Insurance agents: Spend a little to save a lot in advance of winter damage

LYNN – “Freeze-ups,” “ice dams,” “trip and falls” – for area insurance agents, these winter hazard descriptions can add up to extremely expensive claims that could land on their desks before spring arrives.Agents like Chuck Bachner of Marblehead and Cy Kilgore of Peabody said they have seen relatively few winter-related claims to date this year. But both agents and Swampscott agent James Hughes said they anticipate receiving more claims as home and small business owners deal with frozen pipes, leaking roofs and people falling on sidewalks in front of their property.?It?s a winter that can cause a lot of damage,” said Kilgore.He anticipates seeing customers file claims for automobile damage sustained in Thursday afternoon?s heavy snowfall. Typical winter-related insurance claims focus on home damage, including breaking and bursting water pipes – known in the insurance business as “freeze-ups.”Bachner, a veteran agent with Charles Slee Agency, said freeze-up claims can end up tallying up loss totals exceeding damage amounts from fire claims.?People come home and find water cascading through their home. Freeze-ups are the worst,” Bachner said.Kilgore recalled a claim filed on a vacation home where water pipes froze and burst once thawing temperature set in.?The whole house was ice – a total loss,” he said.Ice dams are common winter claims, but Kilgore said they get filed once snow and ice melts and home interior water damage becomes apparent.?Sometimes you don?t know how many you will get until the snow goes away,” said Saugus insurance agency owner Peter Rossetti.Agents said preventative home maintenance undertaken in warm months, especially gutter and roof repairs, saves money in the long run compared to emergency repair and renovation costs associated with pipe breaks and roof leaks.?Routine maintenance is important,” Rossetti said.Bachner recommends clients install temperature detectors capable of ringing a cellular telephone or providing other types of alerts if a home?s temperature drops below 50 degrees while the owner is away.He insures small businesses in Marblehead and said “trip and fall” claims are serious because there is “an assumption of negligence” related to how owners keep sidewalks and walkways in front of a home or business clear of ice and snow.James Hughes has handled insurance claims in Swampscott for more than 50 years and said he has seen a drop in claims over the years because “people are taking care of their property better.” Still, said Hughes, he has not seen a winter as tough as this one since 1978 and its legendary blizzard.