Is RV Insurance Required in Oregon?

You are ready to head out on the highway in your new RV, otherwise known as a recreational vehicle, but to do it with the peace of mind you deserve, you will need to obtain the proper RV insurance policy. The agents at Linda Dugan Insurance in Astoria, OR have the knowledge and experience with RV insurance to put you on the right road.

RV Liability Insurance

The state of Oregon, like nearly every other state in the United States, requires that all RV owners have at least a liability insurance policy that will cover injuries to people sustained in an accident deemed to be your fault and any property damage you may cause. Also, you must have liability insurance that will cover anyone that is visiting your RV and is injured in some type of mishap, such as a fall.

Collision Coverage

Collision insurance will cover damages and injuries that can occur if you are involved in an accident with another vehicle or an object. For example, if you back your RV into a camper at a campground you are staying at, this part of your insurance policy will cover damages to your RV and the other person’s camper.

Comprehensive Coverage

This type of insurance will cover your RV if it is damaged or destroyed due to a fire, vandalism, or natural disaster, such as a tornado. Comprehensive insurance will also help you replace your RV if it is stolen and can also cover your personal property inside your RV.

Call for a Quote

To obtain the perfect RV insurance policy that fits your situation, call upon the RV insurance agents at Linda Dugan Insurance in Astoria, OR today!

Who should get health insurance?

Those that are in the Astoria, OR area should spend time every so often considering their personal insurance needs. One form of insurance that all people here need to get is health insurance. This type of insurance can provide you with access to affordable healthcare. There are several reasons why everyone in this area should get health insurance coverage.

Insurance Gives Access to Care

The main reason that people in this area of Oregon should get health insurance is that it will provide them with access to affordable care. If you are ever become sick or hurt and need to see a doctor or have a procedure, the cost can be significant if you do not have health insurance. Additionally, those that are not insured are far less likely to see a doctor for regular visitations, which can encourage a less healthy overall lifestyle and will preclude you from getting important prescription medication. 

Insurance is a Legal Requirement

Another reason that everyone should get some form of health insurance is that it is now a legal requirement. For the past few years, all people have been required by law to have insurance for themselves and their dependents. If you do not have the right coverage in place, you will be penalized at the end of the year as you will need to provide evidence of insurance coverage when filing your taxes. 

There are a lot of options to consider when looking for health insurance in the Astoria, OR area. When you are looking for your next policy, you should call Linda Dugan Insurance. The health insurance team at Linda Dugan Insurance understands the complexities that come with a health insurance policy. They can help you understand your options and choose the right policy for your situation.

Three advantages you’ll enjoy by investing in umbrella insurance today

Taking out an umbrella insurance policy can benefit consumers in Astoria, OR in numerous ways. We provide umbrella insurance coverage at Linda Dugan Insurance. 

The following are three advantages you can enjoy by investing in umbrella insurance today.

Umbrella insurance offers greater financial security.

You face financial risks if you don’t carry umbrella coverage. You could face a liability lawsuit that could end up costing you a great deal.

Umbrella insurance provides you with financial security. With this type of coverage, you keep your finances more stable regardless of what happens down the road. 

Umbrella insurance protects your net worth.

Those who have a lot of assets to protect are especially at risk of being targets for lawsuits. Unfortunately, your net worth can be severely decreased or even wiped out quickly if you face a lawsuit.

With umbrella insurance coverage, you’re protecting your assets. If you do face a costly lawsuit, your umbrella insurance coverage will cover the costs. This way, you don’t have to pay out of your own pocket and lose your hard-earned assets as the result of a lawsuit. 

Umbrella insurance prevents unexpected financial setbacks.

It’s good to be able to plan for the future. Unfortunately, your plans for the future can fall apart quickly if you face a lawsuit and you don’t have umbrella insurance coverage.

With umbrella insurance coverage, you minimize the chances that you’ll face a severe financial setback. You have coverage to fall back on if an unexpected accident occurs for which you are held liable. 

We can provide you with more helpful information on the many advantages umbrella insurance coverage can offer you in Astoria, OR. Contact us at Linda Dugan Insurance to learn more. 

What type of life insurance should I get?

Anyone that lives in the Astoria, OR area will have many different types of insurance that they need to obtain. One very important form of insurance that anyone here needs to consider getting is life insurance. This form of insurance will provide protection to your dependents. There are two common forms of life insurance you should consider when picking your next policy.

Term Life Insurance

A very common form of life insurance that many people choose today is term life insurance. When you get a term life insurance policy, you will be able to build a policy based on your personal needs. This will include having a coverage amount for a defined period of time, which could range for over 25 years. Compared to other forms of coverage, this is the more affordable option in many cases. However, coverage will end once the term of the policy is over.

Whole Life Insurance

Another type of insurance that you can consider getting is whole life insurance. When you get this insurance, you will obtain coverage for the rest of your life if you want to have it. While premiums tend to be more than with term life, some of your payment will grow and accrue in an account that you could liquidate in the future. This can make it a good addition to any financial plan.

As you are shopping for life insurance in and around Astoria, OR, you should call Linda Dugan Insurance. Choosing a new policy is never easy and you are bound to have a lot of questions. If you do call Linda Dugan Insurance, you can learn a lot more about your different options. This could help to ensure that you choose a policy that is right for your situation. 

Commercial Insurance Requirements in Oregon

Owning a small business is not for the faint of heart with many people staking their livelihoods on the success of their company. Consequently, it is imperative that business owners protect their most important and likely largest investment by choosing a commercial insurance policy that best fits their needs and includes enough liability coverage to protect themselves against a worst-case scenario.

Specific to Oregon, business owners are required to carry commercial insurance to protect both their business, employees, and third parties. No matter whether you have full-time or part-time employees, you are required to have workers’ compensation insurance which helps pay the medical bills associated with an employee’s workplace injury or illness. Additionally, if your business owns any vehicles then you must have commercial auto insurance meeting at least Oregon state minimums for liability coverage. Although not required, if your employees utilize their personal vehicles for business use, then their auto insurance is unlikely to cover them while on the clock making it imperative that you purchase hired and non-owned auto insurance.

At Linda Dugan Insurance in Astoria, OR our friendly team of knowledgeable insurance experts will take the time to learn about your business so we can recommend a customized commercial insurance policy that exceeds your expectations. After hearing your needs, we can help make recommendations about additional policies like cyber liability insurance or malpractice coverage that may make sense for your business. Shopping for insurance does not have to be complicated and we strive to make it a simple process so give us a call today to learn about our commercial insurance policies and we promise to deliver exceptional service in a timely fashion.

Add-ons to Home Insurance

Few people do as we counsel and consult with an insurance agent to create a custom homeowners’ insurance policy. That is why we at Linda Dugan Insurance wanted to offer this blog to explain the add-ons to a standard home insurance policy your Astoria, OR home might need. While a standard homeowners’ policy covers the major named perils and provides for an average person’s liability level that may not fit your life and your needs.

This blog explains the three most common options a homeowner has to increase coverage of a standard homeowners’ policy. You could add the following:

  • other structures coverage,
  • increasing liability coverage,
  • adding liability coverage for a home-based business.

Other Structures Coverage

Your property consists of more than just your house. You also have a driveway, walkway, and perhaps a porch, patio, fence, retaining wall, shed, workshop, pool house, swimming pool, etc. Your home policy can cover these, too. Some standard policies include a tiny bit of other structures coverage – about 10 percent of the house’s total value. This may not cover your other structures completely though. If your home valuation put its value at $150,000 you would have about $15,000 of cover for other structures. If a derecho or tornado struck your property, tearing down your workshop, fence, and swimming pool, you would not have enough coverage to re-build all three and replace the equipment inside the workshop.

Increasing Personal Property Coverage

You might need to increase the level of personal property coverage for your home. You would need added coverage if you have an expensive hobby like photography or vast audio-visual equipment for a home theater. Storing family heirlooms or expensive jewelry on the property provides another reason to add to your property coverage. Doing so ensures that your insurance covers your loss in full if a named peril like a tornado occurs.

Adding to Your Liability Coverage

If you run a home-based business or regularly hold meetings at your home for your business, increase this coverage. Your standard home liability covers personal visits, but not conducting business from your home. Your insurance agent can tailor the coverage to include business coverage.

You can protect your Astoria, OR home and Linda Dugan Insurance can help. Contact us today for more information on customizing your home insurance.

Why add comprehensive and collision to the state minimum required insurance?

When you purchase your state minimum auto insurance from Linda Dugan Insurance, you protect yourself from liability if you cause an accident on the road. But we want Astoria, OR residents to understand why they need the elective coverages, too, like comprehensive and collision.

When you add comprehensive and collision coverage to your policy, you protect your vehicle and your investment. The state requires you to carry insurance that protects the other people on the road, but comprehensive and collision insurance protects you. It pays you to repair or replace your vehicle when it incurs damage.

Let’s say your vehicle gets struck by lightning. Your comprehensive coverage pays for that as an act of God. Many of the named perils in insurance policies are called “acts of God.” It simply means occurrences for which the insured could not have planned. Since you cannot sue the lightning as you could if someone had struck your vehicle, the insurance pays for the repairs needed. Other perils typically included in this type of coverage include hail, wind, hurricane, wildfire, and earthquake.

Collision covers repair or replacement of your vehicle if you hit a mailbox, fence, etc. Although it was your error in driving, the insurance still pays.
Adding these two types of policy coverage typically constitutes full coverage. You might also want to add a few other coverages though. Underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection  (PIP), and rental car coverage all prove very useful if you have an accident.

Underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage helps you pay for repairs or replacement of your vehicle if the person at fault for the accident did not have insurance or had too little coverage.

PIP coverage helps pay your medical bills if the person at fault for the accident did not have insurance or if you caused an accident in which you or your vehicle’s passengers incurred injuries. If you hit a tree, your collision covers the damage to the car, but not your medical bills. PIP covers medical bills.

Rental car coverage pays for your rental car while your vehicle undergoes repairs or you wait for the insurance money to purchase a new vehicle. The coverage usually includes a time limit, such as a week, but you can increase that by adding coverage. This does increase the premium.

Contact Linda Dugan Insurance serving Astoria, OR for more information on the importance of full coverage auto insurance. Let us help you create the auto insurance policy that serves all of your needs.

What Are Toy Insurance Options?

When many people think of toy insurance, they think of the type of insurance policy that will cover collections of toys that are worth some amount of money but there is actually a more common and more widely used form of toy insurance that covers recreational vehicles that many people have purchased. Those types of toys include motorcycles, four-wheelers, all-terrain vehicles, and even boats. If you have invested money in one of these fun toys, you will definitely want to protect your investment by obtaining a toy insurance policy.

What Does It Cover?

For your recreational and fun toys, you can obtain liability coverage in the case of an accident happening. This type of policy will cover not only any bodily injuries sustained by others involved in the accident but also property damage that may be caused by a crash. You can also obtain collision insurance, which means if you hit an object, such as a pole or building, or another vehicle, this policy will cover the damages. A comprehensive policy will replace or repair your toy if it is damaged in a fire, by vandalism, or stolen in a theft incident. This type of policy also covers your boat, ATV, or other toys is it is damaged in a natural disaster, such as a hailstorm or tornado. It is also a good idea to obtain a policy, referred to as an underinsured or uninsured motorist policy, that will cover your toy if it is damaged by another driver who does not have an insurance policy at all or not enough coverage to replace or repair your toy when it is damaged.

The Need For Toy Insurance

You will want to obtain a toy insurance policy to cover the items you hold dear to you and have fun with. You have spent time and money to purchase your toy and you deserve the peace of mind that is provided when you have an insurance policy to cover it.

To create the best toy insurance policy for you and your situation, contact the toy insurance agents at Linda Dugan Insurance in Astoria, OR today for an appointment to set up your policy.

How to Implement Better Boat Safety in Astoria, OR

Getting out on the water in Astoria, OR is not exactly difficult. Your proximity makes it nearly impossible not to have some sort of watercraft available, so you can really make the most of your beautiful location. But water can be one of the most dangerous things on the planet if you’re not careful. Linda Dugan Insurance wants you to know more about how you can improve your boat safety long before you set out for an adventure. 

Think It Through 

Boat safety starts with really going through every scenario. From life preservers to escape routes to emergency services, you really need to think about the resources you have and how they can be applied in any given situation. Someone who can’t swim very well may need a very different plan than someone who was a former lifeguard. 

Repetition Works 

In an extreme situation, repetition is the best way to combat panic. The more people are afraid, the more likely they are to forget the plan. Going over the safety plan should be done regularly, ideally to the point where people can do it in their sleep. The more comfortable people feel with each scenario, the more likely it is that they’ll go into autopilot rather than overthinking every possible danger in front of them. 

Boat insurance can’t prevent every dangerous situation in Astoria, OR, but it can go a long way toward restoring your boat after something occurs. With the right help, you can get the repairs you need to keep your boat safe when it’s on the water. If you have questions about boat insurance, call Linda Dugan Insurance today to find out more about what kinds of policies are available to you and your watercraft. 

What Kind of RV Coverage Do You Need?

As an RV owner in Astoria OR, you know you need RV insurance to protect your valuable investment. You may not know, however, what kind of RV coverage to obtain. At Linda Dugan Insurance, we can guide you in making good RV insurance choices to suit your lifestyle. Here are a few tips for choosing the RV coverage you need.

Protection for Your RV

Whether you’ve taken out a loan for your RV or own it outright, you’ll want coverage to protect your investment. This is where collision, comprehensive, and uninsured motorist coverage comes into play.

Collision covers the cost of repairing your RV if it’s damaged in a crash. Comprehensive protects you against RV theft and covers damage caused by inclement weather, animal strikes, vandalism, and other non-collision events. Uninsured motorist protects you against uninsured and hit and run drivers.

Protection for Others

RV liability insurance covers damage to others in RV accidents that are your fault. It covers others’ medical injuries and property damage, so these funds don’t have to come from your own pocket. A serious RV accident could cause a lot of damage to others. That’s why it’s important not to skimp on liability coverage. Liability coverage is also the only type of RV insurance required by Oregon law.

Specialized Coverage

If you live in your RV year-round or travel extensively, you’re at greater risk of theft, damage, or loss. You may want extra coverage like:

  • Personal property & attachment to protect personal items in or attached to your RV
  • Vacation liability to cover accidents in or around your RV when you’re at a campground
  • Replacement cost coverage to cover the cost of replacing your RV if it’s totaled in a crash.

To purchase RV coverage in Astoria, OR, call or visit Linda Dugan Insurance today.