Frequently Asked Questions

Your deductible is the amount you've agreed to pay out of your pocket before your insurance pays for any covered losses. Here's an example. Say you have $2,000 worth of covered damage, and you picked a $500 deductible, applicable to that coverage, when you bought the policy. That means you pay $500, and your auto insurance pays the rest.

Every claim is unique, and there are many factors that could affect how long it takes to resolve your claim. Our claims personnel are made up of experienced professionals who work with issues similar to yours day in and day out. We will work quickly to get your claim resolved efficiently.

Regardless of who was at fault, you'll pay a deductible for certain coverages. However, during the claim investigation, if the facts indicate there's a chance to recover the damages from the person responsible for the accident, it may be possible to recover your deductible.

The decision whether to repair or declare a vehicle a total loss is based on the type and the extent of damage, age of the vehicle, state law, and other factors. In order to make a decision, your vehicle must be thoroughly inspected, and the damage assessed. If you have collision coverage, and your repair estimate is more than the vehicle's worth, your insurance will pay the actual cash value of the vehicle, up to the limits of the policy, minus your deductible.

Every policyholder's situation is unique, so depending on your circumstances, your premium may be affected. If you are concerned, don't hesitate to discuss this with your Marshall & Sterling representative.

As a Marshall & Sterling customer, you buy insurance to help protect you in case of a covered loss, so filing a claim could help protect you in case there are covered damages or injuries discovered later. Additionally, if you become involved in litigation because of a covered claim, your insurance could help pay for legal bills. By hesitating to file a claim you may run the risk of jeopardizing your coverage.

Remember your Marshall & Sterling claims representative is available to you throughout the claim handling process. What's most important is to report your claim as soon as possible even if you don't have all the information. The sooner you report your claim, the sooner we can start processing it. You can always contact your claim representative again if you find additional damage you hadn't noticed before.

Fire legal coverage provides coverage to for you if you rent a business space and are held responsible for fire damages to that rented space. It does not apply to all business risks.

Replacement Cost is the current cost to replace property. Actual Cash Value is the replacement cost less depreciation.

Insurance carriers require that an insured party insure at least 80% of the property's value in order to collect a partial loss in full. This is the way the insurance company encourages all insureds to adequately insure their property in relation to other insureds.

This damage will be covered only if that type of coverage is purchased.

Other people may drive your vehicle with your permission. It is important that they be listed on your policy if they are regular drivers of the vehicle.

At the end of the policy term, the insurance company will review the policy and either charge or credit the policyholder based upon an audit of estimated figures. Examples of estimated auditable items include sales and payroll. Audits can be performed onsite by an auditor or via mail or telephone. A premium is charged for audit estimations.

An audit may require you to show proof that sub-contractors had their own insurance coverage. The sub-contractors' certificates of insurance will prevent you from being charged for their exposure.

General Liability provides coverage if you are liable for damages to other individuals arising from your premises, general operations (ongoing and after completion) and products manufactured or sold.

Products/Completed Operations refers to the liability coverage for damages caused by your operation or products after the point at which you no longer have control of them.

Business Interruption/Extra Expense coverage provides coverage for income loss and the expense of establishing a temporary site during repairs due to damages related to a fire or compensable loss.

Named Insureds are those listed by name in the relevant block of the policy's declaration page. Although the named insured is commonly one person, partnership, corporation or other entity with insurable interests, multiple named insureds may be included.