Renee Darata

One Agent – All Your Insurance Needs

Archive for 'Liability Insurance'

Choosing a Business for a Home Repair

January 6th, 2010. Published under General Liability, Homeowners Insurance, Liability Insurance, Proof of Insurance. No Comments.

It’s a new year and you decided to remodel your kitchen, or replace your deck.  You’ve made some phone calls and are trying to decide who to hire for the job.

First- Do they have General Liability Insurance?
          What about Work Comp?
 
If their employee gets hurt on your premises and their employer didn’t provide work comp, they may try and file a claim against your  homeowners insurance.
 
What if they damaged your property when they installed your tile?  Broke a water pipe under the floor, or spilled grout on your carpet?
 
Their business liability insurance would pay for the damages to your property.
 
Always ask for proof of insurance when hiring a business to do a home repair.
 
Contact Renee, your  Small Business Specialist, with questions-
 

Does a home based business need a small business insurance policy?

December 9th, 2009. Published under Business, General Liability, Home based business, Liability Insurance, Small Business Owner, blogs. No Comments.

Most people do not understand the difference between personal insurance and business insurance.   A homeowners policy would not generally cover home-based business losses.  If you have a business with inventory, you are especially at risk for an uninsured loss.  A home based business should have a policy covering  business property, professional liability, personal injury, loss of business data, crime and theft..

A small business owner who has a home based business needs to consult with a insurance agent to determine their insurance needs.

RENEE DARATA

When Catastrophe Strikes, Will Your Business Insurance Be Enough?

November 18th, 2009. Published under Business, General Liability, Liability Insurance, Liabilty Insurance, Small Business Owner, blogs. No Comments.

There are many coverages on a business policy.  Here we will take a look at a few of them:

Business Income-reimbursement for lost income if you can’t operate your business due to a covered loss.

Example: a 4 alarm fire rips through your office building wiping out your office.  You have no physical office to see “clients”, no files, etc.  While you are restoring your business, business income expense would reimburse you for your loss of income.

Tenant Improvements and Betterments-these are the alterations you make to the space you occupy.  They need to be insured if you wnat your store/office to look the same after the fire (or other event).  The Owner/Landlord does not usually insure the improvements.

Business Personal Property-supplies, inventory, office furniture,etc.  Many business owners never update their policy after they begin their business and are woefully underinsured.

Completed Products and Operations Liability- this applies to businesses such as :

Auto Repair or Contractors

You bring your vehicle in for an oil change and after you leave the shop the vehicle begins to smoke and breaks down.  The vehicle is towed to a repair shop where it is discovered that the oil was not replaced during the oil change.  The repair shops liability coverage will cover the damages to your vehicle.

The plumber installs a new dishwasher and 2 weeks later you discover there is water leaking and your hardwood floor is ruined.  Upon inspection  it is discovered that a water line was installed improperly.  A claim would be filed against the plumber’s insurance policy for damages.

The small business owner needs to make sure they have enough coverage for a large loss.

How to buy small business liability insurance

November 18th, 2009. Published under Business, Liability Insurance, Liabilty Insurance, Small Business Owner, blogs. No Comments.

When a tenant signs a lease for office/retail space, there is an immediate need for general liability insurance as the landlord requires it in their lease.

Many new small business owners have never purchased business liability insurance before.

There are many types of liability insurance, we will discuss general liability insurance coverages.

General liability insurance covers :

slip and falls

damage to another’s property

The landlord wants any damages to their property to be covered by your liability policy.

To purchase a small business liabilty policy you should consult with a personal agent at your business site as the policy usually includes other coverages such as business property.  You want the agent to see the space to insure the policy is written correctly.

The small business owner protects their business assets with proper insurance coverage.  If there is inadequate coverage, there may be a lawsuit. 

To summarize: small business owners need general liability insurance and the best way to purchase this coverage is through an insurance agent who meets with you in person to assess your insurance needs.

RENEE DARATA