By Terri Lynn, SouthFloridaReporter.com, Managing Editor, Dec. 3, 2015 – We don’t want to burst your holiday bubble but there are bad guys out there lurking to snatch your holiday packages. According to a new insuranceQuotes.com report, a whopping 23 million Americans have had packages stolen from their homes before they could open them.
Why?
Thieves are taking advantage of online shopping’s growing popularity and swiping deliveries from front porches and mailboxes before the packages reach their rightful owners.
Other Holiday Hazards
While the holiday season is typically a joyous time for gatherings with family and friends, this busy time of year also poses a number of other hazards. For example, seven million Americans have had a guest injured in their home.
Homeowner’s and renter’s insurance policies typically cover these types of claims, but only up to a certain amount. Purchasing extra liability coverage, often called umbrella insurance, is a wise move, according to insuranceQuotes.com‘s senior analyst, Laura Adams.
“The holidays are a great time, but all the commotion and celebrating can sometimes cause people to be too relaxed,” said Laura Adams, senior analyst for insuranceQuotes.com.
“No one is thinking of a broken leg or a house fire as they’re sipping eggnog and socializing with family, but these things do happen and it is better to be prepared than to let it ruin your whole holiday.”
Sixteen million Americans have experienced a house fire due to a fryer or cooking and two million have had fires caused by Christmas trees and other decorations. Having the whole family over can also be a cause for concern; 47 million Americans have experienced a sewer backup.
Giving and receiving jewelry (such as an engagement ring) is very common around the holidays, but half of Americans don’t realize the importance of insuring their gift. Fifty percent said they aren’t likely to insure jewelry they give or receive.
“It can be a very expensive mistake not to insure a valuable piece of jewelry,” said Adams. “Most standard homeowner’s and renter’s insurance policies only insure jewelry up to a couple thousand dollars. Additional jewelry insurance can be purchased for as little as a few dollars each month – a very affordable price, especially when compared to the cost you would incur if you had to replace the item out of pocket.”
Winter weather and holiday celebrations also increase risks on the road. Fifty-two million Americans have gotten into a car accident because of snow, ice or rain. Thirty million have gotten into an accident because of heavy traffic, 21 million because they were speeding and five million because they drank alcohol before getting behind the wheel.
The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) and can be seen in its entirety HERE
PSRAI obtained telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults living in the continental United States. Interviews were conducted by landline (500) and cell phone (500, including 276 without a landline phone) in English and Spanish by Princeton Data Source from November 5-8, 2015. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
