Larsen Insurance Agency

09/01/2026

Tom's Tuesday Tip:

Dan asks:
"I'm having a new roof put on my home, what insurance proof should I get?"

Dan, ask for a certificate of insurance and have it emailed or texted to you directly from their insurance broker. It should have your name and address in the bottom left corner where it says "holder".

Make sure it shows the General Liability coverage and the effective dates it has. Plus, worker's compensation policy number and dates, since a roof cannot be put on by one man and if they try to get away without work comp means they are illegally using 1099 subcontractors.

According to the IRS, using 1099 subcontractors is illegal because that owner is telling them where to go, what time to work and how much they'll be paid. That definition is a W2 employee and not a 1099 subcontractor.

Could you still be sued for an injury at your home? Of course you can but having known the proper insurance is in place by the roofing company helps you.

And when I say to get the insurance certificate directly from the insurance broker, hard to believe but people lie.

We had one contractor who did have a legitimate insurance policy one year but the next year changed the dates on his certificates and passed them off as current (got caught).

We also found a prior insurance broker who issued a few certificates, when there was no prior insurance policy.

Do you own research, homework or review checking. Too many scams going on lately, one can never be too cautious.

I hope this has helped you today.

Tom

08/24/2026

Why Restaurants Have Insurance Problems Other Businesses Don’t.(Part II)
Your specialty dish is a Double Smash Burger, served with all the extra’s one would want on the burger. Known for that dish, people come from all over town to visit your place.

But one bad batch of lettuce or tomato’s or onions and you could end up with several (or just one) case of food poisoning. Now if someone gets food poisoning, they are left with several days of recovery or maybe a hospital visit.

You know the next step is for them to talk with an attorney. Bad news for you.

Second problem is, your bartender over serves a patron and they go out an injure someone in an auto accident. You better have boughten Liquor Legal liability coverage, since the incident happened away from your premises!

This is a very real problem for those restaurants that serve alcohol. One mistake could cost you thousands of dollars to defend.

A third issue is physical injury to a customer while visiting your place.

True story, a pizzeria customer, served a pizza to a restaurant customer, who bit into a slice that had some sort of metal ring in it (from can of sauce?). Anyway, a $2,768 dental bill was presented to the restaurant owner, who turned it into his insurance company with us.

Luckily, the patron of the restaurant, only wanted his dental bill paid without a lawsuit. So the medical portion of the insurance policy he carried, paid the dental bill.

These are 3 reasons of claims that are unique to restaurant owners. Three possible ways a restaurant could go out-of-business, when they didn’t have to with the proper insurance protection.

Need help for insuring your restaurant?
[email protected]

08/23/2026

This is what life should be about - CARE!

08/21/2026

Why Restaurants Have Insurance Problems Other Businesses Don’t!

Restaurants work on a cash/credit card basis, so 1 day down and it could mean a bad week. And one Friday down could be an awful week!

An insurance coverage often overlooked is On Premises Power Failure and Off Premises Power Failure Coverage. Very inexpensive endorsement to add on to a restaurant insurance policy.

One Friday afternoon, around 4:00 pm, a transformer on a busy, commercial street (Hertel Av) in Buffalo, failed. Burned out and 4 blocks of commercial businesses on the street were without power.

We happened to insure 3 restaurants on that part of the commercial street. What turned out was a lost night of receipts for those three restaurants, since power came back on Saturday at 7:25 am.

Luckily, we always include off-premises and on-premises power failure coverage by endorsement on every restaurant insurance policy.

The results of claims paid to those 3 restaurants were $6,456, $5,120 & $4,355 due to lost receipts from a Friday night worth of business.

Important that a restaurant knows how to cover themselves, even when an occurrence happens away from their place of business. Who could have saw a transformer 2 blocks away, disrupt a Friday night of business – but we planned for it.

Tom

08/18/2026

Tom's Tuesday Tip:

Jennifer Asks: My tree just came down during a huge windstorm and my neighbor, Peggy who's fence was damaged & house hit, says I need to put a homeowner claim in - do I?

A: Actually Jennifer, this just happened to my daughter outside Chicago and they registered a 97 MPH wind last week! She asked me, "Dad, do I put this claim in on my homeowners insurance?" Um, no you don't kiddo, there was no negligence on your part, you didn't cause the tree to fall, the wind did.

Some in our insurance world refer it to "act of God" event, because Mother Nature caused the damage, not any 1 person. So the damaged party is the one who puts the claim in.

My daughter thought this neighbor was pretty sure, until she called her own homeowners agent and found out, yes, the claim was in fact hers.

Teaching others, answering claims questions and helping to understand your insurance is what we do all day. It is our belief that there are no dumb questions because all insurance policies are written in legal terms. (and I know your don't read your policy anyway!).

Got a question or need help?
My email is in my profile.
Our website is there too.
or call (716) 684-3203

08/15/2026

Still looking for the ONE new member of the Larsen Insurance team. Culture is important for our small office, so must be a good fit. Send an email to [email protected] and I'll respond to what we are looking for. Thank you.

08/10/2026

Have you heard about this? https://www.pitchyourbuffalo.com/

If you have a love for Buffalo and/or a small business, tell your story!

Share your Buffalo story, write letters, share memories, and

08/03/2026

Trust - Do you Trust your insurance company/broker? Or believe what they say because you like the price?

When you have substantial assets, be careful who you trust! And when you do have that luxury home, do you have guaranteed replacement cost?

Who do you take your advice from? So many of your neighbors & friends think that price wins when it comes to insurance policies.

Price on a homeowner or auto insurance policy should be the last thing you consider!

Insurance for you should be at the proper coverage amount and not about price.

Be careful who you take your insurance advice from. Find that person you trust and follow their advice.

You have too much to lose, not to trust them!

07/27/2026

You auto insurance policy and homeowners insurance policy has language in them you've never read!

So the truth is, it comes down to TRUST in who you buy your New York insurance from.

Trust the policy says what you think it says.

Trust it says what you were told.

Trust when a claim happens, you have the right coverage.

Trust that your finances aren't on the line because of a gap in coverage.

Trust in the insurance company you are with.

Trust that your insurance broker knows how to protect you properly.

TRUST - a must when it comes to auto & homeowners insurance.