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Allen-Thorley-DeLloyd Insurance, an Independent Agency, with offices in Elyria and Vermilion, Ohio, is proud to introduce our newest team member, Mr. Derek M. Thomas.  Derek and his wife, Melissa, and daughter, Sydney, live in Westlake.  Derek has been licensed with Ohio Department of Insurance since 2008.  He specializes in Personal & Commercial Insurance, as well as Accident, Health, and Life insurance.

As an Independent agent representing many companies, Derek will obtain the best plan for you with the most competitive rates.  Derek is a lifetime resident of Lorain County, a graduate of Lorain Catholic and attended Bowling Green State University.  You can contact Derek at the Elyria office at (440) 322-5447, 5201 Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio or at the Vermilion office at (440) 967-3188, 5237 Liberty Avenue, Vermilion, Ohio.  Derek Thomas is available to assist you with all your insurance needs.   Allen-Thorley-DeLloyd has been providing insurance services since 1902.

Your tired, yet there is still so much to do. You have a choice, get in your car and drive knowing your fatigued putting you or others at risk, or stop where you are and make a decision to find someone to drive you or get enough rest that it’s safe to drive yourself.

You would think the choice would be easy. Unfortunately more and more we hear about accidents, sometimes fatal, occurring due to drivers falling asleep behind the wheel. Being sleepy behind the wheel is dangerous! Sleepiness impairs your judgment, slows your reaction time, and decreases your awareness. Most Importantly, it can cause you to crash. Get plenty of sleep at least one to two nights before you take a trip. Make frequent stops for activity, naps and caffeine. Have someone ride with you to keep you awake or let someone else who has slept and is alert do the driving.

Protect yourself and others drive rested.

April showers may bring May flowers, but it can also greet you with unexpected trouble if care is not taken when drivng on slippery surfaces. We all know driving in the rain can be a harrowing experience, but it becomes considerably more so if you are going too fast or following to closely.

Often times in rain related accidents a wedge of water builds up in front of the cars tires, and if  going too fast, the tires themselves can actually begin spinning on the surface of the water. If you have ever had this experience before, you know that hydroplaning feels like driving on ice–a terrifying situation you want to avoid at all costs.

Here are some tips on how to prevent and handle hydroplaning and keep you and your loved ones safe……

Preventing Hydroplaning:

• Slow down when it starts to rain. High speeds are the number one cause of hydroplaning, and slower speeds can help you avoid the issue before it arises.
• Rotate your tires and replace them when the tread becomes worn. Treads are supposed to shunt water away from the wheels–once they wear down, you are far more likely to lose control.
• Turn off cruise control at the first sign of rain! This otherwise convenient driving system can be deadly if it continues spinning the tires while you are hydroplaning.

Handling Hyprolaning when it occurs:

• Take your foot off the accelerator as soon as you feel the car hydroplaning. Slowing down in this way is far preferable to slamming on the brakes, which in non-ABS-equipped cars can send you into a deadly skid.
• Turn in the direction you are drifting to get the maximum friction from all four tires. If you need to avoid an obstacle, tap the brakes.
• Wait until you can feel the road again beneath your car. The effect should be instantaneous and easy to sense, like you have once again landed on pavement.
• Proceed with caution and test the brakes periodically to ensure that they aren’t flooded.

So please so down and take your time in order to get to where you need to be in the safest way possible. After all, you don’t want to miss it if the sun comes out tomorrow! – Team ATD

Ohio is notorious for its freeze thaw cycle. Every year about this time we emerge from the comforts of our homes often bewildered by the damage that has taken place to our streets. For those of us who commute great distances it is just a matter of time before you hit the inevitable frame bending, teeth jarring, wheel busting pothole.

You can be the best driver in the known universe and somewhere there is a pothole with your name on it. The downside is under most policies your deductibles usually cover the majority of pothole damage repair costs.

What about the city?

Cities have themselves covered in most cases as Potholes are covered under “sovereign immunity” status. Meaning if your vehicle is damaged while driving on locally maintained roads Cities are not responsible, similar to act of nature clauses. However, some municipalities have ordinances in place stating that if vehicle damage by a pothole that has been reported to the city for repair, the city may be responsible for covering your insurance deductible. Several municipalities also allow you to appeal to City Council under “moral claim”, but it is far from likely a city will choose to cover these costs.

How about state or federal roads?

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has a claims process as well. You can submit a reimbursement claim for your deductible due to damage caused by potholes or if the damage was less than the deductible but caused on state roads (system of roads includes all Interstates, as well as US and state routes outside of municipalities). ODNR CLAIMS FORM HERE

So what can you do to protect yourself?

• Slow down. You only have seconds to react so the slower you go, the better chance you have of spotting a rim buster.
• Use great caution when reacting to a pothole, such as changing lanes. You don’t want to cause a worse accident trying to avoid the lesser one.
• If you hit a pothole and notice steering or performance problems be sure to pull clear of traffic to inspect possible damage. Don’t stop and get out near moving traffic.
• If you notice a vibration, steering wheel is off-center, unusual tire wear or the vehicle handles different then prior to hitting the pothole have your vehicle checked by a certified mechanic. You don’t want to continue driving at any speed if there is a problem.

Here’s hoping you (and your cars front end) get through the spring without issue. If you need help or would like more information on what you polciy covers contact your TEAM ATD representative. We’re always here for you!

Spring is just around the corner and as excited and anxious as we are waiting for the sunshine and nice weather to arrive, we also hope everyone stays safe as activity increases. When the weather gets warm you start to see more and more people emerge from their winter hibernation and get active on the streets and sidewalks where we all travel.

With warmth it sometimes seems that cars go drive faster as drivers are anxious to get home and enjoy the weather. With more people out and about, especially the little ones, we need to be ever vigilant until we get adjusted to these new traffic patterns. No one wants to see anyone hurt, so try to be patient and on the lookout for pedestrians.

Also, it is the time for motorcycles to come out. Drivers tend to get used to having big vehicles around us then warm weather comes and that changes with smaller more nimble motorcycles increasingly re-introduced to traffic patterns, so please stay sharp and on the lookout for our friend the biker. Plus, Mr. Biker you can help to by wearing protective gear just in case, after all it’s better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.

Get warm, be safe – From your friends at TEAM ATD

You’ve heard the expression “time is money”, and we believe it to be true. Your time is very valuable to us, so much so that in our 109 years of service to our customers we have developed and honed the best possible way to help you save money.

Instead of you having to go agency by agency to compare prices, Team ATD takes your information and shops it for you. Saving your time and still producing the best cost savings possible.

As an independent insurance agent we partner with over a dozen of the finest companies in the industry. Our state of the art quoting system allows us to shop your information to find the company that is the best fit for your needs at the very best price.

And with Team ATD it is more then just a price, we don’t have automated answering machines that make you go through a maze of phone options. We have real live customer service reps waiting to speak with you all of which are from Northern Ohio. No calls to a foreign land or another state when you need help the most.

It really is as simple as picking up the phone, stopping in, or emailing us. One stop, one unbeatable price. That is the Team ATD difference.

We all get excited those first few days in March when we get a glimpse of warm weather and the snow melts away. Unfortunately for all of us here in Northern Ohio, Winter doesn’t end for another week or so. Starting tonight the rain will once again turn to the white stuff and driving conditions may deteriorate.

So what better time to refresh our winter driving tips, hopefully one last time.

• First and above all, slow down. Plan to take a little extra time to get to your destination. People who are constantly in a hurry often make bad decisions due to stress.
• Make sure you have plenty of assured cleared distance between you and the car in front of you. It doesn’t matter if you have 4 wheel drive or not, all cars break the same. It takes distance for momentum to be slowed to the point of a safe stop.
• Gradually accelerate, and turn. Many times the best defense is to lift your foot off of the gas pedal under and over bridges and through turns. This is the best defense against spinning out.
• Try out your anti-lock breaks on an empty section of your street on in a vacant part of a parking lot to make sure you are comfortable with how they operate in snowy conditions.
• Don’t use your cruise control in poor weather conditions.
• Don’t use your cell phone, but make sure it is fully charged when you head out to your destination.
• Be leery of snow covered cars or trucks. Those chunks of snow can fly off at any point.
• Don’t forget a jacket and gloves in case you get a flat or get stuck for awhile.

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The best defense against acclimate weather is to avoid driving unless you have too.

Your friends at Team-ATD are hoping you stay safe this weekend!..

With several inches of snow on the ground already, Sunday night’s heavy thunderstorms brought some misery to many folks in our area. We have received many calls about flooded basements and businesses. Of course Team-ATD has been all over the affected areas assisting our customers, helping to coordinate clean up and repair along with other aspects of their policies.

One of the downsides to events like the one we are dealing with today is how many folks call asking about flood insurance after the fact. The one thing you don’t want to find out in a severe weather event is if your coverage has you protected or if you have no coverage at all.

Team-ATD service agents are here to help you. No matter who you have insurance with, bring in your policy and let us help you review it. Flood insurance, and sewer backup are not automatically covered items.

With Insurance the golden rule is “Don’t wait until you need it to find out you don’t have it”.

Give us a call, we’re here to help.

You’ve seen the ads on TV, call XYZ Insurance and we guarantee we can save you money. Or, they proclaim an average savings over their competition of hundreds of dollars. What they’re not telling you is it could cost you everything if you have cut-rate coverage and are in a serious accident.

We know price is a big factor when making a decision on who to go with for insurance but is that the most important factor?

You should be sure you are not sacrificing your family’s long term financial health for short term gain. The most important thing about insurance is making sure that you have the coverage needed at the time of a incident. If you are opting for low limits and decreasing and/or declining coverage you could be at a bigger loss than if you were to pay that little bit more premium per month!

Sure you may have enough to cover a fender bender, but that may not always be the case. There are more than six million car accidents each year in the United States. Many accidents are car-truck accidents where the contents of the truck can be anything from an entire load of cars, to high tech equipment. In fact large trucks made up three percent of all registered vehicles and seven percent of all vehicle miles traveled. All the more reason to make sure you have proper coverage to protect yourself from unforeseen circumstances.

So check your policy. In fact, bring it in and we will check it with you. Protecting your family or business is what we have been about since 1902. Team ATD, we are here for you!

Don’t settle for the bare minimum…

So your at home relaxing in your favorite chair, when the mail arrives and with it a notice that your roof may have suffered ice or hail damage. You haven’t noticed any leaks or even thought for a minute you had a problem. The notice is from XYZ roofing company who would like to discuss it with you ASAP, in order to get the job and get you to call your insurance agent to file a claim.

This is actually an instance that we are aware of. The only problem was the roof had no damage, other then showing some slight signs of wear. In this instance it was a case where a company was trying to take advantage of a homeowner making them complicit in insurance fraud.

At first it may seem to look like everyone wins, the homeowner with a potential new roof, and the company with a profit.

However, the truth is we all lose with illegal schemes. The homeowners short term gain cost him in potential increases over the life of his policy and the more the insurer has to pay out, the more it effects all policy holders as the insurer struggles to keep costs and prices down. Should this scenario play out over and over, it would have a drastic effect on the rates for entire an community.

The lesson to remember here is nothing is free. If a company is soliciting work in an “out of the blue” fashion, meaning you were not aware you had a problem, get a second opinion. If you find that the solicitation is questionable, send the material bid to your insurance agent to find out how best to report fraud.

When we work together, we save together. That’s the Team ATD difference.