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2154 North Rd SW
Snellville, GA 30078

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The Importance of Comprehensive and Collision Coverage

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At Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA, we are experts in the field of insurance. We understand that insurance terminology can seem like a foreign language. Therefore, we aim to simplify coverage for our clients so that you can have confidence that you have great coverage to protect you and your family when traveling hazardous roadways.

Many people hear the terms comprehensive and collision and aren’t sure what they mean or if they need them on their insurance policies. Because some carriers do not adequately explain these terms, many consumers choose the cheapest coverage available. However, going without these coverages may not provide your family with the best financial security, leaving you vulnerable to potential risks on the road.

Understanding Collision Coverage

Collision coverage on your auto insurance policy allows you to have your vehicle repaired after being in a car accident where you collided with another car, tree, guardrail, or other stationary object and caused damage to your vehicle. Collision coverage often requires you to pay a deductible (your part of the repair costs). The deductible is an agreed-upon amount you selected when you purchased or last made changes to your auto policy before the accident. For example, suppose you have $2000 worth of damage to your car after a collision, and your deductible is $500. In that case, you will pay the repair shop your part, and the insurance company will pay the repair company $1500.

What is Comprehensive Coverage?

Comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance policy works the same way with deductibles. However, it covers incidents from falling objects, theft, vandalism, hail damage, wind damage, flooding, windshield breakage, etc. Comprehensive is often labeled as "Other Than Collision" on most auto policies because they cover many incidents unless otherwise listed on an auto policy in the conditions section of your policy documents.

Both coverages are good to have if you are still making payments on your vehicle so that you can get it repaired to keep it operable, if you have a newer car, or only have one vehicle to ensure that no matter the incident or accident, you are able to get your car fixed and back on the road.

More Information on Comprehensive and Collision Coverages

For more information on comprehensive and collision coverages and to discuss your unique situation with an industry expert, give us a call at Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA, at (770) 765-1945.

How Umbrella Insurance Complements Existing Insurance Policies in Georgia

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Living in Georgia allows one to experience diverse lifestyles, landscapes, and cultures within one state. Although traditional insurance policies like homeowners and auto insurance provide essential protections, umbrella insurance can provide an additional layer of security. Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA, is ready to help you understand more about umbrella insurance.

Comprehensive Coverage Options

Specific policies like auto and homeowners insurance provide coverage for particular assets. However, an umbrella insurance policy extends to numerous situations and scenarios. This includes various incidents ranging from liability to personal incidents involving libel and even slander.

Enhanced Liability Protection

Umbrella insurance is ideal for Georgians seeking more liability coverage beyond the limits of their existing primary policies. It can cover damages exceeding policy limits, such as lawsuits, accidents, or property damage.

A Cost-Effective Risk Management Tool

Umbrella insurance is a wise decision in Georgia as a cost-effective measure to protect yourself, your home, and your personal assets. It provides an economy compared to investing in separate policies, making this option a practical solution to reduce monthly costs while providing year-round protection for all investments.

At Toney Insurance Services, we take pride in providing the best umbrella insurance plans for all our clients throughout Georgia. If you’re located near Snellville, GA and are interested in discovering an optimum umbrella insurance policy, we can help. Contact Toney Insurance Services today for your quote and to find an umbrella insurance policy that best suits your needs.

Common Boat Insurance Exclusions: What’s Not Covered?

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Boating is a fantastic way to enjoy the open waters, but it’s critical to understand your boat insurance, too. At Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA, we are often asked about what boat insurance covers and doesn’t. Understanding exclusions can help you avoid unpleasant surprises.

Wear and Tear

Typically, wear and tear is a common exclusion in boat insurance policies. Like cars, boats experience natural degradation over time. Regular maintenance issues such as rust, corrosion, and general aging are usually not covered. This highlights the importance of consistent maintenance to keep your boat in good condition and avoid expensive out-of-pocket repair costs.

Damage from Marine Life

When boating, encounters with marine life are inevitable. Nonetheless, damage caused by marine creatures like sharks, whales, or even smaller organisms like mussels and barnacles is generally not covered. You might have to pay for repairs if your boat sustains damage due to these natural encounters.

Faulty Machinery

Another exclusion to be aware of in your policy is damage caused by faulty machinery or mechanical breakdown. If your boat’s engine fails or another mechanical part malfunctions, insurance often won’t cover the cost of repairs or replacement. Routine inspections and maintenance can help minimize the potential risk of mechanical issues.

Intentional Damage or Negligence

Insurance policies generally exclude intentional damage or negligence. This includes accidents resulting from reckless behavior or disregard of safety guidelines. Following boating regulations and using your boat responsibly is vital to safeguarding your coverage and protecting everyone on board.

Grasping these common exclusions can help you navigate your boat insurance policy more effectively. At Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA, we’re committed to clarifying your coverage and ensuring you have the protection you need on the water. Do you have questions or need a policy review? Contact us today and sail with confidence.

The Importance of Regularly Reviewing and Updating Your Auto Insurance Policy

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At Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA, we understand how time-consuming finding the right auto insurance policy can be. Instead of shopping around for something new, consider looking at your current auto insurance policy, particularly if some time has passed since your last review. Here’s why:

You Experienced Life Changes

Your personal circumstances may have changed since you last updated your insurance policy. In the incessant turbulence of life, updating your auto policy could easily fall to the bottom of your priorities. However, reviewing your policy gives you peace of mind by ensuring you’re adequately covered in case you need financial support. Life changes that may prompt a policy review include:

  • A child beginning to drive.
  • Your grown child moving out and getting their own policy
  • An address change affecting the vehicle’s garaging address
  • Experiencing a divorce

To Check If You Have Adequate Coverage

If you’ve bought a new vehicle but kept the same coverage you had for your older car, you might need more comprehensive coverage to protect your new purchase adequately. Reviewing your policy can also help identify whether you’re still paying for a vehicle you’ve sold or one no longer in use. This could be an opportunity to switch to a less expensive coverage, especially if you’ve paid off a vehicle and don’t need certain coverages to satisfy your lienholder anymore, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars each year.

You Could Save Money

Given the rising insurance costs, reviewing your policy with your current provider could provide insights into available savings. It doesn’t hurt to inquire. If the current policy is unsatisfactory, shopping around with other companies to see if you qualify for additional discounts not available on your current policy can be worthwhile.

We Are Here To Help

At Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA, reviewing your policy or shopping for auto insurance is easy. We respect your time and budget. Call us today at 770-765-1945.

Do I Need Umbrella Insurance?

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If you are concerned that your auto and home insurance don’t provide enough coverage, umbrella insurance provides financial protection from excess liability claims. We offer reliable umbrella insurance at Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA.  

The Basics of Umbrella Insurance

Insurance policies have coverage limits. This is the maximum amount your policy will pay for a claim. However, liability judgments can cost more than the coverage limits of your policy. 

Umbrella insurance is designed to protect you from catastrophic liability claims. Generally, umbrella insurance picks up where your standard auto or home policy stops. 

For example, you are responsible for a 10-car accident. The costs add up to $1 million in damages. However, your auto policy only covers $500,000. In this case, without umbrella insurance, you would be responsible for the remaining $500,000. Umbrella insurance will cover the remaining $500,000. 

Requirements for Umbrella Insurance 

You must have the maximum coverage limits on your auto and home policies to get umbrella insurance. This reduces the risk that you will need your umbrella policy. 

Considering Net Worth  

Experts typically recommend getting umbrella insurance if your net worth is more than $500,000. You can determine your net worth by adding all your assets. This includes any property you own, retirement accounts, and bank accounts. Then, subtract any debt you have. This is your net worth. 

You should have an umbrella policy equal to or greater than your net worth. This protects your assets from any liability judgment against you. 

However, it would be best if you also considered your future financial security. A liability judgment can include future earnings as well as your current assets.  

Umbrella Insurance at Toney Insurance Services

If you need umbrella insurance in Alabama, contact us at Toney Insurance Services. Our agents are waiting to discuss your needs and help you select the best policy for your situation. 

Understanding Water Damage Coverage in Your Home Insurance Policy

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Homeowners insurance helps protect families against expensive losses from unexpected events like theft, vandalism, fire, and other hazards. Many people believe their homeowner’s insurance protects them from flood damage, but this is not always true. At Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA, we can help you understand the water damage coverage in your homeowners insurance policy.

Water Damage Your Homeowners Policy Will Cover

Your policy will generally cover water damage that occurs inside the house, such as when your washing machine or dishwasher overflows, a pipe bursts in extreme cold, or a roof leak that allows water inside your home. It will also cover damage from water used to put out a fire or from ice dams that occur in cold climates. Water damage from a swimming pool leak or sump pump failure is not covered under standard homeowners insurance.

Flood Insurance Is A Different Type of Coverage

Homeowners’ insurance generally does not cover damage from water outside the home, such as flash flooding or a sewer backup. For this type of water damage, you will need a flood insurance policy, which will cover damage to the building and much of its contents. If you live in an area prone to flooding, your mortgage holder may require you to have flood insurance in addition to standard homeowners insurance.

Choose Toney Insurance Services For Your Homeowners Insurance

The experienced agents at Toney Insurance Service in Snellville, GA, can provide detailed information on coverage in your standard homeowners insurance policy and advise you on whether additional insurance is advisable. Contact Toney Insurance Services today for a no-obligation quote on homeowners insurance to protect your property in case of unexpected water damage.

Make Sure Your Boat Insurance Covers These On-Water Events

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Boating is a delightful sport, but it comes with inherent risks. While boat insurance can’t prevent accidents, it is a vital safeguard if unexpected incidents occur while enjoying the lakes or rivers around Snellville, GA. When seeking boat insurance, it is essential to ensure it covers the following on-water events.

On-Water Towing

One crucial feature to look for in your boat insurance policy is on-water towing. Similar to roadside assistance for your vehicle, on-water towing provides help if your boat breaks down or cannot function. Depending on the policy, it could cover scenarios like damage, mechanical failure, and even running out of fuel.

Having this protection ensures you can get towed to safety without incurring significant out-of-pocket expenses. Our team at Toney Insurance Services can assist you in reviewing policies and their coverages.

Submerged Boat Recovery

If your boat sinks or becomes submerged, the costs associated with raising, removing, or salvaging it can be astronomical. Often, it becomes imperative to salvage it regardless of whether you decide to reuse it, as leaving it submerged can damage the surrounding ecosystem.

Many boat insurance policies offer submerged boat recovery as a standard or optional protection. This could help you circumvent these exorbitant recovery costs should your boat sink.

Fuel Spill Liability

In the unfortunate event of an accident or sinking, your boat could leak fuel and oil into the water. This leakage may lead to environmental damage, cleanup costs, and potential legal action. Fuel spill liability coverage can protect you from such potential fines and consequences.

Investing in Comprehensive Boat Insurance

At Toney Insurance Services, we understand the significance of having varied coverages in your boat insurance policy. If you’re located in GA, allow us to assist you in securing comprehensive boat insurance equipped with these important protections.

What Is Auto Insurance Fraud?

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Common Forms of Auto Insurance Fraud

Auto insurance fraud takes numerous forms, ranging from false claims to excessive charges by policyholders or repair service providers, all aiming for illicit financial gain. Although illegal across all states, we at Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA provide an overview of the most prevalent auto fraud types.

Inflating Repair Costs After a Collision

Certain unscrupulous repair shops and collision repair companies may deliberately inflate the cost of necessary vehicular fixes. Overcharging for parts or exaggerating repair times to increase the repair costs they submit to your insurance company constitutes fraud.

Vehicle Dumping

Vehicle owners keen to avoid repair-related issues may resort to various deceptive practices such as disposing of their car, declaring it stolen, selling it off, or even damaging it intentionally to submit a fraudulent claim to their insurer.

False Registration

Some owners may use an alternate address to secure lower premiums in regions with exorbitantly high insurance rates. However, unless they actually live at the stated location, using an alternate address constitutes fraud, inviting serious penalties.

Faulty Airbag Replacement and Windshield Repairs

Unfortunately, some mechanics opt for dishonest practices by claiming payment for replacing deployed airbags that they never actually replaced, thereby defrauding insurance companies. Similarly, some companies claiming to offer on-the-spot windshield repairs often provide temporary fixes and require subsequent servicing.

Reliable Auto Insurance Solutions

If you have any queries regarding insurance fraud or suspect you might be its victim, don’t hesitate to contact us at Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA.

Will umbrella insurance cover things that my business insurance doesn’t cover?

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Many business owners understand the benefits that commercial or business insurance provides. For most, handling many day-to-day operations, as well as unexpected incidents, could cause many businesses to go under. However, as with any insurance policy, there are limits to how far and how much a business insurance policy will cover. Some businesses may be more vulnerable if they have operations that carry more risk. However, there may be other reasons why umbrella insurance is important. Our team at Toney Insurance Services is committed to helping Snellville, GA business owners understand umbrella insurance and the benefits it provides.

What is umbrella insurance?

Umbrella insurance is secondary or backup insurance. In other words, if you have a lawsuit or some other unexpected or serious event taking place that exceeds the limits of your primary business insurance, your umbrella insurance policy will cover whatever your primary policy doesn’t cover. Interestingly, in some situations, umbrella insurance can also work as a primary insurance policy if your primary insurance doesn’t cover something. 

Will umbrella insurance cover things that my business insurance doesn’t cover?

Yes. If your primary insurance doesn’t cover something, it’s likely that your umbrella insurance will cover it as long as it meets the terms of your insurance policy. However, it is possible that your umbrella insurance policy and your primary insurance policy won’t cover an event or situation. This is why it’s a good idea to become very familiar with the terms of any insurance policy to ensure that you get the coverage you need. Speaking with an insurance agent and discussing your business needs as well as your business vulnerabilities and possible vulnerabilities makes it easier to get the coverage you need to fit your unique situation.

Schedule A Consultation Today

If you have questions about umbrella insurance, call us at Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA. We’d be happy to discuss your options. 

Preparing your Georgia home for winter

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Winters in Georgia can be unpredictable. It can get quite cold even if snow and ice are not common occurrences. If it rains and then gets cold, ice can be a serious issue for drivers and just walking to get into your vehicle. At Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA we take the safety of our customers seriously, and we make sure that one thing they don’t have to worry about is having the right home insurance. 

 Preparing your Georgia home for winter

Exterior water sources need to be winterized

In Georgia, many people have sprinkler systems for their lawns. These need to be winterized to make sure that none of them burst if they freeze with water in them. Disconnect and store any outdoor hoses and turn off the water to outdoor spigots. 

Tune up heating

No matter what type of heating system you have, you probably haven’t used it for months, and it needs to be cleaned and tuned up, and the filters need to be changed. You want it to perform when you need it. 

Clean the chimney

If you have a fireplace that you enjoy using in the winter, getting the chimney cleaned yearly helps to reduce your risk of a chimney fire. 

Get trees trimmed

With the advent of winter weather, the potential for storms that can include ice increases, and if you have a tree with branches large enough to cause damage to your home or vehicle, getting any dead or damaged limbs removed before winter can save you a lot of grief. 

Plug the leaks

Make sure that your windows and doors are not letting your heat escape. 

Consult With Us

Contact Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA when it is time to review your home insurance or if you are a new homeowner. We can help make sure you have the coverage you need. 

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