Month: November 2019

While owning and operating an auto body repair shop can be a very rewarding experience, owners face a number of exposures that they will need to contend with on a daily basis in order to successfully run their business. It’s important to understand the challenges presented by these exposures, as they can cause significant damage to your clients’ property, serious physical harm to your employees and irreversible financial consequences for your business.

In addition to risks common to every industry, auto body repair shops face unique risks due to the movement of vehicles, the need to perform repairs, and the presence of equipment and chemicals. The list below provides an overview of these risks and more—helping you identify potential blind spots in your risk management and insurance programs.

Significant property exposures are present in auto body repair shops due to the presence of toxic or flammable chemicals and materials used for repairs, as well as the constant moving of vehicles around the property. Vehicles, tools and equipment, office supplies and the building itself are all at risk of being damaged during day-to-day operations.

Even for a company that specializes in knowing vehicles inside and out, it’s important to protect yourself from commercial auto exposures. Auto body shop employees often use vehicles for business purposes, such as for picking up parts and materials, towing or providing mobile auto repair services. Additionally, if your business offers towing services, your commercial auto exposures will increase.

Equipment breakdown can lead to huge costs and lengthy delays. Equipment like jacks and lifts are necessary for your daily work and, if damaged, must be repaired or replaced quickly in order to maintain operations.

General liability exposures at auto body repair shops can directly affect customer safety and, when injuries occur at your business, you could be held responsible. Accidents related to slips, trips and falls are a source of concern. Slippery or uneven surfaces, under-lit exteriors and moving vehicles can all lead to accidents.

Continuity is critical in business, and there are few things more important than continuous revenue and cash flow, particularly for small to midsized organizations. In fact, just one brief business interruption can be incredibly costly for an organization, often leading to serious reputational damages or long-term closures. Common interruptions for auto body repair shops can include natural disasters, fires, part recalls, cyber events and staff shortages.

Due to the presence of toxic or flammable chemicals such as oil, grease, hydraulic fluid and other substances, auto body repair shops must contend with the possibility of environmental liability in the event of a chemical spill or similar incident. Environmental incidents are particularly concerning for body shops because they can cause harm to the surrounding community, involve costly cleanup and often cause damage to a business’s reputation. What’s more, businesses that cause harm to the environment are at risk of incurring fines that can exceed hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Crime exposures can be of particular concern for auto body shops because of the presence of expensive parts, equipment and vehicles. Auto body shops are also at risk of computer fraud, forgery or alteration, cash theft and employee dishonesty. In some cases, a body shop’s location and the type of vehicles they service can increase crime exposures.

Any time one of your employees is injured on the job, your business could face an expensive workers’ compensation claim. Normal, everyday tasks related to driving vehicles and performing repairs can all lead to accidents and, in turn, increased costs for your business. Musculoskeletal injuries, burns, shocks, respiratory problems, hearing loss, heat exhaustion, slips, trips, falls, sprains and strains are all common on-the-job injuries for employees of auto body repair shops.

Customers trust you to take care of their vehicles when they leave them with you, which creates garagekeepers liability. Auto body repair shops must contend with liability exposures with respect to damage to a customer’s vehicle left in their care for service or repair.

While the proper risk management practices can reduce certain exposures, no system is 100% effective in ensuring an incident-free workplace. As a result, it’s all the more crucial to work with a qualified insurance broker to not only assess your exposures, but to secure the appropriate coverage as well. To learn more, contact Stapleton Insurance Group today.

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Home insurance coverage can differ from policy to policy depending on a multitude of factors. Being aware of these factors that affect your premium can ensure that you are appropriately covered. Continue reading to better understand the factors that are influencing your home insurance premiums.

Your Personal Information

Your credit history, claims history and marital status can all contribute to your premium costs:

• Credit history—In most cases insurance companies will take your credit history into account when calculating your home insurance premium. Insurance companies will look at how good you are at making payments and how much debt you currently have. Typically, the better your credit score, the lower your insurance premium.
• Claims history—Any claims you’ve made at previous residences will be assessed by your insurance company when determining your premium. The type and frequency of the claims you’ve filed can lead to higher premiums.
• Marital status—Those who are married have been found to file fewer insurance claims than single individuals. Therefore, if you are married, you will generally have lower premiums.

Your Policy

The way you and your broker construct your insurance policy also determines your premiums. The following are policy items that have the greatest impact on the amount you pay:

• Type of coverage: There are three different coverage options you can purchase for your home insurance policy:
  • Actual cash value will replace your home or damaged belongings, minus depreciation. Depreciation is the decrease in an item’s value over time due to wear and tear.
  • Replacement cost pays to repair or replace your home or belongings without any deduction for depreciation.
  • Extended replacement cost is the most expensive coverage option—but, it will pay to rebuild your home even if the replacement cost exceeds your policy limit.
• Limit: Your policy limit is the maximum amount that your insurance will pay in the event of a covered loss.
• Deductible: Your deductible is the amount you pay in order for your insurance coverage to kick in to help cover a loss.
• Additional coverage: You may choose to purchase additional coverage for items or circumstances that may not be fully covered under a standard home insurance policy. Possible circumstances may include keeping more expensive items at your home (e.g. boats, fine art or jewelry), or living in an area more susceptible to disasters that aren’t already covered under your existing policy.

Your Home

There are a few factors about your home that may affect your premiums:

• Home value—The value of your home can also influence the cost of your insurance. Typically, the greater the value of your home, the higher your insurance premiums will be.
• Age of property—Older buildings tend to have costlier premiums since the materials they’re built with may be more expensive and harder to replace. For example, if you have stained-glass windows in your home, that could cost more to replace than a standard window since stained-glass windows are far less common.
• Remodeling—Any improvements made to your home will lead to an increase in your premiums since renovations typically increase the value of your home—therefore increasing your home’s replacement costs. Although, repairs made to your roof, electrical or plumbing that increase safety or efficiency may allow you to receive discounts that can reduce your premiums. Always alert your broker about new home remodels to ensure they can be replaced if damaged or destroyed.

Location

If your home is located in a high-risk area, you will commonly pay more for your home insurance. Homes that are considered at a higher risk for damage or loss are those located near coastlines, farther away from response teams (fire or police departments) or are in areas that are more susceptible to natural disasters.

Home-based Businesses

If your home is being used for work purposes, you may need to purchase additional coverage. Most standard home insurance policies will provide some liability coverage and limited protection for business equipment you may keep at your home, but it may not be enough. To ensure you are sufficiently covered, you may choose to purchase additional coverage or add to your home insurance policy.

Attractive Nuisances

Attractive nuisances are potentially dangerous objects that could attract people, including children, onto your property. The most common attractive nuisances are pools and trampolines—if you have either on your property, you will pay more for your insurance premium.

Dogs

Depending on your insurance policy, your dog may be covered under your home insurance policy if they are involved in a liability claim. But, some dog breeds that are marked “aggressive” may have limited coverage or none at all. The most common dog breeds that insurance companies are wary to cover are Rottweilers and pit bulls.

We’re Here to Help

It’s imperative to have a clear understanding of your policy and how it works to help you recover from a loss. Remember to review your policy regularly to ensure it protects your home thoroughly, and contact Stapleton Insurance Group for additional guidance.

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Snowmen, snow angels and snowball fights are fun activities for children and the young at heart. But being outside in cold temperatures can have an adverse effect on your health if you are not careful. Frostbite is a common ailment for those who have prolonged exposure to cold temperatures and low wind chill factors.

Prevent Frostbite

Though everyone is at risk of developing frostbite when outside in winter, some are more susceptible than others. In fact, children, the elderly, diabetics and those with circulatory problems tend to get frostbite more often.

Symptoms

• Skin discoloration, along with burning and/or tingling sensations
• Partial or complete numbness of the affected area
• Intense pain

If frostbite goes untreated, the affected skin gradually darkens within a few hours, and once the skin is completely destroyed, it turns black and looks loose and frayed, as if it is burnt.

To reduce your risk of frostbite:

• Protect your hands, feet, nose and ears by bundling up in warm, layered, loose-fitting clothing.
• Go inside to warm up periodically, even if you do not feel extremely cold.
• Do not drink alcohol before or during exposure to cold weather, because it may prevent you from realizing that your body has become too cold.
• Avoid smoking cigarettes, which can narrow your blood vessels and increase your risk of frostbite.
• Get out of the cold when your skin appears red or if you experience any pain.

Healthy Hints

If you think that you have frostbite, move to a warm location and place your affected body part in warm water until it is soft and sensation has returned. Then, wrap the area in clean, sterile dressing and visit a doctor for follow-up care.

People who suffer frostbite on their extremities are also susceptible to hypothermia, a dangerous lowering of body temperature. Check for symptoms of hypothermia and treat them first before tending to frostbite injuries.

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Believe it or not holiday parties are right around the corner and that means a potential for an increase in liability should you choose to allow alcoholic beverages at your festivities! Liquor liability exposure is not limited to those whose primary business is the sale of alcoholic beverages. Know the law in your jurisdiction and take steps to control your risk!

A bartender is legally liable for serving alcohol to a patron who becomes intoxicated and then injures a third party. Does a business face a similar exposure when it hosts a social event where alcohol is served, such as an open house or employee picnic?

According to the Insurance Information Institute, liquor liability exposure is not limited to those whose primary business is the sale of alcoholic beverages. Most states currently have social host statutes or common law that holds private event hosts liable for the actions of their guests. You are considered a social host if you provide alcohol to individuals in a non-commercial manner. It is important to know the law in your jurisdiction and to take the appropriate steps to control your risk.

Create a Risk Management Program

An important first step in limiting your liquor liability is to implement a risk management program. The liquor liability program must have the support of management, be communicated to supervisors and employees, and include a policy advising employees to drink responsibly at company events.

The program should outline the procedures for handling intoxicated guests. This includes delegating who will assess the situation, such as hotel security or someone from your organization, and outlining appropriate actions for dealing with or removing a guest who has overindulged.

In the Event of an Incident

If an incident occurs, fill out a liquor liability incident report documenting measures taken to control the intoxicated person and helps your defense in the event of an alcohol-related accident.

Liability Insurance

In addition to proper liquor liability planning and education, review your company’s current general liability insurance policy to determine your coverage in social-host situations.

Remember, even with the proper coverage, a liquor liability policy does not eliminate your exposure if alcohol service is in violation of a statute, a minor is served, or an already intoxicated person is served.

It’s also important to have a program in place that includes the following recommendations when working with third-party vendors:

• When working with a vendor, such as a caterer or bartender service, verify they are licensed and insured.
• Stipulate in your vendor’s contract that only those who have received alcohol-awareness training should serve or sell alcohol at your event.
• Require the vendor to provide Certificate of Liability Insurance to include Liquor Liability coverage naming your company as Additional Insured.

Promoting Safety and Sobriety at Company-Sponsored Events

To promote the safety and sobriety of your employees and guests at company-sponsored events, review the following recommended control measures:

• Serve drinks to guests rather than offering a self-serve bar.
• Set up bar stations instead of having servers circulating the room; if offered, people are inclined to accept drinks they wouldn’t have otherwise ordered.
• Place table tents at each bar reminding employees and guests to drink responsibly.
• Don’t price alcohol too low, as it encourages over-consumption.
• Offer a range of low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks at no charge.
• Require servers to measure spirits.
• Always serve food with alcohol.
• Close the bar an hour before the scheduled end of the party.
• Do not offer a “last call” as this promotes rapid consumption.
• Never raffle alcohol or hold contests that involve buying or drinking alcohol.
• Entice guests to take advantage of safe transportation options by subsidizing taxis or promoting a designated driver program.
• If your event includes a program or speaker, schedule it for after dinner and drinks are served. This allows additional time for alcohol to wear off.

Before your company hosts its next event, contact Stapleton Insurance Group. We can review your coverage and assist in developing a risk management plan that keeps safety at the center of your company-sponsored events.

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Did we even have a Spring, Summer or Fall this year here in the Midwest?! It seems like we went from Winter to Mild-Rainy-Winter to oh, Hey! here is some heat for two months, then BAM here is the Mild-Rainy-Winter back again!!! Unfortunately, we cannot control the weather, but what we can do is help prevent the cold from costing you money and head aches!! We already talked about how to prepare your vehicle for winter in a previous blog, now let’s talk about how to keep your pipes from freezing in your home.

Did You Know?

Generally, pipes that are exposed to outdoor temperatures freeze more readily, such as hose bibs, swimming pool lines and water sprinkler lines. Pipes that run along exterior walls in the home with minimal insulation also tend to freeze more easily. Read on for some hints to help keep your pipes from freezing.

Use the following recommendations to prevent frozen pipes in your home:

• Insulate pipes in unheated interior areas, such as crawl spaces and attics.
• Wrap pipes in heat tape or thermostatically-controlled heat cables.
• Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warm air.
• Seal any leaks with caulk or insulation.
• Disconnect outdoor items such as hoses and faucets. o Shut off these items completely using an indoor valve and allow the excess water to drain out.
• Trickle a little water out of your faucets periodically to keep water moving within the pipes.
• Keep your garage door closed if there is a water supply in there.
• Keep your thermostat set at the same temperature during the day and night.
• Do not set your thermostat lower than 55° F when going on vacation. Ask someone to periodically check the temperature in your home while you are away.

Safety First

If you turn on a faucet and no water or only a trickle comes out, your pipes may be frozen. Turn off the main water valve and keep the faucet on. Apply heat to the pipe by using an electric heating pad, hair dryer or portable space heater, or by wrapping the pipe in towels soaked in hot water. You should apply heat until you regain water pressure. If this does not solve the problem, contact a licensed plumber to inspect your pipes.

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