Moving your belongings from your old home to your new home, or into storage, is a big deal. Without trying to sound too dramatic, you’re essentially moving your lives, all boxed up, in a single truck. That’s serious stuff and it needs to be handled properly! We hope no accidents will happen on your move but what if they do?
Don’t wait until move day to discover a moving company is not going to be held liable. Ask them if they offer what most reputable companies like Beltway Movers offers Beltway Movers includes three types of coverage for your move:
- Workman’s Compensation: Should a mover be injured on your premises. If a company does not provide this you pay the medical bills.
- Fleet and Liability Insurance: Should there be damage to your home or the building you live in. Again, if a company does not have this type of insurance you will be held liable. In fact, many apartment and condo buildings will require that a moving company supply a certificate of liability.
- Standard or Additional Valuation Coverage: Should there be damage or loss of your belongings during the move.
Most people assume that if something is broken a company will replace it. This is not always the case. Read on….
It’s important to keep in mind that while the above does cover a good chunk of your move, it doesn’t cover all of your belongings in their entirety. Customers who assume movers replace everything if it’s been damaged during a move have uninformed and unrealistic expectations of the moving industry. Those types of expectations can cause undue stress and anxiety for both the customer and moving personnel. So, what should you expect? It really depends on what type of liability you selected when signing your local or long distance bill of lading. Standard and additional valuation coverage is not dollar for dollar coverage.
Most state laws deem Standard Valuation as the coverage of 60 cents/lb. That means a broken 20lb chair would be reimbursed for $12.00 and a shattered 5lb crystal lamp would be reimbursed for $3.00.
Additional Valuation allows for claims of loss or damage to be repaired or replaced beyond the mover’s minimum coverage. The premiums are based on the amount of coverage selected on your bill of lading and the deductible. That means the broken chair would be repaired and the shattered crystal lamp would be replaced or compensated with like kind or quality after the deductible has been met.
Most moving companies also note exactly what they’re not responsible for. For example, most moving companies are not responsible for mechanical, electronic or electrical functioning of computers, copiers, fax machines, printers, etc. Unless, of course, there is physical evidence of external damage.
Additionally, many moving companies will not assume liability for fragile items (i.e. china, paintings, marble, etc.) that they have not packed and /or unpacked by the company’s employees unless there is physical damage to the carton.
We certainly don’t want to bore you with the nitty gritty, but at the end of the day the nitty gritty is extremely important! No matter who you move with, we strongly encourage you to read the fine print of your bill of lading. Beltway Movers will send you that fine print prior to the move. As with anything else, you should completely understand how you, and your belongings, are covered before you hire a moving company.
Are you planning a move? If so, call Beltway Movers today at (800) 968-8348. We look forward to moving with you!
