Name: Phil Klein Insurance Group
Address: 7125 Orchard Lake Road, Suite 302, West Bloomfield, MI, 48322
Telephone: 248-682-7445

Protecting Your Business During Civil Unrest & Riots

Posted on June 3, 2020June 3, 2020 by Owen Rosen

Civil unrest can create unique challenges for Michigan businesses. Specifically, business owners face the risk of vandalism, stolen or damaged goods and extensive property damage. With this in mind, it’s crucial to take steps to mitigate the risk of potential damages to your business during periods of civil unrest.
Review the following guidance to help keep your business protected in these situations.

Stay Informed
First and foremost, make sure you stay informed via local Detroit or Grand Rapids authorities, news outlets and social media on potential events or issues that could lead to civil unrest within your community. This practice will allow you to be more aware of when civil unrest is most likely to occur and take a proactive approach to protecting your business.
Assess Property Vulnerabilities
Next, it’s important to assess your business property for potential vulnerabilities. In doing so, you will be able to better determine where to focus your mitigation efforts.
Be sure to conduct a thorough inspection of both your own property and the surrounding area—including neighboring businesses, parking lots, alleys and streets—for specific risk management issues (e.g., gaps in security measures, potential traffic or crowding concerns, the type of property at risk and concerns for employee and customer safety).
Protect Your Property
After assessing potential vulnerabilities, make sure you implement adequate security measures to help keep your business fully protected. Potential security practices to consider include:
• Utilizing security cameras
• Implementing an intruder alarm system
• Boarding up property windows and doors
• Ensuring proper locks on all windows and doors
• Installing motion-sensing external lighting and glass break sensors
• Hiring security guards
Remove Valuables
Try to remove as much cash, merchandise and high-value supplies or equipment from your property as possible. In particular, if your business utilizes a fleet of vehicles, consider moving them to a temporary, secure storage location. This way, you will be able to proactively minimize your losses in the event that your business is targeted.
Further, consider utilizing signage to communicate that money and high-value items have been removed from the premises to help deter potential thieves.
Alter Business Hours
If you suspect that that civil unrest could take place near your property, consider temporarily altering your business hours (e.g., opening or closing earlier than normal) to avoid putting your employees and customers in a dangerous situation. However, make sure you properly communicate these changes with your staff and customers to prevent any confusion. In some cases, it may make sense to temporarily close your business.
Avoid Unnecessary Conflict
In the event that civil unrest takes place while your business doors are open, it’s crucial to educate your staff on how to respond appropriately and avoid unnecessary conflict. Establish an evacuation plan that allows for employees and customers to safely leave the area during a dangerous situation. Designate specific staff to be responsible for securing the property (e.g., locking doors and boarding up windows) before evacuating.
If a potentially dangerous individual confronts any of your employees before an evacuation can occur, encourage them to react calmly and avoid using violence or responding aggressively. Designate specific staff to be responsible for contacting the local authorities or emergency services, if necessary. If the individual attempts to loot or rob your business, allow them to do so—no items are worth the risk of an employee injury or fatality.
Consult Local Authorities
Be sure to express any concerns you have regarding civil unrest in your community with local authorities—including the police department, fire department and government officials—and utilize any resources or guidance that they provide. Consider requesting additional police presence or temporary street closures near your business if you are particularly concerned about the threat of civil unrest.
Secure Proper Insurance
Apart from these loss control methods, you can ensure ultimate protection during periods of civil unrest by securing proper commercial insurance coverage. For additional risk management guidance and insurance solutions, contact PKIG today.

PKIG Winter Driving Tips

Posted on January 28, 2020January 28, 2020 by Owen Rosen

Severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for travelers. Winter storms, bad weather and sloppy road conditions are a factor in nearly half a million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every winter, according to research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Drivers should know the safety rules for dealing with winter road emergencies. PKIG urges drivers to be cautious while driving in adverse weather.

PKIG & AAA recommends the following tips while driving in snowy and icy conditions:

Cold Weather Driving Tips
•Keep a bundle of cold-weather gear in your car, such as extra food and water, warm clothing, a flashlight, a glass scraper, blankets, medications, and more. Stop in to our office for a scraper or car emergency tool.
•Make certain your tires are properly inflated and have plenty of tread.
•Keep at least half a tank of fuel in your vehicle at all times.
•Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage.
•Do not use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface, such as on ice and snow.
Tips for Driving in the Snow
•Stay home if you can and only go out if necessary. Even if you can drive well in bad weather, it’s better to avoid taking unnecessary risks by venturing out.
•Drive slowly. Always adjust your speed down to account for lower traction when driving on snow or ice.
•Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry and take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
•Increase your following distance to five to six seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
•Know your brakes. Whether you have anti-lock brakes or not, keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
•Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
•Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads will just make your wheels spin. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill slowly.
•Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.
Tips for Long-Distance Winter Trips
•Be Prepared: Have your vehicle checked by a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility before hitting the road.
•Check the Weather: Check the weather along your route and when possible, delay your trip if bad weather is expected.
•Stay Connected: Before hitting the road, notify others and let them know your route, destination and estimated time of arrival.
If you get stuck in the snow:
•Stay with your vehicle: Your vehicle provides temporary shelter and makes it easier for rescuers to locate you. Do not try to walk in a severe storm. It is easy to lose sight of your vehicle in blowing snow and become lost.
•Don’t over exert yourself: When digging out your vehicle, listen to your body and stop if you become tired.
•Be Visible: Tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna of your vehicle or place a cloth at the top of a rolled up window to signal distress. At night, keep the dome light on if possible. It only uses a small amount of electricity and will make it easier for rescuers to find you.
•Clear the Exhaust Pipe: Make sure the exhaust pipe is not clogged with snow, ice or mud. A blocked exhaust pipe can cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to leak into the passenger compartment of the vehicle while the engine is running.
•Stay Warm: Use whatever is available to insulate your body from the cold. This could include floor mats, newspapers or paper maps. Pre-pack blankets and heavy clothing to use in case of an emergency.
•Conserve Fuel: If possible, only run the engine and heater long enough to remove the chill. This will help to conserve fuel.

Michigan Auto Insurance Reform Update

Posted on December 16, 2019December 16, 2019 by Owen Rosen

Some Michigan auto insurance reform changes have already gone into effect. Others start in July 2020. With so many drivers unaware of the impact of the new law on their current car insurance policy, now is the time to review coverage. To help identify potential coverage gaps, please consider these questions:

• Are there drivers listed on your policy that do not reside with the named insured?
• Are there residents in the home that are not family members?
• Are there resident family members of driving age that are not listed on your policy?
• Is any vehicle on the policy owned by someone other than the named insured(s), spouse or resident family member?
• Does any driver not listed on the policy have regular use of one of the vehicles?
• Are any vehicles used for business purposes such as Uber or Lyft?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” your existing policy may have a gap in coverage and needs to be reviewed immediately. Please call us at 248-682-7445 to begin your policy review today.

Don’t Make These Mistakes

Posted on September 26, 2019September 26, 2019 by Owen Rosen

You bought a term life insurance policy, checked it off your to-do list and tucked it into a drawer. You’re good now, right?

Not so fast. Click here for the most common mistakes.

The Ins and Outs of General Liability Coverage: What’s Covered – And What’s Not

Posted on June 14, 2018 by Owen Rosen

As a small business owner, you have a lot on your plate. From accounting, to marketing and sales, to product development and inventory — the to-do list can seem never ending. That’s why it’s no surprise that details like liability insurance can so easily slip through the cracks, leaving your business financially vulnerable.

Unfortunately, nearly anyone your business interacts with can make claims against you. And without the right insurance protection, these claims could cripple your operation.

What General Liability Insurance Covers

General liability (GL) coverage can be part of a standalone policy or can be part of a business owner’s policy (BOP). This coverage safeguards your business’ finances and reputation in the event a customer or third party takes legal action against you or your employees.

The following are types of claims covered by a GL policy:

Bodily injury: If a third party is injured at your place of business (or as a result of work performed away from your business), your GL policy would cover costs, including medical expenses, lost wages, and any court-awarded compensation or out-of-court settlements.

Property: If your business’s actions result in damage to someone else’s property, your GL policy will cover costs to repair the damage. This applies to real estate, equipment, and supplies, as well as compensation for loss of use during the time it takes for the damaged property to be repaired or replaced.

Personal and advertising injury: If your business causes nonphysical damage to a third party through advertising tactics or other activities, your GL policy will cover these damages. However, coverage does not apply if your business intentionally makes a false statement knowing it will cause harm.

Additionally, if a lawsuit is filed against your business for a covered loss, your GL policy will also cover the legal costs to defend you in addition to your policy limits, including attorney fees and court costs.

GL coverage safeguards your business’s finances and reputation in the event a customer or third party takes legal action against you or your employees.

What General Liability Insurance Doesn’t Cover

GL coverage does have limits — both in dollar amounts and types of situations covered. This depends on a number of factors, including your specific industry and your business’s exposure to visitors and clients.

However, there are a few limits that apply to businesses across the board. GL does not cover the following types of damages:

Workplace injuries: GL normally doesn’t cover workplace injuries to employees. Instead, you’ll need workers compensation coverage, which is legally required by most states.

Damage to your own property: GL covers damages to other parties’ property, but it doesn’t cover your business’s property. Instead, you’ll need a business owner’s, inland marine, or commercial property policy.
Intentional damage: Damage done purposefully or maliciously is not covered under a GL policy.

Damage to client property in your care: GL does not cover damage to a customer’s property while it is in your care. Inland marine and other property coverages can provide this type of protection.

Professional mistakes: Mistakes resulting in a loss aren’t covered by GL. For instance, if your business misprints 10,000 books, general liability coverage won’t reimburse you for the cost of reprints. However, many insurers offer separate policies for businesses that require professional liability protection.

Damage to vehicles: This protection requires a commercial auto policy.

While general liability insurance won’t cover every incident and expense your business might face, it can protect your business from claims brought against you by third parties — and it’s a relatively inexpensive way to create peace of mind.