Oops. What will the right thing cost me?

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IceBurghDJ

IceBurghDJ

DJ Extraordinaire
Apr 17, 2015
3,312
2,040
62
Western Pennsylvania
iceburghdj.com
Loading into a gig on saturday I turned a corner and my speaker, on top of the dolly, slid off...into a glass door (school cafeteria), smashing the glass.

I told the staff, as in did the right thing. Waiting to hear what the bill will be. My deductible is $1000...hoping it's less of course, but close, so I can just write a check and not have to turn it in.

Anyone want to guess??

In 11 years of working this is my first business claim.
 
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Yeah, I learn fast from my mistakes.

I have a big aluminum dolly that can be a 2 wkeel or 4 wheel and I love it but it wont' fit in my car so I take a small one I got a staples. I tend to pile to high...and plastic is slippery and my speakers are the light things now so they go on top but dont' stay there apparently.

So..I have an old reese hitch thing I got when I bought my recumbant bike and it will hold my alum dolly just fine- this gives me more room inside and now it's one trip for everything (except the stand bags and 4 play). And I have a strap over it and nothing slides around (did a test yesterday in my driveway, turns, up and down a ramp, over a threshhold, etc.

But of course it all works at home...doesn't it?

Next gig is may 30..a tough room to get into - multiple double doors, a curb, a ramp and a step, then 3 steps up to the marble floored dj area. A DJ last year there dropped a speaker and broke the marble floor so now they require proof of insurance for all DJs.

So...who do you use for insurance? How do you like them?
 
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We use a local agent. Makes it easy to get proof of insurance certs and ask questions.

We once backed into the railing at a loading dock of a high school. Didn't know it, but noticed it was leaning when we went up there (in the semi on a downhill to dock--of course didn't feel anything). School called monday and asked if we backed into the railing, we called our insurance agent, they sent a bill ($800) insurance wrote a check. All fixed and settled in about a week. This came off our truck insurance not liability, so no deductible.
 
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If it's standard door glass you'll probably get away with a couple of hundred bucks
 
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Jeff Romard said:
If it's standard door glass you'll probably get away with a couple of hundred bucks
Click to expand...

It's full length safety glass of some kind, I guess like a car windshield. No wire in it (like when I was in school) but it didn't fall on the floor. It stayed in big pieces so I guess it's not hardened glass like in a car but is two panes with plastic in the middle.
 
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Valerie Hicks said:
We use a local agent. Makes it easy to get proof of insurance certs and ask questions.

We once backed into the railing at a loading dock of a high school. Didn't know it, but noticed it was leaning when we went up there (in the semi on a downhill to dock--of course didn't feel anything). School called monday and asked if we backed into the railing, we called our insurance agent, they sent a bill ($800) insurance wrote a check. All fixed and settled in about a week. This came off our truck insurance not liability, so no deductible.
Click to expand...
my questions is i have wedding to do and they ask for insurance is any insurance i can call
 
I use State Farm Businessowners (not a typo; it's what they call it...all one word) Policy. Many folks are under the impression that a standard "liability" policy also covers casual property damage and medical expenses. You had better start asking questions and giving your agent scenarios just to see where you stand.

One of my handtrucks rolled free down a short ramp into the side of a Chrysler 300's rear quarter panel. Sizable dent. $600.00 to fix. NAME's policy (Willis) refused to pay anything telling me to ding my auto insurance. WHAT??!! After many calls and disagreements they stopped picking up my calls or answering my messages. Goodbye to NAME and Willis (about $375/year).

With State Farm, I have $250 deductible, $10K in equipment, photobooth and uplighting included in the coverage, medical liability and property damage included, robbery coverage, burglary coverage, some home/office coverages, all for $420/year. Some State Farm agents will say they don't have this which is horsepuckey; they just don't want to write a minimal profit policy (although in fairness, it is state by state).

It would be well worth your time to check into. Once you discover what your group policy insurance DOESN'T cover (which is what most typical DJ incidents will be) you'll see as I did, what an expensive cost it is for little real world coverage.

Oh, and that co-insured binder? No extra charge, fax'd/pdf'd to you within a couple hours (during business hours).
 
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That's why I try to keep all my insurance with one company, one agent - no buck passing!
I have moved my car from erie to liberty - much cheaper, better coverage and lower deductible. Hard to say no. Moving homeowners in the fall, $150/year cheaper.
Biz insurnace seems to cost about the same - but what you get (in service also) is the difference. I like having a local agent.
 
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I did the same, IceBurghDJ. Dumped Willis, Hartford, and Travelers. Now all under State Farm. Saved $1,200 first year initially. Seems to be creeping up about $50/year but it's still a whole lot less than before.
 
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Never had an accident loading live sound in or doing DJ work, but years ago with a band, our bassist backed the truck right into the side of a club we used to play at. Great place; we never got booked there again though! :>[

GJ
 
I would have a low deductible on damage to someone else's property and a high deductible on loss to my own property. One could have a brother who owns a glass company and fixes your own business doors but, you never know what you'll step in when the door is someone else's.

Municipal requirements or building management companies may requires certified or approved union vendors to do the work. A historic building would require restoration service, or codes may require an out-dated door to be replaced instead of repaired. The glass product may no longer be manufactured, etc. so, all kinds of things can turn one broken pane of glass into a much bigger deal.
 
I won't Dolly stuff in...haven't in about 4 years now. Cart only, and I try my best to see where I am carting. Important to pay close attention to where you are pushing your cart. A Décor person left 3 clear vases in a dark lit walk way into a ball room last weekend...I ran right into the vases, and broke all 3 of them. I felt bad, and offered her to pay for the vases as she had rented them and just told her to email me the bill, but she realized her mistake as she put them in the darn middle of a dark walk way into the ball room. She told me not to worry about it, and she will eat the cost of the vases ...The manager was shaking her head saying "Who in the world would put vases right there?".

It's important to be as careful as possible when loading into venues. There will be that one time when we break something due to our lack of paying attention or carting/dollying too fast, or in Cap's case, leaving a cart on top of a hill without holding it for 2 seconds, and the cart get's away from you. It can happen. Thinking situations out ahead of time, and paying close attention to what you are doing whether backing a vehicle into a loading dock, or carting your equipment in will prevent accidents...of course we are human...can't be 100% perfect.
 
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