COMMERCIAL INSURANCE

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Commercial Property Insurance is used to protect business assets from natural disasters, fire and theft. Business Interruption Insurance may be purchased under some policies. Most business owners also purchase general liability insurance for their business as a bundle. Check with your accountant but many businesses are able to deduct the cost of commercial property insurance premiums as expenses for tax purposes. Our experienced insurance team will ask you questions about your asset value, proximity to fire protection, type of construction, occupancy and whether you have sprinklers or an alarm system on the property as these can all impact your rates. In addition to the building, consider insuring inventory, office equipment, fence, landscaping and exterior fixtures, as well as essential company documents.

COMMERCIAL AUTO COVERAGE

Commercial auto insurance policies insure vehicles for your business or vehicles that have corporate-owned titles. Personal auto policies provide coverage in limited instances when it comes to business use — so commercial insurance is your best bet to protect your assets. Here’s what your policy should include:

  • Liability Coverage. It Covers bodily injury and property damage caused by an insured vehicle.
  • Physical Damage Coverage. Covers losses and damage to insured vehicles.
  • Collision. Covers damage to a vehicle from collisions or overturns.
  • Comprehensive (OTC). Covers physical damage to insured vehicles that result from circumstances other than collision. This includes damage from inclement weather, flying objects, animals, and more.
  • Specified Causes of Loss. Covers physical damage to vehicles in limited circumstances. The coverage is limited to a handful of causes specified in the policy.

INLAND MARINE

Most businesses will be covered through their regular property insurance provided by a Business Owners Policy (BOP) or Commercial Package Policy (CPP). But does your business ship products and equipment around the country frequently? Inland marine policies help protect high-value products that basic property insurance doesn’t cover, including the following:

  • Computers and computer equipment.
  • Communications and networking equipment.
  • Construction equipment.
  • Medical and scientific equipment.
  • Photography equipment.

LIABILITY

Business Liability Insurance helps protect the financial interests of business owners in the event of third-party claims or lawsuits. Business owners typically protect themselves with:

  • General Liability Insurance
  • Product Liability Insurance
  • Professional Liability Insurance

Insurance premiums will typically depend on the type of business and associated risk. Coverage is available for protection against medical and legal costs associated with employees injured on the job, customers injured on your premises, as well as commercial rent insurance to protect against damage from mold, water, fire and natural disasters. Coverage is also available in the event a business must defend itself against copyright infringement, libel, slander or misleading advertising.

WORKERS COMP

Workers’ Compensation is an insurance policy designed to cover medical care, rehabilitation costs and lost income for employees injured on the job. Employers are required by law to provide coverage for their employees.

EXCESS

Liability policies include financial limits, and when a business owner is concerned that their financial risk in the event of a claim could exceed these limits, Excess Liability Insurance covers the balance of the claim. As an example, if a customer is injured at your place of business and the court awards a $1,500,000 settlement but your General Liability insurance policy has a limit of $1,000,000 then your Excess Liability Insurance policy would kick in to pay the remaining $500,000 so you wouldn’t need to pay it yourself. An Excess Liability Policy is typically used to cover additional property damage, legal expenses, additional Commercial Auto insurance policy protection and any other excess liabilities your primary General Liability Insurance policy doesn’t cover.