Risk & Business

Image by gullevek via Flickr Something that insureds should be aware of, contractors in particular since this practice is widespread in their industry, is the fact that Additional Insured endorsements can often reduce the actual coverage available to them, the actual Named Insured. In a recent article in The Insurance Journal, Chris Boggs , the author , sited the case of a large construction company that required one of it's subcontractor 's to add them as an additional insured to the sub's general liability policy. Subsequently, the subcontractor hired another subcontractor to complete some of it's responsibilities. This is where it gets hairy. The subcontractor hired by the original subcontractor had an employee injured on the site by another contractor, also hired directly the the large construction company. The employee's company filed suit against all parties, the main contractor and also the subcontractors involved in the event, either directly or i...

Image by Jake Wasdin via Flickr Due to the upheaval in the economy these past few months many business owners are taking steps to save money where they can. It might be a good idea to take a critical look at your current insurance coverage. While, obviously, your insurance is a vital and important part of your business, there may be some areas where you can cut back for now until the economy turns around. One area to consider might be your current vehicle coverage. Do you have multiple vehicles? If so, would it make sense to take some off the road for awhile? Also, keep a closer eye on your payrolls, as they can affect both your workers compensation and general liability premiums. You can always request a mid term decrease in payrolls and sales from your insurance company . Just be prepared to provide proof. Remember though, since you are looking for ways to save on your insurance premium, others that you do business with, subcontractors , other vendors, are doing the sam...