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2154 North Rd SW
Snellville, GA 30078

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What does no fault insurance mean for drivers?

A no-fault insurance state is one where drivers in an accident do not need to prove who caused the accident. Georgia is not a no-fault state, so it is important to understand how that affects you as a driver. At Toney Insurance Services, we help Snellville, GA drivers understand their risks and responsibilities.

Being At Fault In An Accident Can Have Long-Term Consequences

Almost every state requires drivers to carry auto insurance. If you are found driving without auto insurance, you can face penalties ranging from fines to license suspension to incarceration. 

If you are found to be at fault in an accident that had injuries or damages of at least $500, that accident will go on your driving record. That can affect your insurance rate and even your employment opportunities.

How To Document Your Accident

The first thing you always need to do after an accident is move somewhere safe and check for injuries. However, as soon as you can, you should call for a police report.

When an accident gathers information for a report, it will include a wealth of information, such as the drivers’ data including insurance, the location and weather conditions, and the believed cause of the accident. This permanent report can preserve your claim that you did not cause the accident.

Protect Yourself

Go ahead and take your own pictures and gather the other drivers’ and witnesses’ information yourself. Document anything related to the cause of the accident, such as whether the other driver broke a traffic law or was on the phone during the accident.

Schedule A Consultation Today

Florida is across the border and is a no-fault state, so you need to have your own insurance to protect yourself if you visit from Snellville, GA. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your options, please call Toney Insurance Services today.

How does umbrella insurance work?

Anyone can benefit from umbrella insurance and you will be surprised how affordable it is, especially considering the level of protection it provides. You can buy umbrella insurance for yourself and for your business as long as you get separate policies. 

Umbrella insurance acts like an umbrella over all your assets, including your property and automobiles. Most umbrella insurance policies are sold in increments of $1 million, which is obviously a great deal of protection. At Toney Insurance Services, we help our Snellville, GA clients reach the level of protection they feel comfortable with. 

How Umbrella Insurance Works

You already have multiple policies to protect your home, your vehicle, and possibly your business. All of your policies have limits on how much they will pay out if there is an incident. After your policy reaches its maximum limit, you are responsible for paying the rest of the claim.

For instance, you could be in an auto accident where multiple people have serious injuries. If you only have the minimum required insurance, that coverage will run out quickly. Umbrella insurance will kick in once you reach those maximum limits. That means that you can only have an umbrella policy if you have an underlying insurance policy. 

Umbrella insurance will help cover the expenses for property damage, medical expenses, and any associated lawsuits.

Other Protections Your Umbrella Policy Provides

Umbrella insurance also offers protections other insurance does not. Most insurance will not help you if you are accused of false arrest, slander, or libel. Your umbrella policy may also add to your liability protection on your rental property.

 You can better protect your family and your business in Snellville, GA if you add umbrella insurance. Call Toney Insurance Services today so we can help you explore your options.

Home Insurance FAQs

Most people don’t even read their home insurance policy. This can lead to some nasty surprises. Having questions about your home insurance is a good thing, and at Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA, we have a team of very experienced insurance agents who are eminently qualified to answer your questions. 

Home Insurance FAQs

Do I need to have home insurance if I don’t have a mortgage?

No, the sad truth is that the state of Georgia doesn’t require home insurance, but that doesn’t mean that it is a good idea to be without it. For most people, their home is a major portion of their assets, and if you don’t have home insurance, you are risking the entire loss of your home from something like a fire or a tornado. Home insurance also includes liability coverage in the event you are sued by someone injured at your home or by a member of the family. 

Will home insurance cover my property if I lose it away from home?

Yes, it will. If your vehicle is broken into and your possessions are stolen or if you lose your laptop while on vacation, your home insurance will cover the items, but there is a deductible. 

Is my home covered for water damage?

Your home is covered for some water damage. If the damage is the result of an interior pipe or hose bursting, that will be covered. If a tornado ripens off your roof and you suffer water damage, that will be covered. However, if there is a flood, your home is not covered for damage. For that, you need to have a separate flood insurance policy. 

Consult With Us

Contact Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA when you want to discuss your home insurance needs. 

Key Facts You Should Know about Boat Insurance

If you love being on the water, a boat makes a great investment. It’s also wise to protect that investment with boat insurance. Boat policies offer diverse coverage options, so you can choose the level of protection you want and need. A customized boat policy from Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA can help you optimize your protection without wasting money on unnecessary coverage.

Key Facts about Boat Insurance

As a new boat owner, you may be misinformed about insurance protection for your watercraft. The following boat insurance facts can help you make knowledgeable decisions concerning the coverage you need.

  • First, you should be aware that home insurance offers very limited coverage for boats, so you can’t count on it to fully protect your new investment. Many home policies only cover boat towing, which is also included in a boat insurance policy.
  • The larger your vessel, the greater your need for a separate boat insurance policy. If your boat is motorized, we also recommend insuring it properly with a boat policy.  
  • Boat insurance will cover damage to your vessel from inclement weather or mishaps in and out of the water. It also offers liability protection against accidental injuries, coverage for boat theft and towing as well as loss of personal items if your boat sinks due to a catastrophe or accident.
  • Some factors that can affect the cost of boat insurance include the type and amount of coverage you desire, the type of watercraft you own and its value, the security and safety features of your boat and your boating knowledge and experience.  
  • By taking a boat safety course or purchasing multiple insurance policies from your insurer, you may qualify for a discount on your boat insurance coverage.

Contact Us for Boat Insurance!

For comprehensive boat insurance protection to best meet your needs, contact Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA.

Common Auto Insurance Terms You Should Familiarize Yourself With

Here at Toney Insurance Services, serving the greater Snellville, GA area, we understand that shopping for auto insurance can be challenging simply because people do not fully understand the terms being used.

Here are a few common auto insurance terms you should familiarize yourself with:

Collision Coverage

Collision coverage is an auto insurance policy feature that provides coverage for damage to your vehicle in the event of a collision with another vehicle or object, regardless of fault. This coverage helps pay for repairs or replacement of your vehicle.

Comprehensive Coverage

Comprehensive coverage is an insurance policy feature that protects against damage to your vehicle that is not caused by a collision. This can include theft, vandalism, fire, natural disasters, or hitting an animal. It is optional coverage and often has a deductible.

Liability Coverage

Liability coverage is a type of auto insurance that covers the cost of damage or injury you may cause to others in an accident. It includes both bodily injury liability, or the covering of medical expenses, lost wages, and legal fees, and property damage liability, or the covering of repairs or replacement of damaged property.

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage

This coverage protects you if you are involved in an accident with a driver who doesn’t have insurance or whose insurance is insufficient to cover the damages. It can help pay for medical expenses and vehicle repairs.

Reach Out To Us

These are just a few common auto insurance terms that are important to understand when shopping for or reviewing your auto policy. Familiarizing yourself with these terms can help you make informed decisions about your coverage and ensure you have the appropriate protection on the road. If you are looking for a new policy, Toney Insurance Services, serving the greater Snellville, GA area, would love to help you. Contact us to get started. 

How Umbrella Insurance Works

When you want enough insurance to protect you against liability, your home and auto insurance policies may not be enough. You may need to get umbrella insurance so that you’re better protected against liability. Accidents happen both with vehicles and in the home. In both of these cases, you could end up owing a lot for medical bills and other expenses. It’s smart to have an umbrella policy so that you know you can cover these bills.

When you’re interested in umbrella insurance, just give us a call at Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA.

Getting More Coverage

When you get an umbrella policy, it gives you more liability coverage for both your home and auto policies. If you were to add to each of these policies directly, it would cost a lot more than getting an umbrella policy. It also adds an enormous amount of coverage. The maximum payout of an umbrella policy is far higher than the amounts that the average home or auto policy has. It would be rare for there to be any bills left over after an umbrella policy came in and paid them.

Two Policies

If there is an accident, and you have umbrella insurance, you will have two policies that cover it. The first policy will be the auto or home policy. That one will pay as much as it can until it reaches its maximum. After that, the umbrella policy will pay any of the bills that are left over. This ensures that you won’t have a financial disaster after an accident. When the policy pays those bills for you, you save an enormous amount of money. 

Get Umbrella Coverage

If you want to be better protected from your liability, give us a call today at Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA.

Is It Necessary To Assess Home Insurance Needs On A Yearly Basis?

Absolutely. Not everyone’s policy will need to be updated annually. However, it’s a good idea to review your homeowner’s policy needs when you obtain new art objects, for example, jewelry and hobby items like rare train sets or 100-year-old porcelain dolls.

It’s not just about expensive things like classic cars or retro travel trailers. It’s also about the structure and any add-ons such as an extra room, indoor or outdoor pool, a deck, a bay window, or adding a permanent canopy over the patio to make an outdoor room. Toney Insurance Services of Snellville, GA is here to explain why this assessment is necessary.

The 80 Percent Rule

You just left closing on your new house with only change left in the bank. You had to purchase home insurance for closing. We get it. You should know, though, that the 80 percent rule is necessary for homeowners to receive full home insurance coverage. 

You should also know that had you not bought it and/or kept up with inflation to keep your insurance at 80 percent and a disaster struck, then the insurance would only pay the difference between the 80 percent of the value of the house and the amount of insurance you bought.

Why Update Your Home Insurance

Let’s say your new house needs upgrades. You upgrade it, and the value of your home increases. The snag to that is you forgot to upgrade your home insurance. Disaster strikes. The insurance company won’t pay for repairs because the 80 percent window has been closed.

According to the upgraded value of your house, you now have, say, 58 percent coverage on your house. The insurance company will take the difference between the 80 percent it originally was and the 58 percent it is now and pay you 22 percent. You’re on the hook for the rest of it. Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA will be happy to walk you through what other things you should know about home insurance.

Why You Should Review Your Boat Insurance Policy Every Year

While Georgia does not require you to have boat insurance in order to register and operate your boat, your lender may require it, and there are many benefits associated with obtaining it. Here at Toney Insurance Services, providing residents in the greater Snellville, GA area with boat insurance, we highly recommend you have boat insurance. We also recommend that you review your boat insurance policy once a year.

Here are a few reasons why:

Your Boat’s Value Could Change

One of the reasons why it is important to review your boat insurance policy every year is because the value of your boat can change from year to year. In many cases, boats decline in value, but during the pandemic, boats, even used boats, rose in value. You want to ensure your policy meets your needs and covers the value of your boat. 

The People Who Operate Your Boat Can Change

Another reason why it is important to review your boat insurance policy every year is that the people who operate your boat can change. Your child may have reached legal driving age or you may have gotten married and have a new spouse you want to include as covered operators on your policy. 

Your Financial Situation Can Change

Lastly, you should review your boat insurance policy every year because your financial situation can change from year to year. You may not have been able to pay a higher deductible in the past, but now, you may have more savings and may want to opt for a higher deductible to save on your policy. Or, you may have less money in savings and may want to reduce your deductible. 

We Are Here To Help!

Are you looking to purchase boat insurance in the greater Snellville, GA region? Turn to Toney Insurance Services to help you find the boat insurance policy that best meets your needs. Call us now to schedule an appointment to discuss different boat insurance policies or to get answers to the questions you have in regard to boat insurance. 

Exploring Auto Insurance for Beginners: A Step-By-Step Guide

If you’re a first-time car owner or simply in need of a refresher on auto insurance, you’ve come to the right place. At Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA, our team of expert agents is dedicated to helping drivers like you understand the ins and outs of auto insurance.

Auto Insurance for Beginners

Auto insurance is a type of coverage that protects you in the event of an accident or other unexpected events. The coverage typically includes liability insurance, which covers the cost of damage or injury that you may cause to others, and can also include coverage for your own vehicle, such as collision coverage or comprehensive coverage.

When exploring auto insurance options, it’s important to consider a few key factors. First, it’s important to determine the level of coverage that you need based on your budget and specific driving habits. For example, if you’re an infrequent driver, you may not need as much coverage as someone who drives frequently or long distances.

In addition, it’s a good idea to compare quotes from multiple insurance companies to ensure that you’re getting the best possible rate. You may also want to consider factors such as customer service, claims to handle, and the overall reputation of the insurance company when making your decision.

At Toney Insurance Services in Snellville, GA, our knowledgeable agents are always here to help you navigate the world of auto insurance. We’ll work with you to understand your specific needs and help you find a policy that provides the right coverage at an affordable price.

Another important step in exploring auto insurance options is to regularly review your policy to ensure that you have the right coverage for your needs. This is particularly important if you’ve recently made any changes to your vehicle, such as purchasing a new car or adding a new driver to your policy.

Give Us A Call

At Toney Insurance Services, we’re committed to helping our clients understand and make the most of their auto insurance coverage. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned driver, our team is here to answer your questions and provide you with the support you need. So if you’re looking for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to auto insurance, get in touch with us today!

Four of the most important things you need to know about umbrella insurance

Umbrella insurance is an important type of coverage that residents of Snellville, GA might want to purchase. Toney Insurance Services offers umbrella insurance policies.

The following are four of the most important things you need to know about umbrella insurance coverage:

Umbrella insurance premiums are comparatively low.

One of the best things to know about umbrella insurance policies is that they tend to offer relatively low premiums compared to auto and home insurance policies. You may be able to purchase a policy for as little as $150 per year. 

Umbrella insurance covers liability expenses. 

Consumers need to realize that umbrella insurance won’t cover them for property damage. Umbrella insurance provides coverage in liability situations. This means that umbrella insurance coverage covers legal costs and other expenses resulting from a lawsuit against the policyholder. 

Umbrella insurance complements coverage from other insurance policies.

Consumers typically need to have already purchased other insurance coverage in order to qualify for umbrella insurance coverage. If you want to take advantage of umbrella insurance, you probably will need to have auto insurance and home insurance. Your umbrella insurance will cover you for expenses above the policy limits of these policies. 

Umbrella insurance coverage protects the assets of the policyholder.

Consumers should invest in umbrella insurance if the value of their assets exceeds the value of the maximum policy limits of their home and auto insurance policies. Without coverage that’s worth as much as one’s assets, a consumer’s assets are at risk of being lost in a lawsuit. 

Give Us A Call

At Toney Insurance Services, we’re here to answer any questions you have about umbrella insurance. Contact us today if you want to get a quote on an umbrella insurance policy in Snellville, GA. 

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