A lot of people don’t understand the policies that insure them, and this is particularly true of commercial enterprises. Business owners often get commercial insurance and assume that everything in their business is covered. While this is true of tools and buildings that the company owns, this is not true for rented equipment–that requires a different type of coverage.

The equipment that contractors use, items such as loaders, backhoes and bulldozers, is usually very expensive–often too expensive to buy. Unfortunately, when you rent this kind of equipment, you need a special type of coverage called a contractor’s equipment policy. This type of policy is designed to cover big, expensive equipment, but smaller hand tools can be grouped together and included in a policy, as well. Just the policy is not always enough to insure rented equipment, however–you will sometimes need to include a rider called a "rented and leased equipment rider." Sometimes it is included automatically with the policy, but sometimes you have to ask for it.

You may also have the option to purchase insurance directly from the rental company on a per-item basis. The advantage is that the coverage is tailored to the equipment you’re using for the exact time that you’re using, but the disadvantage is that the price is not always competitive with other insurers.

Renting and insuring contractors equipment can be complicated, but it is very important to make sure that the equipment is insured because it is so expensive to repair or replace. Before making a decision, you should contact us. As your independent agent, we can make sure that your rented equipment is properly covered and that you are getting the best possible rate.

A burglary is a problem that impacts small businesses every year. Depending on the extent of the damages and the thefts that took place, the solutions that are most appropriate for your business may vary.

Contact the Police

After you discover a burglary, contact the police and make a formal report. Do not stay in the building. Allow the police to check that the burglar has already left so that you are not taking any risks.

You will need to keep your small business closed for the day to avoid any potential accidents or injuries. Even if the damages seem limited, it is best to avoid further complications by opening up the company when the property has been damaged.

Contact Your Insurer

Make a claim with your business insurance policy. The claims process may require that you provide proof of the burglary and the damages. You can send a copy of the police report as well as any photographic evidence of the damages to the building.

Keep in mind that your coverage may vary, so the details of your plan and the limitations on your claim may depend on the situation and the total coverage that you have purchased. The insurer may send out a professional to evaluate the damages and provide an estimate repair cost before you are able to move forward. Your coverage can impact the total amount that your insurer will allow you to claim.

A burglary is a problem, but it is best to stay calm and carefully evaluate your situation before you panic. Make a formal police report and then contact your insurer so that you can rebuild and start fresh. Contact us to speak to an agent for more details.

When thinking about how much insurance you need for your home in Laurel, Maryland, you should always think about the worst case scenario. Will you be covered if the worst happens and a fire burns your house, and all of the contents inside, down to the ground? In addition to worrying about your dwelling and all of your personal property, your homeowners insurance should also provide adequate protection against liability.

When you have a mortgage on a home in Laurel or in nearby Washington (District of Columbia), your lender will require you to carry homeowners insurance on your dwelling that is at least equal to the amount you owe on he mortgage. For many reasons, you may want to have more than the absolute minimum.

Liability coverage is a very important part of a homeowners policy because if someone gets seriously hurt or even dies while on your property, your liability could be enormous. If you have inadequate liability insurance, you could lose your house and any other assets that you may have.

You should also make sure your home in Maryland or the District of Columbia has the right type of home insurance. You want to be covered with replacement cost insurance and not insurance based on depreciated value. As an independent agent, we have seen many instances where people got burned when they had to file a claim and did not have replacement cost home insurance.

If a covered peril ruins your 5-year old mattress, you will get a cash payment equivalent to the current market value of a used, 5-year old mattress. If you were insured with replacement coverage (at a slightly higher premium), you could go to the store and get a similar, brand new mattress.

Always think about replacement cost and the cost to rebuild. Construction and material costs can be double or more of the amount when you bought your home. Your home insurance should be enough to build the same house today that you originally built twenty years ago.

We are always here ready to answer any of your questions about home insurance. Please give us a call and an independent agent will make sure you get the homeowners policy you need at a price you can afford.

Owners of Fortune 500 companies aren’t the only ones who need business insurance. If you operate a business from your Laurel, Maryland home, no matter the size, you will find that insurance is critical to protect you from loss. One lawsuit or accident that damages your home office can cause you to go bankrupt or cause a major setback. The following types of insurance keep your business covered in times of emergency.

Liability Insurance

Liability insurance protects your business from a lawsuit in the case that you accidently cause loss for a client, employee, or business visitor. If a visitor to your home gets into an accident and is injured, liability insurance steps in to cover the medical bills and protect you from incurring any financial burdens.

If you are a doctor, lawyer, or other type of licensed professional, then professional liability insurance for your business is a must. This form of coverage will protect you from accusations of negligence that might be made by your clients.

Product liability coverage is another form of liability coverage that protects you from lawsuits that might arise if a product that you design or fail causes injury or damages another person’s property. This form of liability coverage is essential if you develop, manufacture, or supply any type of product from your home.

Business Automobile insurance

If you use a vehicle to conduct business from your home, be sure to note that your regular auto insurance policy might not cover your losses if you get into an accident. If you are conducting business when you are involved in an accident, you will typically need business automobile insurance to cover the damages to your car and any items or equipment that are associated with your business.

How an Independent Agent Can Help

Because every business is unique, the types of commercial coverage you will need for your home based business will vary. If you contact us today, an independent agent can help you assess the insurance needs for your business.

A power outage is a very serious problem for businesses around the country as it causes them to shut down. In some states businesses are affected by brown outs from time to time and can be a real problem for companies with merchandise that expires. To help protect themselves from power outages and other perils a company will buy a business policy. Here are some things about business policies that you will want to know.

What Your Business Policy can Do for You

• One way that a business policy can help you is by providing coverage in case the power goes out. A company can lose a lot of money when they are without power so the policy will cover the losses in cases with no power.
• If your company uses vehicles to service customers, then your policy can cover the auto risk exposures that you can face as a result of having a fleet of vehicles.
• You can also have liability protection from possible lawsuits from people that have been hurt at your companies location. All someone has to do is slip and fall and you could be facing a lawsuit for injuries. Your policy will help cover these kinds of exposures.
• Your commercial insurance policy will also cover dwelling losses. If your building is lost to a fire or other covered peril in the District of Columbia or Washington, then you policy will have the power to help rebuild the premises.

If you have any questions about your commercial insurance policy in Laurel, Maryland, then you will need to contact your independent agent today. As your agent we can help you get a policy to fit your needs. We can also answer any questions that you may have.

If you own a warehouse in the Washington D.C. area, you’re not just responsible for damages to the warehouse. You are also responsible for the items that your customers store in your warehouse. It just takes one unforeseen emergency to go bankrupt, so it is important to protect your business from risk with the right type of insurance. The following types of commercial insurance can protect you and your customers from loss in the event of a disaster that impacts your warehouse.

General Liability Insurance

Warehouses can be hazardous work environments that pose risks to you and your employees. General liability insurance steps in if an employee is injured in your warehouse and covers their medical and related expenses. General liability insurance can also kick in to protect you from legal liability should an injured employee sue you for an accident incurred on your property.

Legal Liability Insurance

A warehouse legal liability policy consists of a special form of coverage that reimburses your customers for loss. If your warehouse has been negligent in anyway, and it results in the damage of your customer’s property, legal liability coverage will kick in to pay your customers. Legal liability is crucial for warehouse operators because it protects you from legal actions if you are unable to reimburse a customer for his or her goods.

Contact an Independent Agent

Every business is unique, so you may need additional riders to adequately cover your business. The level of coverage you need will also depend on the location, size and scope of your business. An independent agent can help you compare premiums from several insurance companies so that you can find the best value on commercial insurance. Contact us today to speak to an independent agent who can help you get your warehouse covered.

Before you start a boutique in Laurel, Maryland, it is important to protect your business with commercial insurance. If you leave your business uninsured, you can incur burdensome costs that lead to bankruptcy. While every business is unique, you will usually need to mix and match several different types of coverage to receive adequate protection for your start-up retail operation.

Liability Insurance

If an employee or a customer is injured in your store, you may be sued and found legally liable for the accident. Legal expenses can add up fast, so it’s important to protect your business from potential lawsuits. Liability insurance affords protection by covering your legal expenses in the event that your business is sued.

Commercial Property Insurance

The most valuable items in your business will likely be stored inside of your boutique. Commercial insurance is a must because it protects the building you conduct business in and your inventory. Commercial property insurance kicks in when flooding, fires, or other types of hazards cause damage to your business.

Theft Insurance

Retailers can especially benefit from adding theft coverage to their insurance policy. If you have a retail operation, shoplifting is inevitable. Your store will have merchandise that looks good to paying customers and shoplifters alike. Prevent thefts from eating into your profits with this crucial form of coverage.

Contact an Independent Agent

The types of insurance that you will need will depend on the size and scope of your business. An independent agent can walk you through the process of selecting the right level of coverage for your start-up boutique. We can also help you compare policies between different insurance companies so that you can receive the best premiums. Contact us today to speak with an independent insurance agent about your business insurance options.

When you live in Maryland and want to open a business, one of the things you want to be sure about is your commercial insurance coverage options. We can help you with that. As an independent agent, we work with a lot of different companies. That lets us compare prices and show you different policy options. Price matters, of course, but there’s more to the issue of insuring your business than just how much it costs. You also have to focus on the value that you’re getting for the money, and you need to make sure the coverage you’re getting is right for you.

When you open a business in or around Laurel, the type of business you’re getting into will affect what policy you need. Some home-based businesses, for example, don’t really need anything beyond the regular homeowners insurance. Other businesses that are operated in a person’s home will need a business policy because of customer liability. All businesses that are not run from home have to have commercial policies that protect the business from liability and that also protect the building if the company owner also owns that building. Many businesses rent their spaces, though, and don’t need to insure the structure itself.

Liability is the most important part of business insurance. If someone is injured by your product, or if a person is hurt on your property, you’ll have to make sure your insurance will pay for the damages. You could still be sued, but having good insurance is one of the best ways to avoid lawsuits and to avoid the loss of your business through financial problems. You can’t plan for everything when you own and run a business, but by talking to an independent agent like us you can focus on protecting yourself from many of the financial problems that come from a lack of insurance coverage.

If you need commercial insurance coverage, you may feel confused about what you should get and what kind of limits your policy should have. If you’re in Laurel, Maryland, come see us and let us help you get your insurance needs met. As an independent agent, we can work with many different types of companies so you get the best rates and the most coverage for your money. Commercial insurance isn’t the same as residential coverage, and your policy will have different limits and exclusions. When you work with an independent agent like us, you can have peace of mind that we’ve got you covered the right way, with the right limits.

While you want to be sure you have enough insurance coverage, you also don’t want to overpay for coverage you really don’t need and won’t use. Overpaying is common when consumers need commercial insurance, because they often aren’t sure what to get and how much it should cost them. That’s true for insurance on their buildings, and also for coverage on the autos they use in that business.

No matter what kind of business you operate, we understand your desire for good insurance coverage at a low price. We want to help you find the best policy for your company, so you can have peace of mind. We’ll help you with the level of insurance you need, how much you want (and can afford) to pay, and what to do if you need to make a claim. While you can’t always prevent an accident, a fire, or another problem, you can prevent financial ruin by making sure you’re covered properly. Don’t just pick a company and choose a policy. Work with us to make sure that your business has what it needs to feel protected and safe.

As a person seeking commercial insurance coverage in the Laurel area of Maryland, it is truly vital that you have access to the proper information on current minimum insurance requirements for commercial vehicles in this area. If you are driving a business owned car or truck you’ll need commercial insurance, especially if the vehicle ever does any deliveries.

At the current time, the state of Maryland requires you to have $20,000 in bodily injury coverage, which would apply if one person is injured or dies in an accident. You’re required to also have $40,000 in bodily injury coverage, which would apply in cases where more than one person is hurt or killed in an accident caused by you. Additionally, you will be required to have $15,000 in property damage coverage.

The state of Maryland also requires you to have uninsured motorist coverage with the same 20,000/40,000/15,000 limits discussed above. Finally, you must have personal injury protection of $2,500. Personal injury protection will help cover you if you were to get into an accident and need medical treatment such as seeing doctors or chiropractors.

The limits we have outlined in this article are the minimums that you will need to legally drive a commercial vehicle in Maryland. Driving with only the minimum amount of coverage is only advisable for certain groups of people, so it is very important that you and your independent agent discuss exactly how much coverage is truly necessary for your situation.

When you contact your independent agent about getting a commercial policy, be sure to tell him how many vehicles you’ll need to insure, what type of vehicles they are, who will be behind the wheel of the insured vehicles, and who is the legal owner of the vehicles. Make sure to give as much detail as you can, because this policy will help you stay legal and may even really be a financial lifesaver one day!