Beware: Communicable Disease Exclusion for Commercial General Liability Insurance
With more businesses set to slowly open their doors again, I’m certain that insurance carriers are going to start adding this Communicable Disease Exclusion onto Commercial General Liability insurance policies at renewal. I’ve reviewed various policies of my insured’s to see if this exclusion is tucked away in any current policies and I am not seeing much of it at this time, but I bet it’s coming. Here’s the policy form/exclusion I’m referencing:
It’ll be interesting to see how insurance carriers respond. Will they potentially remove it for an additional premium, or if it’ll be straight non-negotiable?
My suggestion is to keep your eyes open on your general liability policy to see if this is added at renewal and what the potential repercussions are for your business.
I think in due time, new regulations will be put in place within the insurance industry to address communicable diseases, but I feel this is critical to look at now from a Risk Management standpoint.
-JK
Commercial Building Insurance – 2401 N. Palm Ave.
Congratulations to a client who closed escrow on this fine 8,250 square foot commercial building in Signal Hill on Wednesday. We wrapped up the Property, General Liability, and Commercial Umbrella insurance for the building so it’s time to move in now.
-JK
Insurance For Condo Homeowners Association in Harbor City
Effective 8/9, I finalized insurance for this Condo Homeowners Association in Harbor City. This is an 18-unit, 25,850 total square feet dual building property. Coverage’s include Commercial Property insurance for the structures, General Liability, and Director’s & Officer’s Liability to help protect the association board. The expiring policy didn’t include the D&O. I was able to add this coverage and still save premium dollars compared to the renewal terms the association received from the incumbent broker.
-JK
Insurance For Medical Office Towers In Torrance
Just wrapped up the insurance renewals for these two medical office towers in Torrance. 140,000 Square feet
- Property Insurance
- General Liability Insurance
- Umbrella / Excess Liability Insurance
- Earthquake Insurance
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance
-JK
Travelers Insurance: Insuring Technology Companies
Travelers Insurance Company has joined the ranks of other major carriers such as The Hartford in writing coverage for technology companies. Travelers Global Technology President Ronda Wescott and Chief Underwriting Officer Mike Thoma provide their perspective:
If you have a Life Science or Software and Information Technology Company and would like a review of your current insurance portfolio, feel free to contact me anytime. I can help market your coverage’s with all the major carriers specializing in this sector.
Some of the most common insurance coverage’s important to the Life Science or Software and Information Technology industry are:
- Property
- Commercial General Liability
- Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions)
- Workers’ Compensation
- Commercial Automobile
- Commercial Umbrella/ Excess Liability
- Cyber Liability & First Party Data Privacy Expense
- Directors and Officers Liability (D&O)
- Employment Practices Liability
- Fiduciary Liability
- Crime
- Kidnap and Ransom
- Group Medical Insurance
- Group Life and Disability
-JK
The Ins and Outs of Small Business Insurance
Being an entrepreneur makes you the boss, but along with getting to choose your own hours, location, and business plan, it also means that you’re responsible for a lot of other things like commercial/business insurance. There’s a lot more to business insurance than getting the lowest business insurance quotes. It means understanding your business’s unique needs and the potential hazards that can threaten its success.
This brief video from the Insurance Information Institute touches on the ins and outs of small business insurance, including coverage for:
- Property loss
- Business disruption
- Theft
- General liability (including product liability)
- Professional liability (also known as “Errors & omissions,” or “E&O”)
- Employment Practices Liability
- Workers’ Compensation
Credit: Insurance Information Institute
-JK
How Are Commercial Insurance Premiums Determined?
The way an insurance policy is rated determines how the policy premium is developed. Rating factors vary based on the line of insurance you are purchasing.
If you are purchasing commercial property insurance, the building rating formula is based on factors including square footage, type of construction, sprinklered or non-sprinklered, the fire protection classification, etc.
If you are purchasing general liability insurance, the rating formula can be based on square footage, payroll, or gross sales depending on the general liability classification codes used. These are known as rating exposures.
Once the rating exposures are identified and the deductibles selected (usually from information you have provided on the application), the premium is calculated by a simple formula: rate x exposure = premium. The deductible amount you choose will be calculated in the rate. The higher the deductible (the amount you choose to self-insure) the lower the rate. By utilizing higher deductibles, you can bring your premium cost down; however, you do not want to jeopardize your company’s financial future by choosing overly large deductibles.
Speak with your broker-agent for the deductible options available to you when purchasing commercial insurance.
The basic rating equation most often utilizes other modification factors, which can include experience modifications, schedule rating, or judgment rating. Because rating formulas can range from simple to complex, depending on the line of insurance, it is important to discuss how your policy is rated and how the policy premium is calculated with your broker-agent.
Source: California Department of Insurance
-JK
What To Do In the Event of An Insurance Claim
When you deal with an incident that gives rise to an insurance claim, it’s usually a pretty crappy situation. It can be stressful, terrifying, frightening, and alarming in many cases. First things first, try not to panic. Hopefully it’s an incident you carry insurance for to be protected.
Your insurance contract requires that you report all claims promptly. Contact your insurance carrier or broker as possible after a property, liability, worker’s comp or automobile claim. An insurance company claims adjuster will be assigned to handle your claim. You should then be able to deal directly with the adjuster to settle your claim, but your broker can be there with you to assist you along the way.
Here’s step-by-step suggestions on how you should handle property, liability, workers compensation, and auto insurance claims.
Property Claims
In the event of damage to your building or contents:
- Protect the property from further damage:
- Call the proper authorities and utilities (gas, electric, telephone).
- Take photos of the damage before having emergency repairs made, such as boarding up windows or covering holes in the roof.
- Call your insurance broker or carrier to report the loss.
- Call a contractor to estimate the building damages.
- Separate damaged contents from undamaged contents. Do not discard any items until the claims adjuster gives you the authority to do so.
- Keep records of expenses if you are forced to temporarily relocate your business.
- Do not authorize repairs until the claims adjuster has given you the authority to do so.
After the claim is reported to the insurance company, the claims adjuster will:
- Contact you by phone or mail to discuss the loss
- Arrange for an appraiser to inspect extensively damaged property
- Assist you with your choice of contractors to make the repairs
- Contact you for a settlement
Liability Claims
In the event of injuries or damage to property of others which you allegedly caused:
- Call your insurance broker or carrier to report the claim.
- Forward any correspondence, including a summons from an attorney representing the other party.
- Do not discuss the claim with the other party or their attorney. Refer them to your insurance company’s claims adjuster or to us.
After the claim is reported to the insurance company, the claims adjuster will:
- Contact you to discuss the incident that allegedly caused the injury or damage to the property
- Deal directly with the other party and/or attorney to handle the claim
Workers’ Compensation Claims
In the event an employee is injured on the job:
- Complete the Employer’s First Report of Injury or Disease form for all claims. Either use the “call in” reporting system or fax the original form to the insurance company.
- Forward a copy of the First Report to your broker in the event of a disabling injury or death claim. They should follow-up with the insurance company for their prompt handling of the claim.
- Contact the insurance company to question the status of a claim. If you experience delays or have questions, contact your broker for assistance.
After you report the claim to the insurance company, the claims adjuster will:
- Contact the injured employee to discuss the accident
- Request copies of bills and doctors’ reports for medical treatment administered
- Contact you, the employer, if there is any lost time from work as a result of the injury
Auto Insurance Claims
In the event of an automobile accident:
- Report the accident to the police.
- Obtain information about the other people involved in the accident such as:
- Names, addresses and phone numbers
- Insurance company
- Type of vehicle
- Auto and driver’s license numbers.
- Have your vehicle towed to the nearest repair shop if the vehicle is not drivable. Do not authorize repairs until the claims adjuster gives you the authority to do so.
- Call your insurance broker or carrier to report the accident.
In the event of a windshield, vandalism or theft loss:
- Report the vandalism loss or theft to the police.
- Call us to report a loss.
After the claim is reported to the insurance company, the claims adjuster will:
- Contact you to request details of the accident and repair estimates
- Arrange for an appraiser to inspect the damages of vehicles that are not drivable or extensively damaged
- Contact you for a settlement
- Deal directly with the others involved in the accident
You should not talk to others involved in the accident, but refer them to your claims adjuster.
-JK
Source: Zywave, Inc.
Small Business Insurance with The Hartford
Working as a broker, I work with a lot of different carriers on behalf of my clients to place their business insurance. One of the major carriers that I work with is The Hartford, an AM Best A (Excellent) XV ($2B or Greater Financial Size) rated carrier. The Hartford’s a great carrier to work with if you have a small business.
Interested in what they have to offer? Contact me anytime to discuss. Maybe we can find you something competitive backed by great coverage.
Here’s a new video featuring their focus on small businesses insurance.
-JK
General Liability Insurance: Avoid Winter Slip-Ups
Here’s a general liability insurance claim waiting to happen. Check out this video…..8 minutes of people falling over the same patch of ice. It’s actually pretty entertaining.
The winter months bring general liability insurance hazards that are typically not factors for during warmer weather – especially, slip and fall hazards. With snow and ice-covered conditions, you run the risk of taking major spills.
Consider the following recommendations to prevent slip and fall injuries during the winter months
- Wear the proper footwear that provides traction on snow and ice. Footwear should be made of anti-slip material; avoid plastic and leather-soled shoes or boots.
- Be cautious when entering and exiting vehicles, and use the vehicle for balance and support.
- Try to walk only in designated areas that are safe for foot traffic. If you notice that a walkway is covered in ice, walk on the grass next to the sidewalk, which will have more traction.
- Avoid inclines that are typically difficult to walk up or down as they may be more treacherous in winter conditions.
- Take small steps to maintain your center of balance, walk slowly and never run. When possible, walk with your hands free to maintain your balance. And despite the cold temperatures, avoid putting your hands in your pockets. This will help you better maintain your balance and allow you to break a fall should you slip.
- Use handrails, walls or anything stationary to assist in steadying your feet.
- Look ahead to the path in front of you to avoid hazards.
- Test a potentially slippery area before stepping on it by tapping your foot on the surface first.
- Remove debris, water and ice from all working walkways.
- Steer clear of roof edges, floor openings and other drop-offs to avoid slipping hazards.
- Sand or salt surfaces covered by ice or snow to provide traction.
- Dry your shoes or boots on floor mats when entering a building.
- If you’re at work, report trip and fall hazards immediately to your supervisor.
-JK
Source: Zywave
About Me
I grew up in Fullerton, CA and graduated from Servite High School in Anaheim. I have my Bachelors degree from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. I currently live in Tustin, CA.
Please contact me if you need help with any of the following lines of insurance for your business:
-Businessowners
-Property
-Commercial General Liability
-Product Liability
-Workers Compensation
-Group Medical
-Commercial Auto
-Umbrella/Excess Liability
-Errors & Omissions/ Professional Liability
-Employment Practices Liability
-Directors & Officers
-Life & Disability Insurance
Jimmy Kinmartin, CPCU 