The Crawford Insurance Agency (CIA) is an independent insurance agency representing multiple insurance companies. We are licensed by the State of Ohio for all of Ohio’s eighty-eight (88) counties.
Insurance rates and rules for every company licensed in Ohio are filed with the Ohio Department of Insurance for the citizens of Ohio. Rates are based on:
Probablities
- Age of each driver / age of house
- Driving record / claims history
- Type of vehicle
- Location and usage
- Financial strength
Possibilities
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Weather events (wind, hail, flood and fire)
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Hit and run accidents
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Vandalism
- Sovereign immunity claims
- Temporary or “loaned” vehicles
When your policy is created (and / or renews), the premium is calculated using the rates and rules in effect on that specific date. Rates and rules are also adjusted by legislative mandates and the claims experience of each insurance carrier.
Currently, rates are “bundled” to achieve the lowest cost for your package of coverage. As independent agents, we have the resources to write your coverage with several carriers. Most captive agents (i.e. State Farm, Nationwide, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, etc) cannot offer this flexibility. Unfortunately, you will not receive the “bundled” rate if you place your AUTO coverage with one carrier and your HOME coverage with a different carrier. Unprofessional agents often neglect to disclose this reality.
In Ohio, a typical AUTO policyholder is charged $666 per year to protect the value of their vehicle AND the additional costs of bodily injury liability and property damage liability. In exchange, the insurer could be obligated to pay claim amounts in excess of $440,000. Damage to vehicles, cost of a rental car, medical expenses (including pain and suffering) and loss of wages are all part of the equation.
Insurance companies become financially responsible for a relatively small cost (in comparison to the insurer’s potential financial obligations). You’re actually buying dollars of coverage for pennies.
HOME policies in Ohio are based on reconstruction cost, not the property’s market value. For an annual premium of $1,111, the owner of a 2,200 square foot house (with a reconstruction value of $300,000) is protected for weather problems, and the perils of fire, lightning, vandalism, theft and water backup. This policy provides $300,000 of protection for Loss of Use, $225,000 of Personal Property coverage and $500,000 of Personal Liability coverage. You receive over $1,000,000 of protection for $1,111.
Stupidity is not a specific named peril, but policies often pay for stupidity. Examples of avoidable claims include 1) golf clubs that are stolen out of the open bed of a pickup truck and my own personal favorite 2) folks who burn down their own house deep frying a Thanksgiving Day turkey in their garage.
We hope this helps you understand the process a little better. We’re here to help!
