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Am I Eligible for a Disaster Relief Loan?

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, many individuals and small businesses are finding that federal funding is slow in coming, and not totally guaranteed in some cases. Many insurance companies are also struggling to react to the overwhelming volume, delaying the recovery process further. This has left some business owners sorely in need of immediate assistance in order to get back to the business of earning a living.

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Run of Hope

On September 30th, 2012, Parker Smith & Feek employees and their family members totaling 140 strong joined 2000 other runners for the Run of Hope. The annual 5k race, 3k walk raises money to aid the search for a cure for Pediatric Brain Cancer.

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Gleaners, Food Donations, and Protecting Your Good Nature

You’re in the food business, so what better way to show the Holiday Spirit than to do something with food, right? Not only does Parker Smith & Feek have clients who run restaurants and hotels, but also non-profit organizations with elaborate operations of food drives, donations, and distribution to the less fortunate all year long. Working together is what this season is all about, but there are certain insurance exposures you need to be aware of before you donate perishables.
Are You A Gleaner?

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The Holiday Food Donation Dilemma for Insurance

The need for clothing, household items, and food continues in our community, and there are many great organizations that help fill that role. The people providing this service are caring, dedicated volunteers. However, risk management may be the last thing the organization is thinking about. It is important to understand what your current insurance policy includes, and more importantly, may exclude.

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Does WA L&I Cover Out of State Workers?

My clients often ask the question, “I’ve got a job in [state other than WA]. I pay for L&I here, do I need to worry about worker’s comp there too?
My answer to that is, “In most cases, Yes.”

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Is Your Holiday Party Covered?

You’re having a holiday party to tell your employees how much you appreciate them. Hooray! However, the Driving Under the Influence (DUI) laws in Washington State have been changing so rapidly that it can make your head spin. It seems almost every month a business shows up in the news with a lawsuit naming them partially or fully liable for an accident that resulted in a DUI injury or death under the “dram shop” laws.

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Getting the Right Adjuster

When you have a sudden, major property loss, you follow the prescribed process for filing a claim with the insurance company; however, there are a few things you should consider. They most often assign an adjuster to work with you on the claim. This adjuster may or may not have the experience and understanding needed to make the claim and recovery process run smoothly.

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Ex-Mods Up, Ex-Mods Down – 2013 NCCI Changes

Workers Compensation insurers have long relied upon the theory that past results are the best indicator of future performance, and have utilized experience rating to increase or decrease an employer’s premium costs based on prior claims experience. As the underwriters’ actuaries would attest, frequency of claims is more indicative of a safe or unsafe workplace than severity, or cost, of those claims.

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L&I 2013 Workers’ Compensation Rates

After a tumultuous 2011 that threatened the very existence of the public Workers’ Compensation; monopoly in Washington, L&I has seen the path ahead and it is paved in eggshells. Thus, to everyone’s surprise they announced no raises in rates for 2013 despite their contingency reserve issues. This may leave you breathing a sigh of relief and moving on with your life and your business.

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How Do Your Employee Benefits Stack Up to the Big Boys?

In the tech industry, capturing and retaining the top employees in the market is hard enough. Coaxing them from a Fortune 500 company can seem like you’re a basketball team recruiting a European sports star; expensive with a lot of unknowns. Employee Benefits can be the factor that shore up your chances of capturing them.
The Big Boys

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How Concerned Should I Be About Cyber Fraud?

According to Information Week this month, cyber fraud; against medium and small businesses is up 42% this year over 2011. Cybercriminals can gain access to your sensitive banking information (account #, usernames, passwords) and start transferring large sums of cash out of business accounts.

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How Do You Protect From Coverage Gaps in Builder’s Risk Policies?

I am often asked “ Who is contractually responsible for placing Builder’s Risk Coverage on a construction project?” In the construction world, contractual obligations are established on paper and the trust is established with a handshake.

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