Under a general liability insurance policy, the insurer is obligated to pay the legal costs of a covered business in a covered liability claim or lawsuit. Covered liability claims most of the time include bodily injury, property damage, personal injury and advertising injury (damage from slander or false advertising). The insurance company also covers compensatory and general damages. Punitive damages aren’t covered under general liability insurance policies because they are considered punishment for intentional acts. The Personal and advertising injury limit and products and completed operations limit may be excluded in general liability policies in professions such as environmental consulting, engineering, legal professions, dental professions etc. In these professions those limits would be covered in a Professional Liability policy which is advised in combination with a premises liability policy for property damage or the slip and fall type injury.
Read the rest of this entry »California Insurance Blog - Time and Money Saving Tips for Insurance
Understanding How Commercial General Liability Insurance Works
February 1st, 2010Worker’s Comp Payroll Alternatives
January 19th, 2010Recently I wrote about workers comp and discussed the difference between Independent Contractors and Employees as it relates to whether an employer should be paying workers compensation premiums.
Read the rest of this entry »Aging and Obesity in the Workplace and How it Relates to Workers Comp Claims
January 13th, 2010We all know that injuries at work result in claims against your workers comp policy, so the question is how you and your employees can reduce the odds of those claims.
Some main culprits relating to workers comp claims are back pain and carpal tunnel.
Back pain can be caused by a variety of issues:
- Excess weight and poor muscle tone
- Herniated or slipped discs
- Muscle strains and spasms
- Osteoarthritis; slow cartilage deterioration due to excessive use, injury or aging
- Osteoporosis; a calcium deficiency in the bones
- Sciatica; pressure on a nerve root in the lower back
- Stress
What Type of Insurance Coverage Does a Web Design Company Need?
January 7th, 2010My previous post below generated some questions specifically from web designers. Let me address some of them!
Do I Need Professional Liability if I Just Freelance Occassionally?
Well, this is a loaded question. Of course the answer is that if you do ANY web design work whether you’re a free lancer (independent contractor), a very small company, or a company with many employees….YES you need Professional Liability. The need for the coverages isn’t dependent on the amount of design work you do, it’s based on the fact that you do it for pay, period. It only takes one claim to financially ruin a company or an individual. Remember, if you do design work as an independent contractor (individual proprietor), your personal finances and assets are at risk in the event of a claim.
Read the rest of this entry »Do I Need Professional Liability?
January 2nd, 2010It is obvious that Doctors and Lawyers need Malpractice or Errors & Omissions (E & O) insurance, but there are other Professions that should obtain Professional Liability Coverage including but not limited to:
Read the rest of this entry »Define Occurrence, Claims Made and Manifestation Policy Coverages
December 31st, 2009For most small businesses, your policy coverage form is going to be an Occurrence policy, but for Contractors, Some Consultants, and others, you may be offered coverage on a Claims Made or Manifestation form. At first it sounds confusing, but in layman’s terms these forms allow an insurance carrier to offer quotes they may not have offered by restricting the occurrence form to a more specific coverage trigger. By offering these options, they’re able to keep the premium for the policy much lower than if it were a full occurrence form policy.
For Starters, What is an Occurrence Policy?
Read the rest of this entry »What is the difference between admitted and non-admitted carriers?
December 29th, 2009Many consumers are confused by what it means for their insurance company to be non-admitted in the State of California. It is commonly thought that this means that a carrier isn’t licensed in the state. This is far from the truth! Of course they have to be licensed to sell insurance in your state, but Admitted companies have gone through the stringent regulatory processes of the state, and they must comply with the governance of the California Department of Insurance (DOI). The admitted carrier’s financials are reviewed by the State, and their rates and policy forms must be approved by the state Insurance Commissioner. They comply with this by becoming a member of the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA). In becoming admitted this allows their insureds to be protected should they go belly-up, but only up to certain limits.
Read the rest of this entry »Commercial General Liability and Naming an Additional Insured (AI)
December 21st, 2009If your contract doesn’t specify what type of additional insured (AI) coverage is required, it is likely that a more restrictive blanket additional insured endorsement may be provided. This of course depends on your carrier, and the forms that they use. Some carriers use more comprehensive AI forms, however with more comprehensive coverage usually comes higher premiums and endorsement fees.
Read the rest of this entry »5 Tips to Lower Workers Compensation Premiums!
December 15th, 2009Welcome to the new website! I now have a forum to provide you with helpful information relating to your insurance. It will also be a great place for you to catch up on insurance industry news. It’s a given that your employees are one of your most important resources. We all know that as an employer in California, you’re required by law to provide your employees with the protection of Workers Compensation insurance. Because a claim on your Workers Comp policy can affect your premiums for years, in addition to purchasing the coverage, there are things you can do throughout the year that will help you keep your Work Comp premiums (and potential claims) in check.
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