Insurance Insights – November 2025

---

Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays – and why not? It’s all about giving thanks and enjoying what’s most important. But it’s also a holiday known for accidents, especially in the kitchen. We have tips to help you and your family stay safe.

5 Tips to Keep Your Thanksgiving Fun and Accident-Free.

1. Don’t leave your oven or stove unattended.

This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to get distracted when you’re trying to cook and entertaining guests at the same time. Did you know Thanksgiving is the peak day of the year for home cooking fires? That’s according to the National Fire Protection Association. So here’s what you can do:

• If a fire starts on your stovetop, turn off the burner and quickly cover the pan or pot with a lid to smother the flames.
• Don’t throw water or flour on stovetop flames. This could cause a fire flare-up or spread the fire. Use baking soda instead.
• If a fire starts in your oven, turn off the oven and keep the door closed. Opening the oven door could feed the fire (oxygen rush) and cause it to spread.
• Keep a kitchen fire extinguisher within easy reach (class K is recommended for optimal firefighting safety).
• If you can’t fight a fire, choose safety and flee your home. For all but the most minor flare-ups, call 911 and have everyone wait outside for firefighters to arrive. Possessions can be replaced, lives can’t.

2. Follow sound food safety principles

Food poisoning is not the lasting Thanksgiving memory you want to leave with your guests. Wash your hands often while you cook and handle ingredients properly to protect your loved ones from foodborne illnesses. Here are a few more helpful suggestions:

• Wash and disinfect utensils and cutting boards, especially when handling raw meat.
• Keep raw food separate from prepared dishes to help prevent cross-contamination.
• Never reuse meat marinades for sauces unless you boil them thoroughly first.
• Use a reliable probe thermometer for your turkey. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends a minimum internal temperature of 165° F for safety.
• Put leftovers in the fridge promptly to halt the growth of dangerous bacteria and be sure to store uncooked meat on the lowest shelf to prevent dripping and possible cross-contamination.
• Ask your guests if they have any food allergies and modify your meal preparation accordingly

3. Keep your pets and guests safe.

The joyful chaos of a bustling holiday home can be scary and stressful for pets. Even normally docile dogs can bite when anxious or frightened, and you can be held legally liable if a guest is injured in your home. Serious dog bites may require medical care and can even lead to lawsuits. You could wind up filing a homeowner’s claim for these costs. Here’s how you can help your pet during the holidays:

• Set aside a space they can retreat to, such as a quiet guest room, and ensure they have enough food and water.
• Keep the Thanksgiving feast away from your pets. Fatty human foods are hard for animals to digest, and poultry bones can cause choking. Certain desserts contain ingredients that can be poisonous to pets. For example, dogs should never have chocolate.
• If you believe your pet has eaten something it shouldn’t have, call your veterinarian or local emergency pet clinic right away

4. Don’t overserve alcohol.

Thanksgiving festivities often include cocktails. Social host liability laws allow the victim of a drunk driver to sue the host who served the alcohol. These laws vary by state, but as a host, you may be held liable for alcohol-related mishaps that occur during or after your Thanksgiving gathering. Here’s how you may be able to minimize your risk as a party host:

• Offer nonalcoholic beverage alternatives and stop serving alcohol well before the end of the gathering.
• Encourage your guests to use a designated driver or offer them a rideshare. When in doubt, call a ride or invite them to stay over. Impaired driving can lead to accidents, tickets, fines, jail time, or worse.
• Consider purchasing host liquor liability insurance to cover your party. Most renters and homeowners’ liability policies will cover mishaps, but liability related to alcohol may be excluded from your policy. Not sure what your specific policy covers? Contact your BayCoast Insurance agent, and they’ll help you out.

5. Don’t announce your travel plans on social media.

You never know who’s reading your social media posts. Announcing your upcoming travel plans or the fact that you are out of town is an invitation to a would-be thief.

• Some burglars use social media posts to target homes. If you want to post about your trip, no problem. Just do it after you’ve safely returned home.
• If you’re gone for an extended period, set your security alarm, put lights on timers, and arrange to have your mail and newspapers held.
• You can also let trustworthy neighbors know when you’re coming back so they can report any suspicious activity to the police during your absence.

Shop Smart. Stay Safe!

The holidays are here! That means it’s time for family gatherings, gift-giving, and unfortunately, scams. In the midst of all the holiday festivities, fraudsters are out there, just waiting for you to let down your guard. If you shop online, you’ll need to be extra vigilant before handing over any personal information.

3 Tips To Ensure a Secure Holiday Shopping Experience.

Tip #1: Check Your Devices

• Before making any online purchases, make sure your device is up-to-date.
• Enable automatic software updates – this will ensure you’re running the latest version, so you know that the manufacturer is still supporting your device and providing the latest patches for vulnerabilities.
• For added security, use two-factor authentication if it’s available.
• Check your device’s privacy settings to better understand how your information will be used and stored.

Tip #2: Only Shop Trusted Sources

• Be careful on public Wi-Fi.  Fraudsters can gain access to your devices.
• Before providing any personal or financial information, make sure that you are interacting with a reputable, established vendor.
• Don’t click on links or download attachments unless you’re confident of where they came from.
• To protect yourself against malicious websites, always verify a URL is legitimate before supplying your personal information. 
• Never provide your password, personal, or financial information in response to an unsolicited email. Legitimate businesses will not email you asking for this information.

Tip #3: Use Secure Payment Options

• Consider using a credit card instead of a debit card for purchases. Why? Some laws limit liability for credit card fraud, but you may not have that same level of protection for your debit cards.
• Pre-Paid Debit Cards:  These limit your exposure, because only the amount loaded on the card is at risk.  This option may work best for one-time purchases.
• Using a digital wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc) may offer some level of protection because they use tokenization, meaning your actual card number is not shared with the seller.  They also use biometric authentication such as Face ID, which adds another layer of security.
• Check your credit card and financial statements regularly to monitor for any potentially fraudulent charges. Immediately notify your bank or credit card company if you notice something that’s just not right.

Have questions?  We’re here to help!