Frequently Asked Questions

Here you can find questions and answers to common doubts that may exist. Get instant answers to frequently asked questions and learn more about our services

General Liability

Is general liability insurance required by law?

No, but failing to carry general liability insurance could result in you having to pay for all the expenses related to a claim against your business. For example, while visiting your office a client slips on a rug and breaks their hip. Without general liability insurance, you could be solely responsible for all the medical bills and legal fees. So, even though it’s not required by law, it should be a priority for your business

Does general liability insurance have a deductible?

Yes. You choose the amount of your general liability deductible when you get a quote. A deductible is a fixed out-of-pocket expense you agree to pay before your coverage starts to pay

Is general liability insurance tax deductible?

Yes. Since general liability premiums are considered “a cost of doing business”, they usually can be written-off at tax time. That said, it’s a good idea to consult a tax professional to make sure

Does general liability cover professional mistakes?

No. General liability only provides coverage for claims against you by others for their bodily injuries or damage to their property. To protect from claims against you for professional neglect or mistakes, you need to have professional liability insurance

What is a certificate of insurance?

A certificate of insurance (COI) is an official document that lists all coverages and limits on an insurance policy. Essentially, it proves that you have insurance and details your policy coverages and limits

Commercial auto

What do I need to get an auto insurance quote?

To get the most accurate quote, you need to supply your car’s make, model, and year, as well as information about your driving history. To purchase an auto policy, you’ll need your vehicle identification number (VIN) handy. We’ll also ask for your Social Security and driver’s license number

Does Car Theft Insurance Cover Vandalism?

Generally, comprehensive car insurance helps cover:

Vandalism
Theft
Personal property

If you live in an area with high rates of crime, this coverage is especially important. Without it, you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket for damages like vandalism.

Does Car Insurance Cover Theft of Personal Items?

Wondering if car insurance can help cover theft, plus your personal items? That depends, because comprehensive insurance isn’t the same from every company. Some policies help cover auto theft and personal property that are in your vehicle when it’s stolen, but not all insurance providers will help pay for stolen items

What Do You Do When Someone Steals Your Car?

If someone steals your car, you’ll need to file a police report right away. Once you do that, you should file a claim with your insurance company. In some cases, you’ll also want to contact your finance or leasing company. You can also use your car’s vehicle identification number to look it up on the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s stolen car database, known as (NICB) VINCheck

Does motorcycle insurance cover passengers?

If your passenger is hurt in a bike accident, guest passenger liability coverage can pay for their injuries, up to your policy’s limits. Depending on your state, guest passenger liability coverage is either part of your bodily injury liability coverage or a separate coverage. Keep in mind that if the other motorist is at fault, their motorcycle insurance may pay for your passenger’s injuries

Inland Marine

What are Inland Marine Risks?

If you’re thinking about getting Inland Marine insurance, it’s important to consider the nature of your business operations. While it was developed to protect against losses while shipping goods, Inland Marine insurance may protect your business against a myriad of other property damage risks

Does my Business need Inland Marine Insurance?

Businesses with moveable property may benefit from inland marine insurance. It’s important to determine if some of your business dealings fall outside of the coverage provided by your existing commercial insurance. For example, you may have coverage through your business owners insurance policy for the cameras, lighting and other equipment in your photography studio. However, this equipment may not be covered if it is being shipped to another location for a shoot. In this case, inland marine insurance would help provide coverage if there was an accident or theft during shipping

Does Inland Marine insurance have a deductible?

Inland marine insurance has a deductible, or the amount you pay out of pocket toward a covered claim. Your deductible is listed in your policy, and you may be able to select the deductible that works best for your business when you buy coverage. Inland marine insurance also has a coverage limit. If you have a covered claim, your insurer will only reimburse you up to the limit stated in your policy

Why is it called “Inland Marine” insurance?

Regardless of the term “marine,” an inland marine insurance policy typically covers property on land. Inland marine insurance is an offshoot of ocean marine insurance coverage. Originally, insurance companies offered “ocean marine” insurance to protect owners from losses of goods shipped by water in the event the ship sunk or was seized by pirates. Over time, individuals and businesses began shipping cargo beyond the major port cities and required protection from losses of goods while in transit over land. With the creation of inland marine insurance, insurance companies began offering protection for goods shipped beyond the major bodies of water and port cities. Today, inland marine insurance provides coverage for a broad range of miscellaneous types of property in transit and onsite

BOP

Who Needs a Business Owners’ Policy?

If you rent or own workspace or have client contracts that require general liability insurance, you’ll likely need a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP). A BOP can help your business if:

• You have a physical location
• There’s a possibility of you getting sued
• You have assets that could get stolen or damaged

What’s the Advantage of a Business Owner’s Policy?

Purchasing a BOP Policy is smart and convenient. It simplifies coverage needs by including business property insurance and business liability insurance. Our Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) offers businesses a way to save money while getting broad coverage for things like:

•Fire
•Theft
•Lawsuits
•Loss of income

Our BOP policy is a more affordable option than buying separate business property and liability policies. This policy is an even smarter and a more convenient choice for business owners because you can add other coverages to it. Businesses with specific needs can tailor their BOP by adding coverages like:

•Business income for off-premises utility services
•Data breach
•Professional liability

What's the difference between a business owners policy and general liability coverage?

A business owners policy combines general liability and property insurance into one easy to manage policy. General liability protects your business from third-party liability claims, including bodily injury, property damage and personal injury. There’s no need for an additional general liability insurance policy if you have a BOP

What kind of businesses need a business owners policy (BOP)?

Small to medium-sized businesses with commercial property should consider a BOP. It combines general liability and commercial property insurance. This combination gives you both liability protection – for things like accidents and lawsuits – and commercial property insurance, which covers your building and business personal property

What does a business owners policy cover?

A business owners policy covers liability claims, like customer injury and property damage not owned by the business, along with protecting your commercial building and its contents

Workers Compensation

Does a sole proprietor need workers’ compensation?

Not usually. While workers compensation laws vary from state-to-state, most states don’t require sole proprietors to carry workers’ comp

Are contractors and volunteers covered under workers’ comp?

Depending on the state, contractors and volunteers can be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits if they’re injured or become ill on the job. Our in-house agency can help answer any state-specific workers’ compensation questions you have

Do I need workers' compensation and general liability insurance?

Most businesses should have both workers’ comp and general liability insurance. These coverages protect against a variety of claims. Workers’ compensation covers your employees, and general liability covers people and property not involved in your business.

Workers’ compensation is required in most states. While general liability insurance isn’t mandatory, you should consider it to protect from other claims against your business.

What doesn’t workers’ compensation cover?

In addition to injuries that occur outside of work, injuries that occur intentionally, while commuting to and from work, or due to intoxication or substance abuse wouldn’t be covered by workers’ compensation

Does Workers’ Compensation cover my subcontractors?

Workers’ compensation generally does not cover subcontractors because they are not your employees. However, in some states for some industries, subcontractors may be classified as your employees if they don’t carry their own workers compensation. In that case, you must report their payroll as your employees. Workers’ compensation is regulated by each state. Many states have subtle differences in the requirements. It’s important to carefully read your policy documents

Property

Who Is Commercial Property Insurance Coverage Right For?

Commercial property insurance is for all businesses, especially those that have buildings, critical equipment and assets, or access to customers and suppliers. Read on to understand how our commercial property insurance can help your business stay resilient in times of loss and catastrophic events in our ever-changing world

How do I buy property insurance?

Property insurance policies for small businesses may be purchased as a stand-alone or as part of a comprehensive Business Owner’s Policy that includes property and general liability coverage. Your insurance agent can help you customize your coverage to address the specific risks facing your business, including selecting the type of property insurance coverage you may need

What if I don't own the building?

In many cases, business owners lease space to run their operations. If you fall into this category, check your lease to review your obligations in terms of insurance. In some cases, sole tenants will be responsible for insuring the building or must continue paying rent even if the space is destroyed. It’s a good idea to review the lease with your insurance agent to confirm that the insurance coverage you choose is sufficient and will protect you in the event of damage or loss of the property

Is property insurance legally required?

Many types of business insurance are optional. However, while it may not be required by law, a property and casualty insurance policy is highly recommended for all business owners. Further, your landlord or lender may require you to carry property insurance to protect their investment

How much does commercial property insurance cost?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer because all businesses are different. Your cost will depend upon the specific details of your business and the level of protection you seek. Some of the factors that may influence your cost include the nature and size of your business, number and condition of your facilities, loss protection and prevention practices, etc. The best way to determine your cost is to ask your professional insurance representative for a quote

Cyber Risk

Who Needs Cyber Liability Insurance?

Every type of organization, from global companies to mom and pop shops that use technology to do business, face cyber risk. As technology becomes more complex and sophisticated, so do the threats that businesses face. This is why every business and organization needs to be prepared with both cyber liability insurance and an effective cyber security plan to manage and mitigate cyber risk

How Much Does Cyber Insurance Cost?

Different factors can impact your business insurance cost. So, your cyber insurance costs will likely be different than another business’. Your data breach or cyber liability cost can depend on your:

• Number of customers, clients or patients
• Type of sensitive data and information you store
• Revenue
• Claims history

Errors & Omissions

Why Do You Need Errors & Omissions Insurance?

Without errors and omissions insurance, the cost of liability claims can be so expensive that they could put your business at risk of closing. Even if your customer drops their claim, your legal expenses could still be thousands of dollars. And if you’re found at fault or agree to settle the claim out of court, you can expect to pay a large amount out of pocket

How much does E&O insurance cost?

Every business has unique needs, so your errors and omissions insurance will cost a price that’s specific to your company. However, no matter what you pay, when you consider the cost of errors to your business, paying an insurance premium is worth it

Who needs E&O insurance?

You need errors and omissions insurance if you’re in the business of providing a service to clients for a fee. We typically provide E&O coverage to printers and building-trades contractors, such as electricians, plumbers, HVAC installers and sheet metal workers

E&O insurance is typically customized to meet specific needs of a business or industry. For example, a printer has different risks than an electrician. Both have the need for liability insurance, yet each needs a completely different type of coverage

Is E&O Insurance Legally Required?

While not all types of businesses are required by law to carry this coverage, some professionals are required by regulatory or licensing boards within their profession to have it. In more than 10 states, for example, real estate agents are required to show proof of E&O coverage before they receive their licenses.

While local or state laws may or may not expressly require some types of professionals to carry E&O coverage, other laws regarding their duty of care to clients make it a necessity. Additionally, you should seriously consider errors and omissions coverage if your business provides a professional service or regularly gives advice.

Event Insurance

Do I need insurance for my event?

Many venues will require you to purchase general liability insurance for your event to protect you and them in case someone gets hurt or the property is damaged. You might even be at risk of losing your event spot if you don’t provide proof of insurance. But you could lose even more than that if you don’t get the right coverage

What types of functions are covered?

Events that are covered by special event insurance include but are not limited to:

• Weddings
• Engagement parties
• Business meetings
• Non-Profit functions
• Retirement parties
• Anniversary parties
• Corporate events

When should I buy special event insurance?

It’s a good idea to purchase a policy as soon as you begin making deposits, because unexpected issues can crop up at any point. That said, you need to buy event cancellation coverage at least 14 days before your function date and liability coverage at least one day prior. You can buy both up to 24 months in advance. No one wants to think about something unpleasant when planning an important day, but it’s nice to know there’s a policy that can help protect you from the unexpected.

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