Lampton Engle Agency

Announcement: Erie Insurance Announces $200 Million in Immediate Relief for Customers

Broadening ERIE’s Financial Support for Personal and Commercial Auto Insurance Customers

Erie, Pa. (April 21, 2020) – Erie Insurance today announced it will provide $200 million in dividends directly to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in the 12 states and the District of Columbia where the company does business. This immediate relief represents about 30% of related auto insurance premiums over a two-month period or 5% of their annual premium.

Today’s announcement is in addition to the $200 million in rate reductions announced earlier this month.  Together these efforts provide a combined $400 million in immediate relief and longer-term rate reductions for ERIE auto insurance customers. This is in response to the significant decline in miles driven due to the stay-at-home directives for COVID-19.

ERIE plans to distribute checks to customers in mid-May 2020. There is no need for customers to call ERIE or their agent to request the payment. Checks will be mailed directly to customers with policies in force as of April 1, 2020.

“We are fortunate to have built up the financial strength we have over our 95 years that allows us to further support our customers during this challenging time,” said Erie Insurance President and CEO Tim NeCastro. “We stand by our customers during times of hardship and catastrophe and our response reflects who we’ve been for 95 years: a company that’s always there for our customers and a company that is truly Above All in Service.”

To further support local communities throughout its footprint, ERIE is also granting nearly $2.5 million to agents and branch offices to boost their charitable work in local communities.

“Our agents and employees have also stepped up to provide much-needed support to their local communities,” added NeCastro. “They’re feeding first responders and healthcare workers, purchasing gift cards from restaurants and retailers to thank those on the front lines and so much more. This infusion of funding will give them even more opportunities to continue these good works.”

In addition to these measures, the company also continues to help hundreds of individual customers each day with flexible payment and billing options, coverage adjustments and other steps aimed at addressing specific customer and community needs:

Flexible Payment and Billing Options

ERIE understands that each customer’s situation is unique and we continue to offer flexibility to customers facing hardship. ERIE agents can help customers with updating coverages. Customers can contact ERIE’s Customer Care team at (800) 458-0811 with assistance on delaying payment dates, adjusting installments, changing pay plans and waiving penalties and fees.  In addition, some billing requests including deferring payments and nonpay cancellations can also be requested through erieinsurance.com/help or through their ERIE Online Account.Customers can also access their personal lines and life policies, view current and previous invoices, pay their bill and monitor a claim through Online Account.

Making Life Insurance Attainable

For a limited time, Erie Family Life is offering applicants a path to life insurance coverage without the requirement of a paramedical exam. The option to waive the exam is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to maintain social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The waiver provides Erie Insurance customers the ability to obtain life insurance without in-person interaction. The offer is available for customers up to age 55 and policy face amounts up to $500,000.

Gift Card and Gift Certificate Reimbursement Coverage

Pending regulatory approval in several states, Erie Insurance is adding gift card and gift certificate reimbursement coverage to the company’s ErieSecure Home® policies. The additional feature, included at no additional cost, would reimburse customers for remaining balances on gift cards that can no longer be used at independently owned and operated local businesses due to business closures. There is no requirement that the business be insured by ERIE. While the additional protection was introduced to help promote buying new gift cards to help small businesses with their cash flows during this challenging time, it is not a temporary addition and will become part of ERIE’s base ErieSecure Home policies.

Support for Community COVID-19 Relief Efforts

Erie Insurance provided a lead gift to support a new COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund recently established in Erie, Pennsylvania. The COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund will directly support 501(c)(3) organizations in Erie County, Pennsylvania — the location of our headquarters — that are providing support to those in need, administering care for children, serving elderly populations who are most vulnerable and helping those suffering hardships and job loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Announcement: Rates here are among the lowest

“Rates here are among the lowest”

“The average Ohio homeowner insurance premium is projected to rise by 3.4 percent to $834 on average, more than $300 less than the national average and the ninth lowest in the U.S.  When it comes to our vehicles Ohio’s premiums are expected to increase 3.3% to $715 about $200 less than the national average – the 12th lowest in the country.  Despite rate hikes Ohioans still pay some of the lowest insurance rates in the nation.”

 

Source:  Dayton Daily News Sunday October 30, 2016 written by Rich Gillette

Announcement: Distracted Drivers: You Did WHAT Behind the Wheel?

People Admit to Odd Behavior in New Distracted Driving Survey

Read the full article on Eriesense.com

“A distraction is anything that causes a driver to take their eyes off the road, their hands off the wheel, or their mind off their primary task of driving safely,” said Doug Smith, senior vice president, Personal Lines, at Erie Insurance. “Our survey found drivers unfortunately are engaging in a wide range of distracting and potentially dangerous behaviors.”

ERIE's distracted driving survey revealed some pretty interesting things.

Announcement: Hondros College Announces July Instructor of the Month- Brian Lampton

Hondros College Announces

July Instructor of the Month- Brian Lampton

Brian Lampton has been a part of the insurance industry for 22 years. He began his career in insurance in 1990 when he heard through the University of Dayton Alumni placement office that there was an opening for an insurance agent. He has been teaching off and on now for 19 years. “I taught LUTC (life insurance) classes early on in my career,” says Brian. He has taught leadership classes through the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and taught other adult courses with the Greene County Career Center before coming to Hondros College.
Brian began teaching years ago to save money for his son’s college tuition. “My good friend and previous teacher, Ed White, told me it was a good gig and thought I would like teaching at Hondros,” says Lampton. Brian has been teaching at Hondros for three years now and says “Hondros has been great when dealing with my crazy schedule.”
“I enjoy teaching because I like meeting new people and hearing their stories. I find it interesting why people get into the insurance business and I like to hear their insurance stories,” says Lambert. His goal in his classes is to stress how difficult the state test is, and how important it is to study and prepare for it!
Lampton says “The insurance business is a people oriented service business and it can be very rewarding.” He enjoys working in the industry because he gets the opportunity to “meet and deal with a wide variety of people, all age groups, different social- economic backgrounds, and different cultures.”
Congratulations Brian for being this months Instructor of the Month!

Announcement: Brian Lampton recognized in Insurance Newsletter

Brian Lampton was singled out with customer appreciation in the July 27, 2011 edition of “The Bulletin.”

Great Agent…
Brian Lampton
Lampton-Engle & Associates, Columbus Branch

” I recently had a roof damage claim and some auto damage too, and I called to say how nice and helpful everyone involved was. Thank you, especially to my Agent Brian and [Claims Supervisor] Donna Carpenter.”

–Customer Jane B., via a phone conversation with Branch Manager Joe Wilkerson

[ Newsletter ]

Beavercreek Homeowner Insurance News- Mold in Homes

Mold In Homes

411_MoldInHomes pdf
Mold continues to be in the news, somewhere in the nation, on a daily basis. Mold spores are, literally, everywhere and usually cause no concern. However, when the conditions are right, mold can begin to grow, and  if that occurs inside of a home or other structure, it is always a concern and can be a real problem.
The molds that cause problems in homes need just three things to grow:
– Food – Anything that used to be alive (wood, cardboard, paper, wool, silk, leather, etc.).
– Temperature – These molds thrive in the range of 68°F to 86°F (the same range we typically keep our homes).
– Water – Very little is needed. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that indoor humidity above 60% is sufficient to allow mold to develop.
Since our homes normally contain a lot of potential mold “food,” and are normally kept at a temperature conducive to mold growth, all that is missing is water.
Water is also the most likely cause of damage to property across the nation. It includes everything from overflowing sinks, to leaky or broken pipes/hoses, to drain or sewer back-ups, to over-ground water from heavy rains or river/coastal flooding. If the water is in contact with any form of dirt (remember, flood waters certainly contain lots of “dirt”), then the growth can occur even more quickly since dirt always includes organic material – “mold food.”
In all cases, water damage must be remediated quickly and thoroughly or it will result in mold growth. Complete drying, back to normal conditions, is very important since any excess moisture will result in mold growth.
Mold is often seen as obvious “growth” or even “discoloration” on materials like paper or wood. Colors can range from white to orange and from green to brown and black, and it gives off the well-known “musty/moldy” smell.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), The Institute of Medicine (IOM) “found there was sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, coughing, and wheezing in otherwise healthy people. The IOM also found limited or suggestive evidence linking indoor mold exposure and respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children.”
The CDC recommends that all molds found in the indoor environment be eliminated, adding, “Generally, it is not necessary to identify the species of mold growing in a residence, and the CDC does not recommend routine sampling for molds.” Since all molds have the potential to cause allergic or allergic-like symptoms in people, especially highly susceptible individuals, they should be eliminated whenever they are found. Knowing the name of the mold does not change anything since the same safety precautions should be used whenever remediating mold, regardless of the “name.”

Mold Prevention Tips

There is no practical way to eliminate all of the mold spores in an indoor environment. But there are many ways to help control moisture and mold growth in your home. The basic rule is: if you can see or smell mold, take steps to eliminate the excess moisture, and to clean and remove any mold. It is very important to quickly identify and correct any moisture sources before health problems develop.
Stop The Water
  • Fix leaks in pipes and any damp area around tubs and sinks so mold spores don’t have a growing environment.
  • If you rebuild or remodel, do so with water-resistant building materials such as tile, stone, deep-sealed concrete, waterproof wallboard, water-resistant glues, etc.
  • Prevent seepage of water from the outdoors into your house. It’s important to have rainwater from gutters or the roof drain away from the house. The ground around the house needs to slope away to keep the basement and crawl space dry.
  • Ventilate any crawl space as much as possible to allow for thorough drying
Keep It Dry
  • Reduce the moisture in the air with dehumidifiers, fans and open windows or air conditioners, especially in hot weather. Do NOT use fans if mold may already exist; a fan will spread the mold spores.
  • Try to keep the humidity in your home below 40%.
  • In moisture-prone areas, consider easy-to-clean, water-resistant floor coverings, such as vinyl or stone tile.
  • Reduce potential for condensation on cold surfaces by insulating.
Dealing With Mold
  • If you discover mold, the first step is to find and eliminate the water source, as above.
  • Then, if it is a small area (less than about 10 sq ft), and you feel comfortable, clean the mold with a detergent solution and thoroughly dry all materials.
  • If it is larger than 10 sq ft, consider calling a professional mold remediation company, such as PuroClean, the Paramedics of Property Damage™. Their well-trained, professional technicians understand and apply industry standard approaches to remediate mold completely, while being as safe for your home and your family as possible.
Regardless of the circumstances – dealing with mold, water damage, fire/smoke damage, or biohazard remediation – call your local PuroClean office, the Paramedics of Property Damage™. For all property damage situations, these professionals are standing by. They will mitigate the loss to prevent further damage and will then provide restoration services to return the property to a pre-loss condition as quickly as possible. All PuroClean offices have well-trained professional technicians who provide the latest state-of-the-science services to all property damaged from water, fire, smoke, mold, and other disasters.
written by
Will Southcombe
Director of Technical Services,
PuroClean Headquarters
Master of Arts,
Master of Business Management,
Water Restoration Technician,
Applied Structural Drying,
Certified Microbial Remediator
PuroClean Emergency Services
Servicing Dayton, Springfield,
Cincinnati & Surrounding Areas
(937) 401-9700            (513) 897-8990
(866) 791-PURO (7876)

Brought to you by:
Brian Lampton
1326 Parkway Ct
Beavercreek, 45432(937) 427-8444
www.lamptonengleagency.com
[email protected]