When one of your employees is injured on the job, it sets off a sequence of procedures that must be adhered to in order to protect your business. If a claim is filed--whether compensable or contested—it is imperative that you have the necessary documents on file. Documentation for workers compensation insurance becomes particularly crucial with contested claims, as these documents become the lynchpin for a solid defense.

Start Documenting Workers Comp Claims Immediately

Documentation begins as soon as the compensation claim is received. An early intervention process allows for a claims expert to properly document pertinent information associated with the accident while the critical details are still fresh in the minds of the injured employee and anyone else involved.

Early workers comp insurance documentation has another advantage: often, the employee is still working, which allows unrestricted access to the worker before representation. This can lead to evidence that would be harder to uncover once a lawyer is involved. 

Other reasons for early documentation include:

• The injured worker and witnesses might change their stories if given the time
• Physical evidence can change or disappear
• Opportunities for research may be lost
• Proof of fraud or malingering may be missed
• Independent medical opinions may be jeopardized
• Symptoms are often exaggerated after a lawyer enters the picture

In addition, late documentation can damage an employer’s credibility and will sometimes lead to additional claims including harassment and discrimination.

Be Thorough in Collecting Evidence for Workers Comp Insurance Claims

It is worth noting that documentation of non-industrial injuries, tardiness, warnings, write-ups, and other personnel actions help to show the injured employee in a different light prior to litigation. Employers should be vigilant about maintaining proper WC documentation in the employee’s personnel file. This can be helpful in constructing an accurate portrayal of the worker before and after the injury.

Other workers comp documents that must be on file include…

• A comprehensive statement of the facts of the accident
• Witness statements, taken as early as possible
• Medical evidence obtained prior to litigation identifying the injury and body part
• Past medical records that are pertinent to the claim
• Independent medical examinations
• Personal and physical background information on the claimant
• Past claim records
• Photos and videos of the accident site
• Information procured from private investigators
• Copies of training programs and the employee’s participation in them
• Reports from professional experts and technical advisers
• A record of all telephone discussions with anyone connected with the claim
• A log of all employees’ functions from an up-to-date job description of all positions, especially modified duties

Medical Evidence is Key to a Workers Compensation Insuance Claim

While not every insurance claim will require this level of documentation, claim technicians will need many or all of these documents in some difficult cases. Many factors can affect the outcome of these cases. Experts seem to agree, however, that nothing is more important than medical evidence, procured prior to litigation, which identifies the injury or body part with a fair description of symptoms. Witness statements are also important, but witnesses have unreliable memories and are prone to leading questions. These factors lead back to the importance of early documentation.

Documenting a worker’s compensation claim is complex and time-consuming. But it is worth the hard work if it becomes necessary to defend a claim. Courts appreciate when complete and well organized paperwork is presented at a hearing.

Obtaining the Right Workers Compensation Insurance

Click here to contact us or give us a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 to learn more about worker’s compensation and all of your insurance options. We'll help you choose the right policy and ensure you get a great deal because as indepenent agents we're free to shop among many competing workers comp insurance providers. Call or click today to get started.

The storm was ferocious. Luckily, your buildings were spared damage from the high winds and heavy rains; however, a few miles away the storm brought down power lines that supply your business with electricity. While there is no physical damage to your property, you’re still out of business without power. Does your business insurance cover this? Do you have utility service interruption insurance?

Commercial Property Policies Exclude Utility Service Outages

You have a standard loss of business income insurance policy, and you may think that you are protected in the event of an outage. Unfortunately, most policies do not cover utility interruptions that originate away from your premises. While utility service exclusions may vary from one policy to another, they usually include the following:

• Power supply services--electricity, gas and steam
• Water supply services
• Communications supply services--telephone, radio, microwave or television

Losing these services for an extended period can be financially devastating. To protect your business from any of these utility outages, you will need to purchase an endorsement that extends your insurance coverage to include utility services interruptions.

Utility Service Interruption Insurance Closes the Gaps

Storms are not the only threat to your business. A vehicle can snap off a utility pole, a fire can start several blocks away, or a tornado can touch down unexpectedly. None of these has caused damage to your facility, yet your business is on hold because one or more utilities that are vital to your operation have been interrupted.

Utility service interruption coverage is an endorsement that covers your losses due to lack of incoming electricity--or similar utility services--caused by damage to property away from your premises. (For instance, the utility generating station may have been damaged or transmission lines could be down.)

These endorsements vary widely as to what utility services are included and whether both Direct Damage and Time Element losses are covered. The following details explain these coverages:

Direct Damage Coverage

• If a power surge occurs during power restoration, this coverage pays to repair or replace any items that have been damaged by the surge
• You must have Personal Property insurance to purchase Direct Damage coverage. It is an extension of your Personal Property coverage
• The deductible that applies to your Personal Property coverage will also apply to Direct Damage

Time Element Coverage

• Time Element coverage extends standard business interruption coverage to include utility services interruptions
• Time Element pays your profit plus continuing expenses, up to the limit you have chosen or until the utility comes back into service, whichever comes first
• You must have Loss of Business Income coverage to buy the Time Element extension
• The utility must be out due to a covered cause of loss 
• If you have a deductible or waiting period on Loss of Business Income, it will be the same on your Time Element endorsement

Consider the Exposures to Your Business

The first step is to evaluate the exposures facing your company. Will the loss of power for hours or days adversely impact your operations and profits? If you determine that it will, your next step is to determine how your current insurance program would apply. This involves reviewing the policy language, evaluating the coverage and taking the appropriate action to change the policies or add endorsements.

A word of caution: many power outages are caused by downed transmission and distribution lines. These endorsements do not automatically extend coverage for loss caused by or resulting from the damaged lines. This coverage is available, but it must be specifically requested and added by endorsement.

We Can Help You Get the Right Utility Services Interruption Insurance Policy

The experienced agents at American Insuring Group can help you determine if Utility Services Interruption Insurance is a good idea for your business.

Click here to contact us or give us a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. Our independent agents will compare insurance policies among many competing providers to find you the right insurance at the right price. Call or click today!

Workers' compensation insurance allows employees who are injured on the job to receive payments for medical expenses, lost wages, and other expenses as they heal. It is usually paid by an insurance policy that has been taken out by the employer. Workers' compensation is required by law in most states, and receiving payment for workplace injuries may be an employee’s legal right.

But not everyone plays fair. Dishonest employees, employers, and health care providers are using fraudulent tactics to take money they do not deserve.

Fake Workers Comp Injury Claims by Employees

Most employees are honest, but the lure of free money, combined with the opportunity to bring in even more money at a second job, can be tempting. While only a small number of employees scam this coverage for personal profit, the damage can be substantial. Here are some of the ways dishonest employees can cheat the system:

• Embellished injuries: A worker insists that a minor injury received on the job is much more serious and requires a longer time away from work.
• Hurt off the job: Workers get injured elsewhere, but claim that they were hurt at work.
• Faking an injury: Some workers simply invent injuries. Injuries such as muscle problems with the back and neck are hard to disprove and easier to get away with.
• Previous injury: A worker with an old injury that never quite healed will claim he just got hurt on the job.
• Malingering: Workers pretend they're still disabled, even though they've healed enough to return to work.

Workers Comp Premium Scams by Employers

Fake injury claims far outnumber premium scams, but most workers comp insurance premium scams are much larger. A worker's bogus injury claim normally costs $2,000-$50,000 total. Employers can illegally reduce the workers comp insurance premiums they owe, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid premiums in one year. Some scams can last for several years, resulting in millions lost. These cons can be complex and are hard to discover. Here’s how they work:

• Hiding employees: The company reports fewer employees or a lower payroll than it actually has. The owner might also falsely claim that some of the workers are independent contractors and don't count toward workers’ comp premiums.
• Misclassifying employees: The dishonest employer tells the workers’ comp insurer that many employees work at safer jobs than they really do.
• Avoiding coverage: The business doesn't buy state-required workers’ comp insurance, leaving workers dangerously exposed if they're injured.

Health Care and Lawyer Scams

Sometimes medical clinics and lawyers will team up to cheat workers’ compensation insurance. These are often well-organized and can steal millions of dollars a year. Here are some of the most common scams:

• Inflated injuries: Clinics may overstate the seriousness of injuries to workers, and bill insurers for costly and worthless treatments or tests.
• Phantom injuries: Clinics may bill insurance for treatment of injuries that never happened.
• Bogus lawsuits: Disreputable lawyers working with crooked clinics encourage uninjured workers to seek useless treatment. The lawyers then may threaten to sue unless the insurance company settles the phony claim quickly.
• Kickbacks: Dishonest clinics and lawyers hire recruiters to bring workers into the scams. The recruiters receive illegal kickbacks for referring patients to the lawyers or clinics.
• Bogus clinics: Some clinics are fakes. There are no licensed doctors or useful medical equipment. The clinic is merely a staging ground for bogus workers’ comp claims.

Workers’ Comp Insurance Fraud IS a Big Deal!

Workers’ comp fraud is a large crime in America. Tens of billions of dollars in false claims and unpaid premiums are stolen every year. That makes it a very big deal! Insurers pass on higher premiums to businesses, while consumers pay higher prices for goods and services from businesses. Workers may have their pay reduced or their jobs eliminated, while those who remain employed may be at risk in businesses that illegally avoid buying insurance.

Call Us to Get the Right Workers Comp Insurance Policy for Your Business

No businee is exempt from this problem.

Click here to contact us or give us a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610)775-3848 to get the right workers’ compensation insurance for your business.

Look! Up at the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a drone! And it’s coming to a neighborhood near you. The Consumer Electronics Association estimates that consumer drone purchases this year will put 300,000 more recreational drones in the skies. And while many consumers are now eyeing these unmanned, remote-controlled aerial toys as one of their next purchases, they don’t necessarily want their neighbors to buy one. Furthermore, few consider whether their homeowners insurance will cover them for drone-related accidents.

Drone safety and privacy issues

With the possibility that a drone could crash-land into a car or injure a child or pet, there’s little wonder that a recent survey by a property-casualty insurer revealed a good deal of concern about hobby drones:

• Three quarters of respondents were concerned that an unmanned drone could crash into their house.
• Half believed that a drone was likely to injure someone
• Half thought the aircraft might be able to hack into a wireless network
• A full sixty percent feared that drones would take unauthorized photos of family members
• And a third of them believed that drones could somehow steal their possessions

Check your homeowners insurance policy to be sure you’re protected

While the Federal Aviation Administration worries about the threat that personal drones pose to private and commercial aircraft, the insurance industry is concerned about their potential effect on home insurance. As more drones are sent skyward, there will be a commensurate increase in claims against their owners for accidents that cause personal injury and property damage. Many insurers worry that they will see a significant increase in recreational operators seeking coverage under existing homeowners' insurance policies. But will the drone operators’ homeowners’ insurance cover damages?

The quick answer: probably. While the standard homeowners' policy provides coverage for damages that the insured becomes legally obligated to pay for bodily injury or property damage, this coverage may be limited by policy exclusions. One of those exclusions is coverage for injuries or damage caused by the ownership, use, or maintenance of aircraft. “Aircraft” refers to any apparatus used or designed for flight, except model or hobby aircraft not used or designed to carry people or cargo. Many insurers, however, don’t make this exception for hobby aircraft. Since there are substantial differences in policy wording, one cannot assume coverage for drone use.

Business usage and intentional acts exclusions

Domino's is hoping to have drones deliver pizzas in the near future, and Amazon is testing them for deliveries as well. Agents are taking aerial photos for real estate listings, and home insurers are using drones for everything from underwriting to documenting damage from natural disasters. But keep in mind that none of these business applications will likely be covered under a personal homeowners’ policy, because those policies usually exclude business activities.

Homeowners’ insurance policies also often exclude coverage for intentional acts. And it can be difficult to separate the intentional from the accidental in drone incidents. If a local jurisdiction deems invasion of privacy to be an intentional act, any claims against you may not be paid if your policy specifically excludes intentional acts.

Drone operators need to look closely at the commercial-usage, "aircraft" and intentional-acts exclusions of their homeowners’ policy prior to liftoff. As with all insurance, the availability of coverage depends on the policy’s specific language – including the definitions, the exclusions, the exceptions to the exclusions and other conditions.

Questions about drones and homeowners insurance? Call us!

Before you send that new recreational drone on its maiden flight, contact American Insuring Group or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 to be sure that you are fully protected.

Our independent agents represent a multitude of competing insurance providers, so we're well equipped to find you the right insurance at the right price, so contact us today.

Today’s businesses are paying greater attention to their employees’ wellness. Some are even taking a more holistic approach in which “wellness” is being supplanted by “well-being.” Whether your business is providing employees with fitness programs, diets, and screenings or adding meditation and massages into the mix, your employees reap tangible benefits…and so do you.

A healthy employee is more productive, has less absenteeism, does higher quality work, and gets injured less often. Production and quality help a company to be profitable and competitive. Fewer injuries lower workers compensation rates.

Sounds great, right? Why doesn’t every employer do this for their employees?

Connecting Wellness Programs to Workers Comp Insurance

While all of these wellness initiatives play an important role in improving employee satisfaction--along with the company’s bottom line--it is worth noting that if an employee is injured during an activity that was encouraged by the employer, it may be compensable. That's where having the right level of workers compensation insurance can make a real difference.

An Injury at a Fitness Center

Recently, an employee of a New York business suffered a spinal cord injury while participating in an exercise class at a fitness center. His employer had made the center available for all employees during working hours. The employer had also offered to pay some of the employees’ cost of the center. A Workers’ Compensation Law Judge determined that the claimant’s injury arose out of and in the course of his employment, and ruled that the employee was entitled to compensation for his injury.

The New York Appellate Division agreed. The court reasoned that the employer encouraged the claimant to have a gym membership, and offered reimbursement to its employees for half of their center’s membership fees. The court also noted that the claimant’s position required him to develop contacts with clients, and the claimant stated that he advanced that objective by taking classes at the fitness center. Since the employer sponsored the fitness center activity in this manner, the claimant’s injuries were ruled to be compensable.

A Lunch-time Basketball Game

In Pennsylvania, a Commonwealth Court found that an employee, injured while playing basketball on his lunch hour, was entitled to workers’ comp insurance benefits. The Court found that the employer had encouraged employees to engage in physical activities to improve their health, relieve stress, and to give them a better mental attitude at work. The employer encouraged such activities with postings on a bulletin board and by allowing its employees to use company facilities, including their gymnasium. Based on these facts, the Court found that the claimant was furthering the business interests of his employer when he was injured.

The Implied Requirement and the Need for Workers Comp Insurance

The South Carolina Supreme Court recently ruled that a man who organized a voluntary kickball game for fellow employees and shattered his leg during the game must be covered under workers’ compensation. In its decision, the court cited the testimony of the man’s supervisor, who said that while attendance at the game was not mandatory, he would have been “surprised and shocked” if the employee had not attended after organizing the event.

The case turned on the court’s view that the man was “impliedly required” to attend the event because of his role in organizing it. The decision doesn’t necessarily apply to other employees who are injured at an event where employees are encouraged--but not required--to attend. It does suggest, however, that employers should be aware that encouraging attendance may be regarded as an implied requirement.

Getting the Right Level of Workers Compensation Insurance Protection

For most employers, the benefits of promoting workforce wellness far outweigh the potential liability. But if your company is considering a wellness initiative, or continuing an existing one, it would be wise to seek the advice of an attorney in order to develop initiatives that promote the goals of the program while minimizing the risk of legal exposure.

Also, click here to contact us or give us a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 to ensure that you have the right level of worker's compensation insurance to properly protect both your business and your employees.

Question: How much life insurance do you need?

Answer: It all depends…

This answer implies that there is work ahead. There is no standard lump-sum figure or, at the very least, a formula that can be used to arrive at the right amount of life insurance for you. In the past, traditional schools of thought have suggested that seven to ten times a person’s annual salary should be sufficient coverage.

But, does this one-size-fits-allapproach apply to your situation? Maybe, maybe not.

What Factors Go Into Determining How Much Life Insurance You Need?

First off, be aware that the amount of insurance that you need today may change dramatically in the future. For instance, the single, carefree young man--whose need for life insurance today is minimal--might become a married homeowner with a couple of kids in a few years. The responsibilities that have been added into his life will considerably increase the amount of insurance that he should carry. Here are some of the factors that must be taken into consideration in deciding how much insurance coverage is right for you:

• Money for final expenses (funeral, burial plot, etc.)
• Replace lost income
• Pay off a mortgage
• Pay off other debt (auto loan, credit cards)
• Provide an education fund for your children

And remember, just because you are a stay-at-home parent without income doesn’t mean you can forego life insurance. Childcare is expensive and hiring someone to take over your household responsibilities could put a sizable strain on your family’s budget.

Replacing Income: Vital to a Family’s Financial Survival

If you have long-term financial goals, now is the time to think about how those plans would be affected by the loss of your paycheck. If your children are young, your life insurance might be needed to support them for quite a few years in your absence. In the case of a special-needs child, it will probably be for a lifetime.

In addition to your income, your family will likely be losing your employer-provided health insurance, which would amount to thousands of dollars in premiums each year to replace it. Consider that your family will have to trade in an aging vehicle at some point or that a teenage driver might need a car for school, a part-time job, or commuting to college. If these and other long-term goals are part of your planning today, it is important to provide for them in your life insurance estimates.

Coming Up With an Insurance Protection Estimate

Once you have determined how much lost income you will need to replace, you can add that amount to any mortgage, debts, final expenses and education funds you want to cover. This is your life insurance number. From that figure you can subtract:

• Personal life insurance policies that you already own
• Life insurance you have through work
• Liquid assets your family can use

One important consideration about life insurance at work is that it is only a benefit as long as you are working at that company. If you change jobs, you might end up with less coverage or none at all. For that reason, it might make sense to exclude this coverage from your calculations.

Underestimating your future financial needs will leave you underinsured. And if you believe that you can buy more insurance in the future, understand that will only work if you are as healthy then as you are now. Unexpected illnesses could make your future life insurance premiums prohibitively expensive—if you can get coverage at all.

We Can Help With Your Life Insurance Needs

Coming up with an accurate life insurance amount can seem like a daunting task, but you don’t have to tackle it by yourself. Click here to contact us or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848; we can guide you through the process, and help you to arrive at a life insurance number that’s right for you.

Having the right type of restaurant insurance coverage is key to protecting your business in the event of a food recall. That's because food recalls have become a major concern for restaurant owners and others in the food businesses in recent years.

The number of recalls has nearly doubled since 2002, costing many of these affected businesses more than $10 million for each incident, with some going as high as $100 million. Most of that money is spent on product disposal costs, business interruptions, and customer reimbursements. And those figures do not include the reputational damage that lowers profits for food producers.

A 2013 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated that nearly nine million people were sickened by contaminated food that year, costing the U.S. public health system a stunning $15 billion in hospitalization costs and lost wages.

Food recalls are triggered for several reasons, nearly half of which are for microbiological contamination. Another 25% come from incorrect or missing labelling. Defective packaging, physical and chemical contamination, and unapproved ingredients round out the list. 

Food Product Recalls and Restaurants

As a restaurant owner, it’s imperative that you keep on top of all food recall information – from both the FDA and the USDA. You can do that by regularly checking www.foodsafety.gov. You can also get recall information sent right to your email inbox or by uploading an app.

If you discover that there is a recall on a product that you serve, check to see if the items you have in stock are part of that recall. Then, find out the reason for the recall. As we mentioned, food can be recalled for everything from microbiological contamination to inaccurate ingredient labeling. If you do have recalled product, identify and separate those products. Finally, contact the manufacturer to determine whether to return or throw away the recalled product and to ask for a refund.

Contaminated foods can have a devastating effect on a food manufacturer or restaurant’s reputation. Also, consumers who have been poisoned by contaminated food can file claims for financial compensation. All of this points to restaurant insurance as a means of mitigating the financial impact of a recall. There are several possible solutions:

Product Liability Insurance provides compensation of justified third-party claims and defense costs for injury caused by a contaminated food product.

Product Recall Insurance reimburses expenses for the recall of any food product that was accidentally contaminated or labelled incorrectly and resulted in sickness, disease or death. It covers the company’s expenses related to the recall such as notification, testing, disposal, product replacement, and reimbursement of the purchase price.

Contaminated Product Insurance pays expenses that are associated with accidental contamination, malicious contamination, or product extortion demands. Specific losses that are covered include recall expenses, pre-incident consulting, post-incident crisis management, third-party expenses, loss of gross profit, and rehabilitation expenses.

Get the Right Restaurant Insurance for Your Peace of Mind 

Each of these types of insurance addresses a specific need. Click here to contact us or give us a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 to find the right insurance solution for your company based on your risk exposure and the level of protection that you need.

It's every homeowner's worst fear. Imagine… You pull into your driveway after a lovely evening with your spouse and as you approach your front door – key in hand - you see broken glass and notice that the door isn’t shut completely. For a few seconds, you’re confused. Then, you realize that someone has obviously forced their way into your house. Your heart starts pounding and your mind begins racing. Your home has been burglarized. What do you do now?

You are now a statistic—one of the 3.7 million home burglaries that happen each year. Regardless of how much homeowner's insurance you have you will be angry, anxious, or maybe even panic-stricken. But there are actions you must take to minimize the effects of the burglary…and the order in which you do them is critical.

1. Call the police and file a report

In the above scenario, it is best to retreat into your car and dial 911. You can’t be certain that the burglars aren’t still in your house, and you don’t want to be the one to confront them. If you’re already in the house and certain that the burglars are gone, call the police, but don’t touch or disturb anything, as it might be key evidence. When the police arrive, walk through your house and make a list of the items that were taken, and take pictures of any damage that was done during the burglary. Make one copy of the list for your homeowners insurance company and give the other to the police.

Within 24 hours you will need to file a report with the police. This puts the incident on record, which is the first step in filing an insurance claim. The report is also needed in the investigation, and this may lead to apprehending the offenders and recovering your property.

2. Contact your homeowners insurance company and file a claim

File an insurance claim with your carrier as quickly as possible, while the details are fresh in your mind. The list of stolen and damaged property that you supply should include a value for each item and receipts, if possible. There may be an insurance adjuster assigned to your case, and any documentation--in addition to the police report--will help him or her work through the details. While FBI statistics show that only about 13% of break-ins are solved by law enforcement, filing a well-documented claim should enable you to recoup a fair amount of your loss.

3. Clean up

Once the burglary has been properly documented, you can clean up. Your emotional healing will begin with the physical act of putting things in order. Remove any appliances or furniture that can no longer be used, clean up anything that has been broken, and repair and paint over any damage to the walls. You might want to consider changing the previous look of a ransacked room by rearranging furniture or painting the walls a different color. All of this can be emotionally challenging, but these are important steps for moving on after a break-in.

4. Plan for the future

Restoring order to your home, while difficult in itself, is easier than restoring your sense of security. Being burglarized causes emotional trauma, and being proactive about your future can help you recover. Here are some of the steps you can take:

• Buy or upgrade door and window locks
• Install motion-sensitive lights outside your doors
• Put your lights on timers, both inside and outside
• Consider a home security system with alarm monitoring—the system should include door and window alarms along with motion detectors

Having the Right Homeowner's Insurance Helps Your Peace of Mind

To ensure that your valuables are properly protected in the event of a home burglary, click here to contact us, or give us a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 to review your homeowner’s insurance policy.

Commercial auto insurance and personal auto insurance are two completely different things – mainly because a commercial vehicle faces more risks and needs more protection than a personal vehicle.

Commercial auto insurance is designed to protect you, your employees, your vehicle, your equipment, your business (in the event of a lawsuit), and other individuals. It has some of the same coverages as personal insurance, but usually includes higher liability coverage and additional add-ons not offered with personal auto insurance.

If you are conducting business in a vehicle that is only covered by personal auto insurance and that vehicle is involved in an accident, you risk having your claim denied.

State and Federal Insurance Requirements for Your Personal or Commercial Vehicle

Each state has different requirements, but nearly all of them require that any registered vehicle be covered by – at least – liability insurance, and some states require that you purchase uninsured motorist coverage and no-fault car insurance. Pennsylvania is one of those states, and these requirements – and often more - apply to your commercial vehicle.

If you transport hazardous materials or you transport goods or passengers from state to state, you are also subject to federal requirements for commercial auto insurance. For instance: a commercial vehicle carrying 16 or more passengers across state lines is required to have $5 million of insurance and a vehicle carrying less than 15 passengers across state lines is required to carry at least $1.5 million of insurance.

Often, you will find that insurance companies will only sell you policies that include coverage that is higher than the state’s minimum requirements for personal vehicles, because providing coverage for a commercial vehicle increases the risk. Plus, financial intuitions may require additional coverage.

Do you need commercial auto insurance?

If you own or lease a fleet of vehicles, you probably understand that you need commercial auto insurance, but even if you own just one of the following vehicles and use it for business purposes, you should have commercial vehicle insurance:

• Trucks – dump trucks, refrigerator trucks, etc.
• Vehicles outfitted with work equipment
• Utility vans
• Limousines
• Taxicabs
• Flatbeds

You might be surprised to learn that you should also have commercial insurance for a “regular” car, pick-up truck, or SUV if any of these circumstances apply:

• You use a vehicle or vehicles for your profession or business (other than commuting to work)
• The vehicle is owned or leased by a business, partnership, or other corporation

• The vehicle is equipped with…
• Snowplowing equipment.
• Cooking or catering equipment.
• Bathrooms.
• Altered suspensions.
• Hydraulic lifts.
• Racing equipment.
• The vehicle is consistently driven by you or your employees for both business and personal use.

Add-on insurance to consider for your commercial vehicle:

• Collision: This covers your vehicle for damage incurred in a collision/accident.
  
  
• Comprehensive Insurance: This covers you if your vehicle is damaged by something other than a collision, such as theft, fire, or vandalism.
  
  

• PIP and medical payments coverages: Personal injury protection (PIP) and medical payments coverages help take care of expenses, such as the loss of wages, incurred when you and/or your passengers are injured in an accident.
  
  
• Emergency roadside insurance: If you’re battery dies, you get a flat tire, need your car towed, run out of gas, or lock yourself out of the car, this insurance can come in handy.
  
  
• Personal effects insurance:  This insurance covers your personal belongings in the event of a theft.

Contact Us for the Right Commercial Vehicle Insurance 

If you want to protect your employees, your vehicle, your equipment, your business, and other individuals, give us a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 or click here to contact us.

As independent insurance agents, we can help determine the right auto insurance at the right price for your vehicle by shopping among competing insurance carriers. Click or call today.

When you start a business, you’re full of hope and dreams. The last thing you want to think about is what would happen to your business if you, a co-owner, or a key person within the business were to become disabled or – God forbid – die.

But, as a business owner it is your responsibility to think about these things and plan how you will protect your business, your employees, and your family in the event of one of these tragedies. In order to do that, you need to ask yourself these two questions and then get the proper business insurance to meet your needs:

Here are 4 Types of Business Insurance to Consider:

Disability Buy-Out Insurance

Business Overhead Insurance

If an owner were to become disabled, this insurance would reimburse the business for overhead expenses – such as salaries, taxes, employee benefits, rent, mortgage, utilities, etc. – for one or two years. This often means the difference between a business surviving or closing until the owner can get back on his or her feet.

Individual Life Insurance

What if you or one of the owners were to die? What would happen to your business? You might assume that your family or remaining owners could sell or liquidate the business to ensure their financial security. Unfortunately, this doesn’t usually work. First, who wants to think about selling a business while grieving for the loss of a loved one? Second, when the family is forced to sell the business quickly, they may have to sell at a discount or during market conditions that make the business less attractive. In other cases, the business may be worth very little without the proprietor or partner. Individual life insurance can protect your family by providing funds to cover debts, ongoing living expenses and future plans, in the event that something happens to you. Life insurance can also be structured to fund a buy-sell agreement.

Key Person Insurance

This is another essential component of a smart business continuation plan. Key person insurance is life or disability insurance purchased by the business on an employee/owner that is essential to the running of the business. It is payable to the business. When a key person dies or becomes disabled, insurance can help make up for lost sales or earnings or cover the cost of finding or training a replacement.

Need Help Finding the Right Business Insurance?

Don’t take chances. It’s your responsibility for protecting your family, employees, and your business. Make sure that you plan for the unexpected with the right business insurance and individual life insurance.

Contact us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848; we can help you determine the right insurance to protect your assets. As independent insurance agents, we'll shop among competing insurance providers to find you the right insurance at the best price. Call or click today.