Commercial insurance is a vital business investment that offers financial and legal protection. This is true no matter what type of industry your Astoria, OR business is in. One of the most important parts of this insurance style is general liability coverage, which offers specialty protection against third-party claims made against your company. The following is a quick look at what that protection looks like and why it’s important.

Understanding General Liability Coverage Within Your Commercial Insurance Policy

General liability coverage will protect your business in three types of situations:

1. Bodily Injury. If a guest or customer on your property is injured or sustains bodily injury due to your business’s operations, then general liability coverage will step in and cover their medical expenses and legal fees so your business doesn’t have to.
2. Property damage. If, rather than injuries, someone’s property is damaged or destroyed, then the property damage clauses within a general liability policy will likewise offer compensation for that property’s repair or replacement.
3. Personal and advertising injury. Sometimes, another party may suffer non-physical harm from your business’s advertising or other business operations. Common examples include allegations of copyright infringement and defamation. Regardless if you believe them to be true, a third party can take such cases to court, which is an expensive and time-intensive process. But if you have general liability insurance, you will have coverage for your legal defense costs and any settlements or judgments.

Contact Our Team at Linda Dugan Insurance

General liability insurance can serve as a business-saving shield for companies, offering protection against potential lawsuits. Learn more and get started on your company’s insurance policy by calling our team at Linda Dugan Insurance in Astoria, OR, today. 

If you live in Astoria, OR, you are likely aware of the enjoyment of owning a boat, ATV, golf cart, or other type of recreational vehicle. What you may not know, however, is the importance of having the proper insurance coverage for these “toys.” When you turn to Linda Dugan Insurance for guidance and toy insurance policy options, you can keep having fun without worrying about the what-ifs.

What is toy insurance?

Just as it’s essential to keep your toys in peak working condition to ensure the safety of those enjoying them, having an insurance policy can ensure you can enjoy your toys for years to come. If something happens to your toy, such as damage from a storm or during an accident, toy insurance will play a similar role to car insurance. There is also a range of insurance types you can choose from, such as liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage.

Why You Need Toy Insurance

Accidents, unfortunately, do happen. Toy insurance can help you ensure that any injuries or damages don’t come solely from your pocket. A policy with liability coverage can protect you should an accident involving your recreational vehicle result in bystander injuries, while medical coverage can help with hospital bills. Toy insurance can also repair or replace your boat, ATV, snowmobile, or other toys so you can continue enjoying them. All of this combined works to give owners the peace of mind they deserve.

Protect Your Assets With Linda Dugan Insurance

When you want to insure your toy, turn to Linda Dugan Insurance! As an independent insurance agent, I can help you compare the costs and coverage of a wide range of policies to get the coverage that’s right for you. Contact our office today!

As winter quickly approaches here in the Astoria, OR area, now is the time to prepare your RV for the cold months ahead.

Here are some tips from us at Linda Dugan Insurance to get your recreational vehicle ready: 

• Check tires – Make sure your RV’s tires are properly inflated, and there is no visible damage or wear. If you plan to store your RV outdoors during the winter, consider investing in tire covers to protect them from sun and weather damage. 
• Clean exterior – Wash and wax the exterior of your RV and inspect it for any signs of damage, such as rust or cracks in the body panels. 
• Move inside components – Remove non-essential items inside your RV, including perishables like food and drinks, furniture, carpets, etc., so they don’t freeze over the winter months. 
• Add insulation – To help keep warm air in and cold air out, add insulation to windows, walls, floors, and other areas that may need it. You can use pre-cut foam boards or reflective thermal insulation materials for an easy installation process. 
• Drain tanks – To avoid frozen pipes in colder climates, drain all tanks on your RV before storing them for winter storage; this includes water heater tanks and gray and black water tanks. 
• Invest in a generator – If you don’t have one already, investing in a generator will help keep your RV warm during those cold winter months when temperatures drop below freezing levels. 

By following these simple tips, you can rest assured that your RV will be ready for winter travel! For more tips, call us at Linda Dugan Insurance today. We are proud to serve the Astoria, OR area.

Floods are more common than ever, with climate change ratcheting up the number of costly natural disasters in the United States. If you live in a flood zone in Astoria, OR, you might have difficulty finding coverage through private insurance companies. Fortunately, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides affordable protection for homeowners. At Linda Dugan Insurance, we get a lot of questions about flood insurance, so we put together these common myths and facts about flood insurance to help you make the right choice for your property.

Myth: You can’t get coverage if you’re in a designated flood zone.

Fact: If your community provides access to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), you can buy flood insurance. However, homes within Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) may cost more to insure than those outside of historic flood zones.

Myth: You can’t get flood coverage if there’s been a recent flood in your area.

Fact: You can get flood insurance anytime. However, there’s a 30-day wait before NFIP insurance takes effect. There’s no waiting period if you’re buying flood insurance to secure a loan. Talk to your flood insurance agent to ensure your coverage is in place if you purchase a new home. 

Myth: My homeowner’s policy will cover flooding damage.

Fact: Your homeowner’s policy doesn’t cover flooding. You need to purchase a separate policy, typically through the NFIP. Please stop by our office or call for an appointment for a free quote.

MYTH: Federal disaster assistance covers flood damage.

FACT: Less than 50% of floods are declared federal disasters. That means you can’t count on help from the government. Plus, if the government doesn’t declare a federal disaster, you won’t get any assistance from the government.

Find Flood Coverage in Astoria, OR

Contact Linda Dugan Insurance for a quote for your home’s flood insurance. Our experienced agents can help you get the coverage you need.

If you live and do business in Astoria, OR, you might wonder if business umbrella insurance also protects your home. Business umbrella insurance typically covers liabilities related to your business activities, such as lawsuits from customers or employees. However, it can also provide additional protection for your home and personal assets if you have the right kind of policy. Linda Dugan Insurance explains business umbrella insurance covers and how it can protect your home.

What Does Business Umbrella Insurance Cover? 

Business umbrella insurance offers additional liability protection beyond the limits of other insurance policies, such as homeowners or auto insurance. It covers incidents that could potentially cause significant financial losses to your business or personal assets, such as lawsuits over negligence or contractual disputes. It also provides coverage for libel and slander claims, legal defense costs (including appeals), and judgments that exceed the limits of existing policies. 

Does It Protect My Home? 

Yes! Business umbrella insurance can provide additional protection for your home if used for business purposes. For example, if you work from home or operate a small business out of an office in your house, this business umbrella insurance policy will cover any liabilities related to those activities—as long as they are within the scope of the policy’s limits and exclusions.

Business umbrella insurance can provide an extra layer of protection for both businesses and homes in Astoria, OR. While it does not replace existing policies like homeowners or auto insurance, it offers additional coverage for certain types of liabilities related to a person’s work activities at home. Contact Linda Dugan Insurance today for more information and details about how business umbrella insurance might be right for you!

An excellent health insurance policy is only part of a solid health plan. The first line of defense should always be the proactive approach to preventing sickness in the first place. Here at Linda Dugan Insurance, we want to help you better understand how to improve your health overall in Astoria, OR, and the surrounding areas. Keep reading to learn more about improving your health by adding more activity to your day. 

Walk Instead of Drive 

It’s true that not everyone is located conveniently enough to walk where they need to go. Still, if you are in a location where walking to destinations is an option, you should take advantage of this. If you are about to hop in your car for any goal that would involve a five-minute or less car drive, why not consider walking instead? 

Active Entertainment 

We all love spending time with friends and family having fun, and being entertained, but why not look for active entertainment options? Spending time with your family doesn’t just have to look like a trip to the movies or some other activity that involves little movement. What about a family night of playing tennis at the local park or a hike? Swimming is another excellent activity that is healthy and fun. 

Do It The Old Fashioned Way 

No doubt modern technology has helped our lives in many ways. Still, on the flip side, technology has also removed many naturally occurring activities that previous generations enjoyed regularly. If you rely heavily on modern tech to do tasks for you, why not do things the old-fashioned way occasionally? For instance, have you depended on a riding lawn mower to do your lawn? How about switching to a push mower so that you get more healthy activity while doing this chore? Always throwing the laundry in the dryer? You could hang up your clothes to dry in the sunshine for a natural, energy-saving alternative that also works a lot of great activity in your day. 

If you want to learn about our health insurance services, don’t hesitate to contact us at Linda Dugan Insurance, serving Astoria, OR, and the surrounding areas. 

Flood insurance is a necessary indemnification if you incur damage to your house by water that first touches the ground before entering your home. Homeowners’ insurance will not cover events defined as flooding by FEMA, and this occurs when two acres or more is, per their language, "inundated with water."  

There are other ways your property can be flooded, which happens when the groundwater builds up more gradually. Renters’ insurance policies will also not cover flooding; you will need a separate, dedicated flood insurance policy. 

Flood insurance is not a requirement in Astoria, OR by law. However, your lender will typically require you to purchase indemnification while maintaining a balance on your home. This is particularly true if your loan is funded by government underwriting. Ask your knowledgeable Linda Dugan Insurance representative about the right options for you. 

If your home is located on the FEMA map in a region that is identified as low-lying or that is a flood plane, your property has a chance of flooding. It will show you your community’s history with flood severity and frequency and will contain updates to their predictions based on changing climate data. 

Properties near rivers or creeks can be affected when these waterways overflow their banks during heavy rains. In addition, those who live on paved city streets can be inundated when sewers and gutters fail to properly remove water from the asphalt. This is mainly a problem at the bottom of steep hills. 

We Can Help You with Flood Insurance

Linda Dugan Insurance takes pride in providing insurance products and services to meet clients’ goals. Reach out to us today to so us further, and we serve those who live in the Astoria, OR area. 

Linda Dugan Insurance, serving Astoria, OR, and the surrounding area, can provide the protection necessary for your loved ones when you are no longer here to support them.

Why is life insurance coverage necessary?

It protects your family from the potentially devastating financial losses that could occur in the event of your passing. It will provide financial security, pay off debts, pay living expenses, and pay medical or final expenses.

I am only 25 years old. Why do I need life insurance?

Many younger people think it is not necessary at their age. But a severe illness, or, more commonly, car or athletic accidents, can impact the life of a younger individual. If that person has a young family, financial ruin can result in hardship that can last a lifetime.

Are you one of the fortunate that has accumulated wealth? High-earners and wealthy people use life insurance to pay estate taxes on a large bequest. Cash value life insurance will provide an alternative tax-deferred investment when you have maxed out other accounts. Life insurance trusts can be used with permanent life insurance to maximize wealth or assets.

If you need life insurance for a shorter period, for example, if you have young children at home, term insurance will be the best option as the premiums are affordable. A term life policy does not build cash value, so you cannot cash out term life insurance.

If you desire permanent coverage that lasts your entire lifetime, a whole life policy is best.

Do not leave your loved ones unprotected. If you need additional answers to questions or desire a quote, contact Linda Dugan Insurance today. You and your loved ones will be glad you did.

Insurance for your boat in Astoria, OR covers more than just the boat itself. In this blog from Linda Dugan Insurance, we explain what personal property and items installed on the boat, such as radar and other navigational equipment, the policy includes.

The typical boat policy covers everything you install on the boat, plus the personal property you and your guests bring. If an accident occurs, your next-door neighbor’s iPhone receives the same coverage as your radar as long as your neighbor goes boating with you.

Many boat owners install radar and other navigational items on their boats. The typical boat policy covers these items. All the appliances get coverage if you set up a kitchen in the hold with a mini-fridge, toaster oven, and microwave. The fishing gear you bring, clothes, and other normal personal property all receive coverage under the policy.

What isn’t covered?

If you make improvements to your boat after your policy purchase, those don’t receive coverage until you update your insurance policy. Permanent boat improvements like new flooring in the hold or galley or upgrading the furnishings, such as the beds, require updated insurance.

Essentially, personal property coverage applies if you can bring it and then take it with you. If you install it permanently, it adds value to the boat, so you need to update your boat insurance to cover the new value of the ship.

Contact Linda Dugan Insurance, serving Astoria, OR for more information on boat insurance. Let us help you update your coverage so your boat remains fully covered.

If you’re an RV owner in Astoria, OR, you might wonder if full-year RV insurance is necessary. After all, you only use your RV for part of the year, so why should you have to pay for insurance all year long? The answer is simple: because it’s the best way to protect your investment. Here’s a closer look at the different insurance options available to RV owners and why full-year coverage is always the best choice.

Seasonal Coverage vs. Full-Year Coverage

Most RV insurance companies offer both seasonal and full-year coverage options. Seasonal coverage is typically less expensive than full-year coverage but provides less protection. For example, if you have a claim while your RV is in storage during the off-season, your seasonal policy probably won’t cover it. That’s why Linda Dugan Insurance always recommends opting for full-year coverage, even if it costs a little more.

What Does Full-Year RV Insurance Cover?

Full-year RV insurance policies vary somewhat in coverage, but they all provide comprehensive protection for your RV. This includes protection from weather damage, theft, accidents, and more. Some policies also include roadside assistance and emergency expense reimbursement, which can come in handy if you break down while on a road trip.

Why Full-Year RV Insurance is the Best Choice

In short, full-year RV insurance is the best choice because it’s the most comprehensive option available. It will protect your RV no matter what happens, whether you’re using it or in storage. And if you ever have a claim, you’ll be glad you have the coverage you need to get back on the road as quickly as possible.

If you’re an RV owner wondering whether full-year insurance is necessary, the answer is a resounding yes! Full-year coverage is always the best choice because it’s more comprehensive than seasonal coverage and will protect your investment no matter what happens. So don’t wait—contact your Linda Dugan Insurance agent in Astoria, OR today to get started on a full-year policy for your RV.