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Maura Perkins
A Moment With Maura

Dash Cameras - How They Help in Auto Claims

We’re all aware that almost everything we do is being recorded in some way. Red Light cameras, intersection cameras, store security cameras, home doorbell cameras and more. Then there are audio recordings with Siri and Alexa. All of these conveniences have positive and negative characteristics.

Let’s add Automobile Dashboard Cameras to the list. Dash Cam’s for short. These video recording devices are becoming more popular. They first seemed to start with auto enthusiasts who would record their drives. We’re now seeing more consumers purchasing them, especially, in more populated areas.

Our family has had dash cam’s for a few years. I truly thought the purchase as a frivolous toy for my husband. About a year into owning one, we were involved in a slight fender bender. A driver passed us and cut over into our lane (unsafe lane change) clipping our bumper. He didn’t realize he hit our car. We followed him home and had the police meet us at the destination. The police watched the dash cam footage and advised the other party we had proof of the accident which would be used against him when the claim was reported. His insurance carrier denied the claim but our insurance carrier pressed on and took the matter to court. Once the judge reviewed the dash cam footage the ruling was in our favor and the other insurance carrier paid for the damage to our vehicle. The expense of the dash cam has been paid for 10-fold!

We now have dash cam’s in the front and back of our vehicles. I no longer think of them as frivolous toys.

Insurance carriers normally do not provide premium credits for having dash cam’s. But, if you are involved in an accident, dash cam footage is admissible when fault of the claim is being determined by insurance carriers.

Think about it…

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Maura Perkins

Maura Perkins

President

888-654-8884 ext 1

Maura hails from the East Coast in the Boston area and has been a Bay Area resident since 1987. In 1987 she joined the insurance industry in an entry level role for an Independent Insurance Agency in Oakland, CA. Obtaining her Property & Casualty Insurance License in 1987 she made the commitment to stay in the industry. For over 30 years she has worked in various roles and departments and agency types learning and honing her skill set. In 2007, she decided to sell insurance directly to clients instead of being in a support role. In 2012 her client base had grown to the point that she was ready to open an agency. Sagacious Insurance Services, Inc. was born. Since then it has been a non-stop adventure for Maura and her team. Maura obtained her Life & Health Insurance License in 2012 to aid her clients with all of their insurances. Through the years Maura has obtained a large amount of insurance education and designations. She obtained the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation during COVID-19 era in 2020.

When she does have time away from the agency she likes to travel with her husband and son as much as possible. She is also an excellent cook and avid crafter.

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Angie Berg

Angie Berg

Commercial Lines Account Manager

Angie is a Commercial Lines Account Manager and has been with Sagacious since 2016 becoming an integral part of the Sagacious Insurance team. She has her Property & Casualty Insurance License and received a Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist designation (CLCS) from the Hartford School of Insurance in the fall of 2016. She is currently obtaining her Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) designation and will also become licensed in Life & Health Insurance in the near future. Angie has goals and we support her ambition at Sagacious Insurance.

Angie is a mother of two sons, Austin and Alec. In her spare time, she loves to cook and entertain, watch the SF Giants and travel whenever she gets the chance. She also has a side hustle in the wine industry working as an Independent Ambassador for the Boisset Collection and enjoys sharing her passion for wine by working occasional shifts at a wine bar in Brentwood, CA.

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Lisa Lewis

Lisa Lewis

Accounting

Lisa is the first employee of Sagacious Insurance Services, Inc. Lisa and Maura have worked together since 2009. As the business grew and Sagacious Insurance Services was created Lisa was key to the expansion due to her exceptional customer service skills. She obtained her Property & Casualty Insurance License from the State of California in 2009. She has worked in every department of the agency and found her best strengths are in Accounting. Lisa has many years of personal and commercial insurance experience with our firm and is also the team lead for our personal lines department.

When she is not working for our agency she enjoys spending time with her husband and son. She also has a side business representing Scentsy.

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Amy Studer

Amy Studer

Marketing & Social Media Specialist

Amy Studer joined the team in 2018 as our Marketing & Social Media Specialist. Amy has an insurance background having worked for Allstate Insurance years ago. Amy obtained her Property & Casualty Insurance License in 2018. Amy had been part of the Bay Area community for over 10 years centered in Danville and moved to Idaho in 2019.

While not in the office Amy enjoys spending time being active with her three teenagers, husband and dog Scout. As if she’s not busy enough she also has a side business representing SeneGence cosmetics & skin care. We are excited to have Amy as part of our team to assist with our continuing development.

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Angelique Lopez

Angelique Lopez

Commercial Lines Account Manager

Angelique joined Sagacious Insurance Services in 2020. Angelique obtained her Property & Casualty Insurance License from the State of California in 2001. She has worked in both the retail and wholesale sides of the insurance industry in Orange County and Los Angeles County. She initially worked with insurance agents professional liability and quickly expanded to all types of commercial insurance. She is excited to be earning her CISR Designation and to be growing her insurance knowledge as a team member with our agency.

In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children as well as making jewelry. She started making handmade jewelry five years ago for friends and family and has expanded into a small business providing jewelry to boutique stores in Laguna Beach, CA.

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Tamara Ballard

Tamara Ballard

Personal Lines Account Manager

Tamara is our newest team member joining our agency in 2021. She has seven years of personal insurance experience and obtained both her Property & Casualty and Life & Health Insurance Licenses from the State of California in 2015. We are excited to have her on our team!

Tamara is a mother of three adult children and has two grandchildren. In her spare time she enjoys visiting the ocean, hiking, touring wineries and outdoor photography.

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