Keep claims and liabilities at bay this Thanksgiving
Keep claims and liabilities at bay this Thanksgiving
10 second overview: Thanksgiving is always special. We get to spend precious time with family and friends over sumptuous, home-cooked meals. Unfortunately, things can go wrong during Thanksgiving. From turkey mishaps to damaged property, injured guests, travel delays and flight cancellations. Here’s a handy guide of tips to get you through Thanksgiving without stress, claims and liabilities.
Thanksgiving holiday is around the corner and most of us are already knee deep in travel plans, hotel bookings and of course, the details of Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving 2021 is particularly special because it will be the first-time families have gotten together in fairly large numbers since the pandemic began in early 2020. Adobe's Digital Economy Index has reported that by the 7 of this month, bookings for flights landing between the 20 and 25 of November had far surpassed bookings made by the same time in 2020. And the American Automobile Association (AAA) has forecast that 53.4 million Americans will travel for Thanksgiving, marking the highest single-year increase in predicted Thanksgiving travelers since 2005 and signaling that travel is getting back to what it used to be before the pandemic struck.
With this volume of travel and the pressure of cooking a full Turkey Thanksgiving dinner, all while taking necessary COVID-19 precautions, a lot could go wrong leaving you with claims to file and liabilities to pay. Having a safe, happy, and stress-free Thanksgiving can be as simple as taking basic precautions, doing some research, and leaving little to chance. Here's your guide on how to avoid some of the risks that arise around the Thanksgiving holidays.
According to the AAA, 4.2M Americans will travel by air this Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, the risk of long flight delays and cancellations are particularly high during this season, especially with many budget airlines struggling with industry-wide challenges.
To make sure you don't get caught in travel disruptions and cancellations, it is best to book your flights early and put a few contingency measures in place for worst case scenarios. Get to the airport a few hours before your flight and be prepared for long wait times and long queues. Above all, make sure you have travel insurance. Travel insurance usually covers cancellations and delays, lost baggage, medical expenses and even emergency evacuation. What's more, you can choose between plans to cover a single trip or multiple trips. Also be aware that trip protection is not the same as travel insurance. While trip protection is provided by airlines and may include various exclusion clauses, travel insurance is provided by an insurance carrier. Travel insurance provides more coverage and is far more reliable than trip protection. Unfortunately, many travelers learn the limits of trip protection the hard way.
Summary tips for air travelers:
1. Book your flight early.
2. Get to the airport a few hours before your flight.
3. Prepare for long queues and wait times at airports due to high volume of travelers.
4. Remember to wear your mask as it is required for indoor transportation hubs like airports.
5. Make sure you have travel insurance and be aware that trip protection is not exactly a substitute for travel insurance.
Learn how to always ask the right questions about your home insurance (part 1)
While millions will travel by air, the vast majority will travel by road despite the increased price of gas. According to the AAA, 48.3 million Americans, roughly 90% of travelers, will travel by road this Thanksgiving. That's a lot of travelers and the roads are predicted to be congested particularly the weekend before Thanksgiving.
With so many of us set to be on the road in the coming days, it's vital that we do everything to prevent mishaps involving our vehicles. This means brushing up on your defensive driving skills if you're the designated driver, and getting your car checked and serviced professionally before the trip. Getting your car's brakes, lights, oil, and indicators checked is especially important, and having it done by a professional will give you the confidence that your car is fit for long distance travel.
The next thing to consider is your auto insurance. Review you auto insurance policy to ensure it provides you with the coverage you need and consider buying add-ons like extended liability coverage to match the liability limit for your destination state and rental car coverage which could come in handy if your car becomes unfit for use during the trip.
Summary Tips for Road Travelers:
1. Get your car checked and serviced before your trip.
2. Brush up on your defensive driving skills.
3. Review your auto insurance policy and consider extending liability coverage and including rental car coverage.
4. Make adequate preparations if travelling with children or pets.
5. Do not drink and drive.
Did you know there are more home cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day than on any other day in the US? It turns out cooking Thanksgiving turkey is risky business. Whether you choose to do an oven roast or a deep fry, there's a chance things can go wrong, leading to fire outbreaks, significant property damage and in rare cases, loss of life. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fires caused by deep fryers had the highest fatality rate of all home cooking fires. Cooking fires are not the only risk we face when it comes to preparing Thanksgiving dinner. There's also heightened risk of food poisoning arising from poorly cooked turkey and turkey stuffing, and even poorly preserved Thanksgiving leftovers.
To avoid these risks, plan out your Thanksgiving dinner as carefully as possible. If you plan on cooking your own turkey, decide how you want to cook it and take all necessary precautions. For instance, have your thermometer handy as it will help you check that your turkey has cooked through and through. Nothing will send your guests to the ER faster than half-cooked turkey and turkey stuffing. Then, check that your fire alarms are working and that you have a fire extinguisher handy to stop any fire breakout before it does damage. Having an extinguisher is especially important because not all fires should be put out with water. In fact, grease fires should not be put out with water.
Finally, review your home insurance policy. A comprehensive home insurance policy will cover fire and smoke damage to your home as well as medical and liability expenses.
Summary tips for preparing Thanksgiving dinner:
1. Plan Thanksgiving dinner in advance.
2. Learn best practices for roasting or deep frying your turkey.
3. Cook your turkey stuffing separately.
4. Do not leave the kitchen unattended while food is cooking in the oven or on the stove.
5. Check that fire and smoke detectors are in working condition (change their batteries).
6. Have a fire extinguisher handy.
7. Review your home insurance policy.
Learn how to always ask the right questions about your home insurance (part 2)
Having everyone together for Thanksgiving Holiday is one joyful experience we're all looking forward to this year. However, we cannot forget that we still have a pandemic on our hands. Since children are unvaccinated and many older members of our families could be immunocompromised, we still need to take precautions to avoid spreading COVID-19.
According to CNN's medical analyst, Dr. Leana Wen, it's important to know the vaccination status of the people you plan on spending time with this Thanksgiving, and it may be worthwhile to quarantine for three days and take a rapid test before congregating for Thanksgiving dinner and hangouts if some of your guests are unvaccinated. Finally, follow the recommendations of the CDC. Get yourself vaccinated if you are eligible and delay travelling until you are fully vaccinated. Remember that children under 2 years of age should not wear masks and are still at risk of contracting COVID-19.
As eager as we are to spend time with family, we must do so while taking all necessary precautions. Follow these tips and do your own research to avoid having your Thanksgiving marred by claims, liabilities or COVID.
Here's to a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.
Helpful Links:
CDC Guidelines for Domestic Travel
CDC Guidelines for International Travel
Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures Chart
Food Safety Tips for Holiday Turkey