When you talk with an insureon agent, you’ll discover how to protect your landscaping or lawn care operation with small-business insurance.
General Liability Insurance is a must for business owners, regardless of size or industry. It offers coverage for claims that your business caused injury or property damage to a third party (that is, neither you nor your employees).
If, for example, you or one of your employees accidentally rode a lawnmower over a client’s sprinkler system and damaged that system, your General Liability Insurance would protect you if the client sued you for replacement or repair costs, assuming the relevant costs fell within the limits of your policy. In addition to any actual repair or replacement costs for which your company is found liable, your General Liability coverage would pay for any legal costs (such as attorney’s fees) associated with defending you against the claim.
One important element of General Liability policies to understand, however, is that they do not protect you against claims that your professional performance caused someone financial loss.
An insureon agent who is familiar with the needs of small landscapers and lawn care professionals can help you choose a General Liability Insurance policy that meets your business’s needs.
Most states require business owners to carry at least some form of Workers’ Compensation Insurance, which protects business owners from the expenses related with employees who incur illnesses or injuries on the job.
In lawn care and landscaping, the danger for employee injury and illness is fairly high, so an adequate Workers’ Compensation policy has the potential to save the business owner a significant of money.
An appropriate Workers’ Compensation policy will cover any legal expenses you incur defending yourself against an employee’s charges that your business caused illness or injury. Those expenses might include lawyer’s costs, court costs, docket fees, and more. In addition to such costs, a typical Workman’s Comp policy will pay for the cost of settlements or judgments, which might include the employee’s medical costs.
Be sure to ask your insureon agent whether you are required to insure yourself in addition to your employees, and whether you are required to carry insurance for contract workers in addition to full-time and part-time employees.
One way lawn care and landscaping professionals can increase the coverage limits on their General Liability and Auto Insurance policies is to purchase Umbrella Insurance (also known as Excess Liability Insurance). Umbrella policies are typically offered in increments of $1 million and are fairly inexpensive to buy.
In the event that your business is found liable for expenses and your General Liability or Auto Insurance policies are inadequate to cover those expenses, an Umbrella Insurance policy can make up the difference. For example: if your business is found liable for property damage totaling $500,000 and your General Liability policy offers only $250,000 in coverage, an Umbrella policy can provide the additional $250,000 in coverage, preventing you from having to pay that amount out of pocket.
If you or your employees operate a business-owned vehicle to complete your lawn care or landscaping work, you may be able to protect yourself from associated risks with Commercial Auto Insurance.
Depending on how you use your commercial vehicles, you may be able to insure them against physical damage, physical injury, and damage caused by uninsured drivers. Your insureon agent can help determine whether or not your business qualifies for Commercial Auto Insurance.
Establishing safety standards and training your employees in proper safety measures can reduce the risk that mistakes lead to serious injuries or accidents. It’s also generally a good idea to make sure that you and your employees invest in proper clothing and protective gear to prevent unnecessary injuries.
Keeping your equipment in proper working order can help promote a safe work environment, which tends to save money and time. Rather than being forced to stop in the middle of a job, you and your team can work at full capacity when you address any equipment problems before they become serious.
