Halloween Tricks Lead To A Ghastly Number Of Insurance Claims

A reminder from Mercury Insurance Group about how to protect your car and home from vandals around Halloween.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Pumpkins are an autumn staple, with uses ranging from jack-o'-lanterns to pies. However, Mercury Insurance reports that, in the wrong hands, pumpkins can lead to nothing but trouble, noting a substantial increase in property damage during the week of Halloween compared to an average week.

"Last year, we had nearly three percent more auto claims and five percent more homeowners claims during the week of Halloween, with our insureds reporting everything from egged and 'pumpkined' cars to creatively mummified homes," says Stephanie Behnke, claims innovation director of Mercury Insurance. "Although these may sound like harmless pranks, they can cause significant and costly damage, so taking some simple steps to protect your property is no joke."

Mercury Insurance offers the following tips to help keep you from falling victim to a Halloween trick:

Park in a garage or well-lit area when possible. Otherwise, consider installing motion detectors in your driveway to turn on lights when someone approaches. If you only have access to street parking, try to park near streetlamps.

Light your walkway. This can reduce the likelihood of vandalism to your home as well as increase visibility for costumed visitors who may have difficulty viewing the terrain.

Avoid parking in deserted areas. Vandals are less likely to do their dirty work out in the open, so park in well-populated areas whenever possible. If you're attending a Halloween party in an unfamiliar neighborhood, ask the host for recommendations on safe places to park.

Activate your alarm. Car alarms are loud and draw people's attention, so use them to deter vandals. 

Keep pets indoors. Some dogs and cats can become easily spooked by strangers or kids disguised in costumes and Halloween attire. Keep pets inside – or in a separate part of your home if you're hosting a party – to keep them safe and prevent any ugly situations where a pet can bite or scratch a guest.

If your car is damaged, many acts of vandalism fall under comprehensive insurance, according to Behnke.

"Comprehensive insurance covers your vehicle if it's damaged due to something other than a collision," she says. "For example, if rowdy teens toss pumpkins out of windows or use cars for batting practice, remaining damages would be covered after you've paid your deductible, assuming you have comprehensive insurance at the time of the incident. Otherwise, you'll need to pay for everything on your own."

Before filing a claim:

• Call the police. Filing a report provides you with an official record of the incident and, hopefully, the police will be able to track down the offender. Don't attempt to move or clean any of the damaged items until the police arrive and retrieve necessary information and document the scene.
• Take photos of the damage.
• Contact your insurer. Report claims right away to your insurance company. Mercury customers can call the company toll-free 24 hours a day, seven days a week to report a claim at (800) 503-3724.  

ABOUT MERCURY INSURANCE (www.mercuryinsurance.com)

Mercury Insurance (MCY) is a multiple-line insurance organization predominantly offering personal automobile, homeowners and commercial insurance through a network of independent agents in Florida, Georgia,California, New Jersey, Arizona, New York, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Since 1962, Mercury has specialized in offering quality insurance at affordable prices – core values that distinguish Mercury in the marketplace.

A Voting Quandary

I am a life-long Democrat. I believe that government does have a place in our lives. I do not believe it is some evil behemoth out to subjugate Americans. However, I am not so naïve as to believe that our elected representatives are always looking out for our best interests. There are occasions where I feel there is too much micromanaging: for example limiting the size of soda cups to control obesity. There are times when common sense and personal choice trump the nanny state. The challenge is figuring out when government needs to act in the public’s interest.

That said, next week we will once again make our biannual choice for representative government. This time around, I will probably be casting my vote for a few Republican incumbents. I read somewhere that when a voter decides to remove someone from office there should be a good reason for doing so. For some incumbents, I do not have a good reason for removing them. However, I wish I could say that for all the candidates.

Concerning Staten Island’s Congressional race – between the incumbent, Republican Congressman Michael Grimm and the challenger, Democrat Domenic Recchia, I find the choice to be a difficult one. If you watched the one debate aired by ABC Eyewitness News, the choice becomes less certain.

On debate points, I give Grimm a huge edge. He came across as knowledgeable, intelligent and levelheaded — unlike his celebrated blow-up when he threatened to throw a reporter off the balcony for asking a question about his indictment. Recchia, on the other hand, came across as a buffoon with no other message than Michael Grimm is under indictment and I’m not. He appeared ill prepared to discuss any substantive issues and was more interested in provoking an argument than defining who he is as a candidate. He gave a vague promise about looking out for the interests of State Islanders. His major platform for improving traffic congestion is the creation of a light-rail line for Staten Islanders. He obviously hasn’t done much driving around Staten Island otherwise he would realize while this might help some commuters, it would not be a panacea for the bottlenecks that create traffic crawl around the island.

In Grimm’s disfavor is the federal indictment for failing to pay workers their wages at a business he once owned. He was also involved in the investigation of some questionable campaign contributions and there was that incident with the reporter. Remember that incident during the last campaign when someone vandalized his campaign office on Hylan Boulevard? He jumped to the conclusion that it was the work of some Democratic operatives, only to discover later that it was a group of idiot kids with nothing better to do than bust windows.

However, I’ll be among the first to admit that he has worked hard for this district. I have seen him at the Superstorm Sandy related rallies and I think his involvement is genuine. His heart appears to be in the right place. I am disturbed when he tows the Republican line about Obama Care, runaway budget spending and adopts the philosophical tone that I feel will not benefit middleclass Americans struggling with stagnant wages while a small class of upper-income Americans continue to reap growing financial benefits.

The Democrats were either desperate or clueless to pick Recchia. Grimm, however, is carrying baggage that could hurt his future and his ability to exert influence within the halls of Congress. So then, what is a voter to do?

For me, I’m going to choose someone who I believe would be competent, loyal, honest and probably has as good a grasp of the issues as anyone — my wife.

Why her? Because I feel she can do as good job, if not better, than others who have held or seek to hold a seat in Congress. She is not schooled in all the nuance of foreign and domestic issues, but she will not fake what she does not know and will learn what she needs to know. One may not agree with everything she says and thinks, but I know she is not coming from a position of self-aggrandizement or desire for personal gain. She is not under indictment and she would not threaten to throw a reporter off a balcony. So come Nov. 4, my wife is getting my vote for Congress.

Some may say I’m throwing my vote away, but maybe more of us should use the ballot box to display our dissatisfaction with the current state of politics instead of sitting this one out. Vote for someone you feel is more qualified than the current choice. It may not alter the ultimate outcome of the election, but if we show enough dissatisfaction, some in Congress may get the message that we expect them to have a high degree of integrity and to engage us intelligently. Electing that kind of representative may go a long way to replacing congressional inaction with action.