural disasters.

Many of us refer to Ft. Lauderdale as the Lightning capital of the country. #Lightning knocking out our electrical box is somewhat of a common occurrence. The next question is, are we adequately covered. No need to resort to reading the policy after the damage is done.

We need to be aware of what our policy endorsements and coverages are. There may be limitations on debris removal after a covered loss. There may be coverage for food spoilage as a result of a lighting strike that knocks out the power. Why not let County Insurance Group review your policy to make sure that your assets are adequately protected. www.countyinsurancegroup.com

Business Interruption Insurance Coverage

All too often many small businesses are inundated with the deluge of responsibilities involved in Business Interruption Insurance coverage is one of those important coverages that cannot be overlooked when purchasing a business insurance policy. The coverage is vital to the survival of a business in the event of a loss that would result in moving the operation elsewhere. It is not sold separately.

managing the delicate balance of running a business.

It is normally included in a Business Package policy. At County Insurance Group we take time out to listen to our customer’s needs and make sure that the Business Interruption  Policy will have adequate coverage for revenue you would have earned in the event of a loss. We make sure the policy limits are sufficient to cover your company for more than a few days.

There is generally a 48 hour waiting period before the coverage kicks in. The policy also covers operating expenses, like electricity that continue even though business activities have come to a temporary halt. Due to the rising numbers of natural disasters businesses may want to make this coverage a priority.

There are sometimes some common limitations on most standard policies such as coverage only for loss to tangible items and not lost profits if your business cannot operate. If your profits are substantial you will need to document your current income.  Also be aware of low per incident limits. If your company is growing quickly, document many months of profit to demonstrate that the income is growing.

Clarity of what interruptions are covered and which ones are excluded is paramount for an understanding of the policy. For example if there is a fire that destroys a warehouse and the new warehouse costs more than the old one the policy may cover at the old rate and not at the new rate. Likewise a building replacement may require new codes and increased building cost. To cover this you need an “extra expense rider”.

Your business can also be at risk when a related business is affected by disaster. For example in the event of an explosion at your website host’s server could take your site down or a key supplier maybe unable to deliver if it is wiped out by hurricane. These events hurt your financial results even though your facility may be undamaged.

Contingent Business Insurance covers lost profits in these disaster situations. Selecting a well informed Insurance Agent can make all the difference when you have the need to adequately cover your business. Call us or come and visit us at County Insurance Group for all your business insurance need.

Get A Quote on Business Interruption Insurance Coverage. Protect your income and your investment for the long term.

Caribbean Heritage Month

Currently the population of Caribbean Americans in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, South Florida and the entire United States total approximately 10 million. They come from 30 different islands including Haiti,Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. In the melting pots of the larger metropolitan cities of New York, Washington D.C, Boston and Atlanta nearly every island is represented there. There are pockets in Brooklyn New York where the entire neighborhood is completely populated with Caribbean people. Caribbean Americans have played an important role in the shaping of America since its founding. To help bring attention to this long and diverse history Dr. Claire Nelson founded The Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) in 1993 to bring attention to and advocate for the concerns of the Caribbean-American community in both the private and public sector. This effort included national recognition of the Caribbean-American Heritage and in 1999 ICS sent a letter to President Clinton requesting a month dedicated as Caribbean-American History Month.

It wasn’t until 2004 that Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduced legislation for such a proclamation. Reintroduced a year later the House unanimously passed Congresswoman Lee’s bill in June 2005 and the Senate passed their own legislation a few months later in February 2006, leading to President George W. Bush issuing the first Presidential proclamation declaring June Caribbean-American Heritage Month on June 5, 2006.

The month of June is now celebrated with festivities and a myriad of events all over the country to commemorate the time. We at County Insurance Group warmly celebrate this acknowledgment of our people to the social fabric of America.

We specialized in providing Insurance Coverage to the Caribbean community, Business Insurance, Automobile Insurance, Home Insurance and Liability Coverage.

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