What are the requirements for small business insurance in Ohio?
In Ohio, small businesses with one or more employees are required to carry workers' compensation insurance. Unlike in other states, you cannot purchase workers’ comp through a private insurer – instead, it must be purchased through the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. If you have company-owned vehicles, then you are also required by law to purchase commercial auto insurance.
Other policies are optional, such as commercial property insurance and general liability insurance. However, a landlord may ask to see proof of these policies as a condition for signing a commercial lease. Similarly, a client may request that you obtain these policies before signing a contract with your company.
While professional liability insurance is also not required by law, it is recommended for lawyers, consultants, doctors, and other professionals who provide expert advice as part of their practice. Also called errors and omissions insurance, this policy provides protection against lawsuits resulting from business errors or allegations of negligence.
Finally, companies that store personal information such as credit card numbers might benefit from cyber liability insurance. This policy provides protection against security breaches and cyberattacks.
Insureon is licensed in Ohio. Fill out our free online application to receive quotes from top-rated U.S. insurance providers. We’ll provide expert advice from an insurance specialist in your field to help you find appropriate coverage for your small business.
Policies That Match Your Profession
Your line of work is a major consideration when it comes to choosing policies for your small business. For instance, accountants who store sensitive client information such as Social Security numbers may want to invest in cyber liability insurance to protect against cyberattacks. A consultant might benefit from professional liability insurance to safeguard against lawsuits alleging mistakes or negligence.
Insureon has experts in your field to help you find coverage that fits your small business’s unique risks and characteristics. To receive quotes tailored to your business, fill out our free 15-minute application or select your industry from the list below:
Small business insurance policies in Ohio
In Ohio, small businesses most often purchase the following types of insurance:
General liability insurance
When customers or clients come through your doors, your business faces a risk of customer injury and damage to customer property. General liability insurance helps protect your company against lawsuits and other costs related to this risk. If you rent office space, your landlord may ask to see proof of this policy. Similarly, your clients may require you to carry general liability before they decide to enter into a contract with your company. General liability may provide protection in the following situations:
- A customer at your movie theater trips in the dark and claims his broken ankle was caused by insufficient lighting on the steps.
- A customer hurts his back helping a waitress move a table at your restaurant.
- A plumber accidentally breaks a pipe and floods a client’s home.
Property insurance
Commercial property insurance protects your business’s physical assets in the event of theft, damage, or loss. That includes damage to your inventory, equipment, and also your building if it is owned and not leased. Commercial property insurance may help cover costs when:
- A thief breaks into a landscaping company’s shed and steals tools.
- A videographer drops a camera into a lake while filming a sailboat race.
- A criminal steals antique coins from a collectibles shop.
Workers’ compensation insurance
In Ohio, employers must purchase workers' compensation insurance if they employ one or more workers. However, this policy cannot be purchased from a private insurer. Instead, it must be purchased from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. If your or one of your employees is injured at work, workers’ comp can help offset the cost of medical procedures as well as wages lost due to time away from work. In the following examples, workers’ comp would provide protection:
- Heavy shelving at your warehouse falls onto a worker, breaking his collarbone.
- An IT worker develops chronic neck pain from a non-ergonomic computer setup.
- A worker at your tree removal company is hit on the head by a falling branch.
Professional liability insurance (errors and omissions insurance)
Professional liability insurance helps cover legal costs related to expert advice or services that you provide to your clients. It can help provide coverage when:
- You break the terms of a client's contract.
- Your error results in a client's revenue loss.
- You miss a deadline, negatively impacting a client’s business.
Cyber liability insurance
Businesses that suffer a data breach in Ohio must notify affected residents as soon as they can, and no more than 45 days after discovering the breach. If the breach affects more than 1,000 residents, the business must also notify national credit reporting agencies. Small businesses that store personal information such as Social Security numbers or credit card numbers could be targeted by cybercriminals. Cyber liability insurance protects your business in the event of a breach by helping with:
- Data breach notification costs.
- Forensic investigation into the cause of the breach.
- Credit monitoring for parties affected by the breach.
- Legal expenses if you’re sued for not preventing the breach.
Business owner’s policy (BOP)
If your small business is eligible, you can save money by purchasing a business owner’s policy. This policy bundles general liability and commercial property insurance at a lower rate than if they were purchased separately. Your business may be eligible if:
- You work in a low-risk industry.
- You have fewer than 100 employees.
Commercial auto insurance
Any vehicles owned by your business must be covered by commercial auto insurance. This coverage can help pay for:
- Repairs to the other driver’s car in an accident.
- The other driver’s medical expenses due to injury.
- Legal expenses if you’re sued over an accident.
- Repairs to your vehicle if it’s damaged by theft, weather events, or vandalism.
Ohio business insurance licensure information
In Ohio, insurance agents, agencies, and brokers are licensed by the Ohio Department of Insurance. Insureon is licensed in Ohio as BIN Insurance Holdings LLC (NPN 15752926) for property and casualty insurance (license #41170) and for surplus lines (license #41170). Verify our licensure by using the Ohio Department of Insurance Agent/Agency Locator.