Archive for September 2014
A Need for Professional Liability Insurance
When it comes to insurance,
businesses have a lot more to worry about than just health insurance.
Professional liability insurance, for instance, aims to protect
people (and businesses) from costly lawsuits relating to the
performance of their professional responsibilities. Common examples
of these are malpractice insurance for doctors and lawyers.
Cases
Malpractice or negligence is
just one aspect of the liabilities insurance. Customers or clients
could file a lawsuit against companies for a variety of reasons, such
as failure to deliver a promised product or service, production and
distribution of inferior or damaged merchandise, errors in judgment
calls, and many others.
Every Lawsuit Counts
Many professionals believe
that since malpractice lawsuits essentially have low probabilities of
succeeding, they can do away with professional liability insurance.
However, the fact is, the moment your business is summoned to appear
in court, the costs are already flowing out of your pocket, something
that could take a huge toll on your revenues.
Claims-Based
Know that most liability
insurance offered by firms involve claims-based coverage. This means
that only lawsuits made and reported during the period of your policy
will be reviewed. If there are previous claims that you want covered,
look for a retroactivity coverage. If you’re retired but you’re
still concerned about lawsuits made relating to your previous
services, look for extended coverage.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Posted by Unknown
When Choosing Insurance, Have a Broker Help Out
For
small New Jersey companies, purchasing insurance is just like paying
taxes—it’s a basic part of any household budget. However, with
all the choices out there, choosing the right insurance company from
an array of popular insurance companies nationwide, can be quite
daunting. Fortunately, an insurance broker can make the process as
quick and hassle-free as possible.
What
does an insurance broker do?
Insurance
brokers, in stark contrast to insurance agents, are completely
independent and are able to represent many insurance companies. Thus,
in theory, an insurance broker can give you—the client—the best
coverage at the lowest price. Brokers can guide you through the messy
paperwork and help you understand the unintelligible jargon commonly
found in many insurance contracts.
How
are they different from insurance agents?
Generally
speaking, the work of an insurance agent and a broker are entirely
different. However, the line between the two can often get blurry in
the real world: good agents will be willing to refer their clients to
other popular insurance companies just to give them the best rates,
while some brokers have special relationships with particular
insurance companies because of stronger ties and a sense of loyalty.
Despite this common role-switching, it still pays to talk to an
insurance broker over an agent because of the broader reach and
choices they offer.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Posted by Unknown
Types of Insurance Startup Businesses Need
No business is safe from
several factors that might put its critical assets in trouble over
time. Several untoward happenings like natural disasters or civil
unrest subject any type of enterprise to great risks, especially
those that are particularly new in their field or industry.
Therefore, to protect themselves, startups need to have these
essential
insurance
coverages at their disposal:
General liability –
Contrary
to popular belief, this type of insurance doesn’t make a business
immune to lawsuits, but rather provide financial protection should
legal claims find their way to the doorstep. Structured to cover
aspects like financial settlements and legal costs, liability
insurance effectively shields a startup company’s assets whenever
unsatisfied customers decide to take their claims to court.
Property – Startup
business owners need to take note that while profits are good, their
physical assets are also critical. Property insurance basically
encompasses assets like equipment, inventory, furniture, and even the
entire building, as well as accounting records. This specific policy
(provided that all relevant terms are agreed upon) can protect a
business’ physical assets against damages from disasters, man-made
or natural, and whether they’re owned or leased.
Worker’s compensation –
In several
states and cities, businesses are mandated by law to have this type
of insurance. On simple terms, this coverage compensates an employee
for lost wage and medical expenses in the event that he/she gets
injured on the job and requires medical treatment, in exchange for an
agreement that the employee doesn’t sue the employer at any time.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Posted by Unknown
Insurance for Your Home-Based Business
Do
you run your business out of your own home? If so, then you need to
obtain an add-on (or rider) to your existing homeowner’s policy to
cover your business. Many others fail to obtain this add-on because
they are confused with what’s already covered by their homeowner’s
(or renter’s) policy. You should know that if you failed to
disclose your home-based business to your insurance provider, any
claim for losses or damages sustained or caused by it may be refused.
Your insurer may even cancel your policy altogether.
If
your home and business location are one and the same, your best bet
is to obtain coverage for your business as well. Did you know that if
the delivery guy comes with a business package at your door and he
slips and injures himself in the process, you could be paying for his
medical expenses from your own pocket? There’s no coverage for this
type of injury in your homeowner’s policy, and with the amount of
loss you could be facing, you’re sure to regret not obtaining
insurance for your business in the first place.
An
add-on to your homeowner’s policy generally provides around $2500
additional coverage, which is usually enough for sole
proprietorship-type business. However, if you have a lot of valuable
equipment and a lot of people visiting your home for business
matters, consider acquiring an in-home business policy.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Posted by Unknown
