post

Are You Covered? Liability Insurance Options for Business Owners

by Posted in Commercial Insurance Tagged , ,

You’ve spent years working to make your business a reality. Finally, after all your hard work, you’re making money. Then—disaster! A customer slips and falls in your office and sues you, one of your employees is injured on the job, or a computer with sensitive client information is stolen!

Most if not all businesses need the protection of commercial liability insurance. Along with your own best practices, partnering with a commercial insurance company can give you peace of mind that your business can survive a lawsuit, data breach, or other covered loss. Commercial insurance can protect many different businesses—from a small retailer to a real estate investor, a landscaping company, to a CPA.  

What is liability insurance?

Commercial liability insurance covers what you as the policyholder are legally obligated to pay because of bodily injury or property damage caused to another person. For businesses, this coverage is essential, protecting assets from lawsuits that could be financially devastating, or even put you out of business entirely.

What type of liability coverage do I need?

The type or types of liability coverage you need to protect your assets depends on your business. The kind of work you do, your property and equipment, your customers and employees—these factors influence the kind of coverage you’ll need. Here are some of the most important coverages to consider:

Commercial general liability. Most businesses need general liability. This coverage protects you from claims that include customer injury or property damage, mistakes that adversely affect a client financially, or advertising that hurts a competitor. General liability insurance can be bought by itself, or as part of a business owner’s policy, or BOP, which combines business liability, property, and income coverage into one policy.

Workers compensation. This coverage provides financial compensation to employees who have been injured on the job and can’t work. Employer’s liability, which is often included in a workers comp policy, helps employers pay for legal costs when an employee is injured on the job.

Professional liability insurance, or errors and omissions insurance (E&O). Like malpractice insurance for doctors, this coverage protects you if a customer sues you because of a professional mistake or oversight.

Umbrella or excess liability. Additional coverage which takes over once policy limits have been reached on your general liability, employer’s liability, or commercial auto policy.

Employment practices liability. EPL covers damages and defense costs if an employee claims harassment, wrongful termination, discrimination, or makes another employment-related claim. 

Cyber liability. Helps your business deal with the financial repercussions of a data breach or cyberattack.

How can L & M Insurance Group help me with my insurance needs?

You’re not wrong to think there’s insurance available for almost any crisis a business might face! If you need help in sorting through the insurance coverage your business needs, please consult with an L & M Insurance Group agent to discuss your specific situation. We can help you tailor your insurance coverage to address the specific risks unique to your business. Reach us by phone at 813-672-4100, or click here to contact us online. L & M Insurance Group is a locally owned, independent small business—let us help you protect your business from the unexpected.

post

Is Your Business Hurricane Ready?

by Posted in Commercial Insurance Tagged , , ,

Every year private residents hear a lot about preparing for hurricane season—but what if you own a business? Are there any hurricane-readiness actions Tampa Bay business owners should perform?

Business owners should also make plans for hurricane season. How you prepare depends on your type of business, and what assets, property, data, and people you need to protect.  Below are some general considerations for how to make your business hurricane ready. For detailed instructions, see ready.gov’s Ready Business Hurricane Toolkit.

Assess your risks

When a hurricane approaches, what will be the biggest risks to your business? Wind damage to structures, flooding, power outages, losing data, losing inventory? Will you and/or employees need to shelter in place?

Check your business insurance coverage—will it be adequate for your needs? If you have any questions, contact your insurance agent. (If you need a business insurance quote, please call us at 813-672-4100.)

Don’t wait until a storm is bearing down on you to decide what hurricane readiness plans you need to make for your business. Make a list of any items that need to be bought or stored, and set out in writing your business hurricane preparedness plan.

Create your business hurricane preparedness plan

Once you know which risks you need to account for, start preparing immediately. You should communicate with and include your employees in your plans, as they may have their own roles to play in your hurricane preparedness plans.

Some actions you might take to prepare include:

Make a checklist of things to do just before a hurricane. This downloadable hurricane preparedness checklist for businesses is a great resource.

If your business relies on stored data, sign up for data storage and/or backup services if you don’t already have them. If your business has physical files or other important physical documents, make sure you have waterproof containers to store them in.

Create an emergency communications plan to keep in touch with employees, clients, and suppliers. Make sure you have up-to-date contact information for these people, and that information is readily accessible. Include contact information for your insurance agent and business insurance company.

Find a place to store vehicles and movable equipment to protect them from wind and water damage.

If you own your own building, be prepared to secure it as you would your residence. In addition, examine roof-mounted and other signs, benches, vehicles, outbuildings, and other outside items, such as potted plants. Decide how you’ll secure or store them before a hurricane strikes.

Find a suggested evacuation route.

If you or any of your employees will shelter in place, stockpile a three-day supply of water and non-perishable food, flashlights, a battery-operated radio and cell phone charger, a first aid kit, and bedding where you will be staying. 

Locate a secondary location you can use for your business if your primary location isn’t safe or accessible.

Enact your plan

When a hurricane is forecast, track the storm using sources such as the National Weather Service and your local news station. Secure your property, evacuate, or shelter in place. Monitor local authorities using a radio or the internet if possible.

Return to work safely

Once the storm has passed, contact employees to check on them. Watch for any warnings from local authorities, and only return to your business when it’s safe to do so. Be careful of damaged buildings, downed power lines, and so on. If your business has been damaged, take photos or video, and call your insurance agent or insurance company to report the damage.

We at L & M Insurance Group hope the 2022 hurricane season passes us by, but in the event that it does not, we hope these tips prove helpful. If you need business or personal insurance, please consider calling us for a quote. You can reach us at 813-672-4100, or contact us online. We’ve been serving Tampa, Brandon, Valrico, Riverview, Lithia, and surrounding communities for many years—and many hurricane seasons!