Members of Ward’s 50 set themselves apart from other companies by excelling at financial safety, consistency and performance over a five-year period. As an independent agency representing The ERIE, we’re pleased to share in this honor.

What it means

The recognition signifies the company’s financial strength as well as ERIE’s and our agency’s mutual commitment to customer service. After passing all of Ward’s safety and consistency screens, ERIE ranked in the top 50 based on a detailed list of financial criteria and metrics. This is the 20th year that the Ward Group has conducted the analysis, and ERIE has appeared on the national list 13 times.

According to Ward, a leading provider of insurance industry benchmarking, members of the Top 50 list successfully manage day-to-day business while staying focused on their customers.

“Our research consistently finds the top companies achieve a proper balance between managing expenses and making prudent investments in systems or processes to meet customer needs and corporate goals,” explains Jeff Rieder, president of Ward Group.

For ERIE and its Agents, the award is an important acknowledgement of a commitment to a strong balance sheet and an operating model designed to meet Customers’ needs, according to Terry Cavanaugh, Erie Insurance president and chief executive officer.

“By remaining committed to our Above All in S^ERV^IC^E philosophy, we achieve preeminence in execution and operating results,” Terry said.

For more information on this recognition, refer to Erie Insurance’s press release or the Ward Group’s Web site.

Before the storm:

• Know the winter terminology that may appear across the bottom of your television screen or on the local radio station.
  • Winter Storm Watch: Severe winter weather may affect the surrounding area.
  • Winter Storm Warning: Severe winter weather conditions are on the way. Take cover and be prepared.
  • Blizzard Warning: Blinding snow and dangerous wind chills are expected for several hours. Sustained winds of 35 mph are expected to sweep the area. A traveler’s advisory is issued if driving conditions are expected to be dangerous or slow moving.
• Winterize your car long before the first snowfall hits. Winter weather is unpredictable and may surprise you early in the season. Prepare or purchase a disaster kit for your car or truck
• Winterize your trees and bushes by trimming long branches. The ice and wet snow that accumulates on branches can cause damage to your home, car or neighbors.
• Salt and shovel walkways often.
• Drain your pipes if you go on vacation or experience a power outage to prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting.
• Make certain that each family member has a warm winter coat, gloves or mittens, hat or scarf and water-resistant boots.
• Keep your gas tank full in the winter months to protect your fuel line from freezing.

During the storm:

Be patient. Most deaths that occur during a winter storm are not caused directly by the storm, The three leading causes of winter storm related deaths are:

• Traffic accidents: Slow down and leave ample space between your car and other drivers.
• Heart attacks from shoveling snow: Consider hiring a professional snow removal service.
• Exposure to cold: Wearing hats and boots will help prevent hypothermia.

After the storm:

• Once the storm conditions subside, assess your home and property for ice and storm damage.
• Contact our office as soon as possible if you need to file a claim. After business hours, contact ERIE’s Extended Hours Claims Service at (800) 367-3743.
• Dry any wet building materials or contents promptly to avoid mold, mildew or further damage. These include materials and items such as carpeting, furniture, insulation and drywall.
• If you have access to a camera or video camcorder, document your losses. This will help speed up the claims process. Compile a list of damaged items.
• Hold off on permanent repairs until your ERIE adjuster approves your reimbursement.
• Keep all receipts related to repairs and temporary housing.
• Carefully brush the heavy accumulation of snow off your roof.
• Keep gutters clear, if possible, and shovel snow away from downspouts, basement window wells and stairwells.
• Beware of high water runoff and possible sewer problems as the snow melts.
• To prevent flooding, be sure your street storm sewer is clear of snow, ice and debris.
• Check your sump pump periodically to ensure that it is handling the amount of water from thawing snow. Auxiliary pumps are available at home centers. Wet vacs, fans and humidifiers can also help to keep the area dry if a sump pump fails.

When all is said and done, enjoy the Winter Wonderland. But remember to be safe and that Erie Insurance and our agency are here to help.

Generally, most businesses need a combination of:

• Property insurance for the building, structure and other property you use to do business.
• Liability insurance in case someone claims that your business caused him or her harm. Your liability insurance pays damages to third parties resulting from bodily injury or property damage for which your business is legally liable, up to the policy limits, as well as legal fees. It may also cover the medical bills of people injured by your business.
• Commercial auto insurance for vehicles owned by your business. The insurance pays any costs to third parties resulting from bodily injury or property damage for which your business is legally liable, up to the policy limits. Depending on what kind of coverage you buy, the insurance may pay to repair or replace your vehicle because of damage resulting from accidents, theft, flooding and other events.
• Workers’ compensation insurance for medical care and a portion of lost wages for an employee who is injured in the course of employment, regardless of who was at fault for the injury. (Not available in Ohio.)
• Terrorism insurance, which is offered to owners of commercial property as mandated by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, enacted by Congress in 2002. Insurance losses attributed to terrorist acts under these commercial policies are insured by private insurers and reinsured by the federal government.

In addition to these basic coverages, we can help you select from optional coverages available from like:

• A business catastrophe liability or umbrella policy that is designed to protect against catastrophic losses. For the typical business, the umbrella policy would provide protection over and above general liability and auto liability policies.
• Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) that provides protection against claims brought by employees alleging discrimination, wrongful termination or harassment, including sexual harassment.
• Other specialized liability insurance policies that are designed to meet specific needs of individual businesses. They include:
  • Errors and Omissions Insurance (E&O)/Professional Liability Insurance
  • Directors and Officers Liability Insurance (D&O)

And, as a business owner, you may want to offer group life insurance* as part of your employee benefit package. We can help with that, too.

To learn more, give us a call at 610-461-6300