With so many different types of insurance to choose from, it can be overwhelming to determine what type of small business insurance you need. We are here to help. Let us explain the types of insurance policies available and how they can help protect you, your employees and your business’s bottom line.

Commercial Property Insurance

In the case of a catastrophic event such as a fire, explosion, burst pipe, storm or theft, commercial property insurance can help. Commercial property insurance compensates you for losses or damage to your building, leased or owned equipment, and other property on the premises. In fact, commercial property insurance can cover items such as furniture, inventory, computers and anything that would be considered necessary for performing normal business operations.

Commercial property insurance is typically purchased as a stand-alone policy or as part of a comprehensive business owner’s policy that includes property and general liability coverage. Commercial property insurance is offered on either a replacement cost or actual cash value basis.

• Replacement cost: Pays the cost to replace or repair the damaged property with materials of like kind and quality, without any deduction for depreciation.
• Actual cash value: Pays the cost to repair or replace the damaged property, minus depreciation.

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance policies typically cover an organization for claims involving bodily injuries and property damage resulting from its products, services or operations. What’s more, this form of insurance can help cover medical expenses and attorney fees resulting from bodily injury or property damage claims for which your organization may be legally responsible.

General liability insurance policies typically have four coverage elements:

Premises liability. Covers you in the event that a person who is not employed at your business becomes injured on your property. If someone sued your business because they tripped and fell on your property, liability insurance can help cover those expenses.

Products liability. Covers you if a product or service causes injury to someone’s body or inflicts damage on a consumer’s personal property. If you’re a tech company that broke a customer’s computer while performing a service on it, those damages could be covered.

A personal injury. Is when your business inflicts a physical, financial or mental injury to a third party. For instance, let’s say you take action in detaining someone who you had reason to believe was stealing from your store. If it turns out your accusations are false and the person decides to sue you, you’d be covered under your general liability policy.

Advertisement injuries. Are caused by alleged misinformation, copyright infringement or slander made by your company. For Example: If you were advertising a product that claimed it could help clear acne and it ended up making a consumer’s acne worse, That could be considered an advertisement injury.

Overall, a general liability policy is beneficial for covering any medical bills or legal costs that accrue if the injured third party decides to sue your business.

Employment Practices Liability

Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) is a form of insurance that covers wrongful acts that occur during the employment process. The most frequent types of claims covered under an EPLI policy include:

• claims of discrimination
• wrongful termination
• sexual harassment
• retaliation.

These policies will reimburse your company against the costs of defending a lawsuit in court, and for judgments and settlements. EPLI covers legal costs, whether your company wins or loses the suit. However, these policies typically do not pay for punitive damages, or civil or criminal fines.

Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ compensation is important in the event that an employee suffers a work-related injury or illness. This type of insurance is required in most states. And it is used to cover medical bills or wage replacement for employees who experience a work-related injury.

For example, if a worker pulled a back muscle at work and was unable to perform their duties. Workers’ compensation would help in covering any physical therapy costs as well as compensating the employee for any lost wages.

Having worker’s compensation insurance can also protect your business from civil suits made by employees against your company related to their injuries.

Cyber Liability Insurance

If any part of your business is on an online platform, it is crucial to obtain cyber liability insurance. This type of coverage can protect your business from a cyber attack or interruption that can cause a loss in data, revenue and the trust between you and your customers. Cyber liability insurance is not only there to protect the internal information of your company, such as employees’ social security or financial information, but it also protects your customers’ personal and banking information.

Most cyber liability policies include both first- and third-party coverage:

• First-party coverage is for the business itself— helping the business recover from any losses after a cyber attack.
• Third-party coverage is to cover claims by people who have been injured because of your business being hacked.

Restoring compromised or lost data can be very costly. Cyber liability insurance is there to help cover financial losses to your business and the costs of claims made against your company by clients or other third parties who were affected.

Commercial Auto

Commercial auto insurance helps cover the costs of an auto accident if you or an employee is at fault. This coverage can help pay for damaged property and medical expenses.

Your business should consider a commercial auto policy if any of the following are true:

• Your business owns, leases or rents vehicles such as cars, trucks or vans.
• Your business has employees who drive their own vehicles to conduct business.
• Your business has employees who operate leased, rented or owned company vehicles.

Professional Liability Insurance

Professional liability insurance, also known as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, can protect your business against claims that a service you provided caused a client to suffer due to a mistake on your part or because you failed to perform a service.

Professional liability insurance can cover the cost of defending your business in a civil lawsuit for an alleged error or omission. What’s more, depending on your industry, professional liability insurance may be required by law.

While many types of businesses need professional liability insurance, you should especially consider this type of insurance if your business works directly with customers while providing services.

More Information

Contact Rinehart, Walters & Danner to help you analyze your small business insurance needs. We can hlep you decide on the right coverage for you and your growing business. You can also CLICK HERE to learn more about business insurance. 

Roofing can be a competitive and rewarding field, and years of hard work can help contractors establish a strong customer base and reputation. Roofing contractors invest their expertise, time and energy to build or repair roofs that will stand the test of time. However, owning a roofing contractor business can be physically and mentally demanding. And it’s a constant challenge to deliver exceptional service while maintaining profitability.

These challenges are magnified when you consider that risks related to property damage, equipment breakdowns, environmental factors, inland marine and crime must also be addressed. The list below provides an overview of these risks and more. This can help you identify potential blind spots in your risk management and insurance programs.

Property Exposures

While most incidents that occur on a customer’s property would be covered under a general liability policy, property exposures are still present at the contractor’s office and workshop. Exposures can come from malfunctioning electrical equipment, flammable materials, weather and natural disasters. Fire damage may be a particular concern if the contractor stores roofing materials or heats bitumen on the premises.

Bodily Injury Exposures

No matter how careful your employees are, accidents can and do happen. These accidents create a significant bodily injury exposure. Slips, trips and falls are common hazards in roofing operations. What’s more, because roofers work at heights with tools, people below are at risk of injury from falling objects. In the event of a bodily injury to an employee, client or third party, a roofing contractor could be forced to pay for medical costs, emergency care, doctor’s visits and legal expenses.

Automobile Exposures

The vast majority of roofing contractors depend on employees to operate vehicles for the company, creating automobile exposures in the process. While important for daily operations (e.g., driving from job site to job site or transporting tools), the use of a vehicle can lead to potential accidents and major insurance claims. And, if you allow employees to use their own vehicles for work, standard commercial auto policies are often not enough.

Completed Operations Exposures

Once a job has been completed, roofing contractors can be held liable if their work product causes bodily injury or property damage. While claims of smaller problems can often be resolved with a repair, larger issues may result in legal action. Completed operations coverage can help protect a contractor in the event of such a claim. 

Equipment Breakdown Exposures

Roofing contractors depend on a variety of different equipment to complete work on a roof. Potentially creating significant equipment breakdown exposures as a result. Moreover, roofing contractors can experience business interruptions or even lose contracts as a result of an equipment breakdown.

Inland Marine Exposures

Roofing contractors regularly transport equipment, tools and supplies to and from worksites. As such, any property that’s unique or valuable in transit, in your temporary care, stored at fixed (but movable) locations or used to transfer information represents inland marine exposures. Materials and tools can be damaged in transit from shifting loads or traffic collisions; at the worksite from collision, being dropped or poor weather conditions; or lost from theft, potentially creating costly losses.

Environmental Liabilities

The disposal of old roofing materials, waste bitumen and other hazardous materials presents potential environmental liabilities, as these materials can create pollution. Environmental incidents are particularly concerning because they can cause harm to the surrounding community, involve costly cleanup and often cause damage to a business’s reputation.

Business Interruption

Continuity is critical for any business. And there are few things more important than continuous revenue and a steady cash flow. A single business interruption can be costly for roofing contractors and may even lead to serious reputation damage or long-term closures. Common interruptions for roofing contractors stem from natural disasters, fires, equipment breakdown and loss of materials.

Crime Exposures

Roofing contractors face several crime exposures. Particularly if valuable equipment or tools are left unattended at the worksite, which may attract thieves or vandals. Thieves (including your employees) can rob an office or worksite at any time, targeting cash or valuable supplies. What’s more, with worksite locations changing on a regular basis, the level of risk a roofing contractor faces is in constant flux.

Workers’ Compensation

Any time an employee is injured on the job, your organization could be subjected to expensive workers’ compensation claims. Common sources of on-the-job accidents for roofing contractors include:

• falls from heights (e.g., roofs and scaffolds)
• heat stress
• injuries related to equipment use
• slips, trips, falls
• musculoskeletal injuries caused by repetitive tasks.

Normal, everyday tasks related to laying shingles or climbing ladders can lead to accidents and, in turn, increased costs for your business.

For More Information

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 you exposures, but secure the appropriate coverage as well. To learn more, contact Rinehart, Walters & Danner today.

Click Here to learn more about business insurance. 

Rain, Rain, will you ever go away? Ohio seems to be stuck in a rainy season so far this summer. In addition to not going swimming or having outside cookouts and ball games, we have to deal with lots and lots of water. Road closures, washed out ditches and the dreaded wet basement. What can you do to keep water out of your home? 

Did you know? The primary reason your basement and home flood during a rainstorm is due to poor or blocked drainage. To keep water out and from seeping into places it’s not wanted, we have a few precautionary measure to share. 

Flooding Due To Surface Water

To protect your home and it’s belongings from flooding due to surface water, use these simple precautions. 

• Make sure that the ground area within 10 feet of your home slopes away from your home’s foundation.
• Extend downspouts at least 10 feet from your home.
• Direct water flow from downspouts away from your home, being careful not to discharge the water too close to adjacent property.
• Preventive landscaping can also help reduce the chance of a mudslide or flooding.
• Clean the gutters and the drainage downspouts attached to your roof at least twice a year.
• Have your roof carefully inspected at least once a year by a capable person to check the roof thoroughly.
• If your house or commercial lot is at risk of flooding from a higher neighboring property, consider building a solid wall masonry fence on the water-vulnerable boundaries of your property.
• Be vigilant for warning signs of an impending water flood problem.

Plan Ahead

As for any emergency or disaster, planning ahead is key. In the event that you end up with water in your home you should be familiar with how to shut off electricity, gas and water at the main switches and valves. Knowing this ahead of time will help you react quickly and minimize potential damage. Also understanding your insurance policy is key. Knowing what is and is not covered ahead of time will help eliminate any stress and unexpected financial burden. Are  you covered if you have sewer back up? If your basement floods? If your property is flooded and enters your house? Contact your agent today to review your policy and get the answers to those questions. 

Click here to read a past post regarding Flood Insurance

Dad’s get a bad rep of not being sentimental and showing their feelings. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t care. Father’s Day is a day to celebrate dad and show him how much he means to you. He taught you how to ride a bike, built your swing set, and made you feel safe when you were scared. Dad is always there and we often don’t show him how much we appreciate him. Sunday June 17, 2018 is Father’s Day. What a perfect time to celebrate dad! 

How to Celebrate

Every family celebrate’s dad differently. Many families choose to celebrate with cookouts or dinner, outdoor activities, and maybe gifts. Most dad’s simply want to spend time with their loved ones. It’s not about the gifts but about the memories made and love they receive. 

Want to learn more about Father’s Day history? Click here

Monday May 27, 2019 is Memorial Day. Memorial Day is an American holiday honoring those who died while serving in the US Military. It was originally known as Decoration day, and started after the Civil War. Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971 and has sparked many traditions. 

Everyone has a different tradition for Memorial Day. Parades, visiting cemeteries and family gatherings are a few of the top choices. Memorial Day has become the unofficial kick off to summer. Many families will have BBQs, go on a trip, or even spend some time on the water. Regardless of your choice of observation, make sure to take a moment and remember the meaning of the day. 

Our office will be closed in observation. From our family to yours, have a great and safe Memorial Day. 

Embracing conservation can be advantageous for your business. Not only does it benefit the environment, it also can save your company money, increase employee productivity, enhance a company’s reputation and make it more attractive to environmentally conscious employees and applicants.

Reduce Energy Usage

Here are some tips to make your organization more environmentally friendly:

• Employees should turn off lights if they plan to leave a room for more than 15 minutes.
• Purchase Energy Star-rated light fixtures and bulbs, which use two-thirds less energy than normal lighting. Visit www.energystar.gov for more information.
• Install timers or motion sensors that shut off lights when no one is present.
• Purchase LED desk lamps that use minimal energy.
• Arrange your workspace so more employees have access to natural light. This is proven to increase productivity and job satisfaction as well as use less electricity.

Use Computers Efficiently

Computers waste an enormous amount of electricity each year, particularly in the business sector.

• Employees should turn off their computers and power strips they are plugged into (if applicable) before leaving work each day.
• Employees should set their computers to “go to sleep” when they are away for a short period of time since sleep mode uses 70 percent less energy than a normal screen. This is not the same as using screensavers and standby settings, which still draw power even when the machine is not in use.
• Invest in energy-saving computers, monitors and printers when purchasing new materials for the company.
• Recycle electronic equipment properly when the company has no more need for it. Visit www.epa.gov for more information on recycling electronic waste safely. Or, donate electronics that are less than five years old to a charity such as www.techsoup.org. Tax deductions generally apply to these donations.

Print with Care

On average, an office worker uses 10,000 sheets of printer and copy paper per year.

• Instruct employees to print on both sides of the page or use the back of old faxes, scrap paper or drafts to make new copies.
• Print in draft mode versus regular mode and avoid using colored ink whenever possible.
• Purchase remanufactured toner and ink cartridges, and recycle the old ones.
• Request 100 percent recycled paper when using a print company to make copies or print materials for your company.

• Ask that employees reduce font sizes, use narrower fonts, decrease line spacing and decrease margins when feasible, to use less paper when printing.

• Purchase chlorine-free paper made from a high percentage of recycled materials. Be wary that not all paper labeled “recycled” is truly made from recycled materials. In fact, some paper simply contains the trim waste from the production process which reduces costs for the manufacturer but does not necessary help the environment. Instead, purchase post-consumer recycled (PCR) or post-consumer waste (PCW) paper. This is still high quality and can be used in inkjet and laser printers. Also consider paper made from bamboo, hemp, organic cotton or kenaf as an alternative.

Reduce the Paper Trail

The following strategies can be used to help cut back on paper usage:

• Request that employees stop receiving unnecessary industry newsletters, magazines and junk mailings. Instead, sign up for emails on industry-related topics and information, or check if various publications have an e-newsletter as an alternative to receiving a print version.
• Post employee manuals and policies online versus printing out paper copies of these documents. This makes updating policies and procedures easier and more efficient too.
• Store documents electronically instead of using a filing cabinet, write emails versus sending paper letters and review documents as a PDF versus printing.
• Make use of a company intranet to cut down on printed materials. Post or distribute an e-newsletter (instead of mailing out a printed company newsletter), host an online bulletin board, and provide materials and communications online rather than in printed form.

Recycle

Considering the following recycling tactics to assist with conservation efforts:

• Post employee manuals and policies online versus printing out paper
  Recycle paper from faxes, envelopes and junk mail company-wide.
• Visit www.epa.gov to learn more about recycling employee electronics such as cellular phones and PDAs.
• Make recycling bins easily accessible to employees by placing them in high traffic areas and post information (electronically) about what can and should be recycled on a daily basis.
• Reuse shipping boxes and use shredded paper as packing material.
• Purchase office furniture and supplies made from recycled materials. Visit www.conservatree.org or www.thegreenoffice.com for more information on how to purchase these products.

Look for office products that do not contain harmful materials. These items are certified by The Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) and The Rainforest Alliance and are made from wood from sustainable harvested forests.

Eat with the Environment in Mind

Being mindful of the environment when purchasing and eating food can go a long way in helping reduce waste:

• Ask that employees bring their own reusable dishes, utensils and glassware to work for eating meals, rather than items made of plastic or foam. Also suggest that employees bring food in a reusable lunch sack or container.
• Purchase organic coffee or tea for employees, and organic and local foods for company parties and events.
• Provide filtered drinking water devices to deter employees from drinking bottled water.
• Suggest that when employees place food orders, they do so with others to eliminate added waste from individual orders.
• Recommend that employees bike or walk when going out to eat for lunch.

Maintain a Healthy Environment

To promote a healthier workplace, consider the strategies outlined below:

• Use nontoxic cleaning materials, biodegradable soaps, and recycled paper or cloth towels.
• Buy cleaning materials in bulk and recycle their containers.
• Suggest that employees bring a plant into work for their desks to absorb indoor pollution.
• Purchase furniture, carpeting and paints that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

We may not always remember to thank mom’s for everything they do for us. From packing lunches, arranging play dates, taking care of us when we’re sick, and being a shoulder to cry on when we are sad. Mom is always there and we often forget to tell her how much we appreciate her. Sunday is the day to change that. Sunday May 12, 2019 is Mother’s Day, and is the perfect day to celebrate mom and show her how much she is loved! 

How To Celebrate

Every family celebrate Mother’s Day a little differently. For most the celebration will include a cookout or dinner, some flowers, and maybe a gift. For most mom’s, they want to just spend time with their family. It’s not about the gifts, it’s the memories and love they receive that makes their day special. 

Want to learn more about Mother’s Day history? Click here 

In the case of a sudden emergency, obtaining quick medical attention is crucial. Choosing the appropriate place of care ensures prompt medical attention and lower costs. Making the wrong choice can result in delayed medical attention, and may cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. If you or someone you know suddenly falls ill or becomes injured, how can you determine which facility is most appropriate? Do you know the difference between an emergency room and urgent care? What services does each facility provide? If you don’t know the answers, don’t worry, we can help explain the difference.

Emergency Room

The emergency room is equipped to handle life-threatening injuries and illnesses and other serious medical conditions. An emergency is a condition that may cause loss of life or permanent or severe disability if not treated immediately Patients are seen according to  the seriousness of their conditions in relation to the other patients. Go directly to the nearest emergency room if you experience any of the following:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Severe abdominal pain following an injury
• Uncontrollable bleeding
• Confusion or loss of consciousness, especially after a head injury
• Poising or suspected poisoning 
• Serious burns, cuts or infections
• Inability to swallow
• Seizures
• Paralysis
• Broken Bones

Urgent Care

Urgent care facilities are not equipped to handle life-threatening injuries, illnesses or medical conditions. These centers are designed to address conditions where delayed treatment could cause serious problems or discomfort. Some examples of conditions that require urgent care are these:

• Ear infections
• Sprains or strains
• Urinary tract infections
• Vomiting, diarrhea or dehydration
• High fever or the flu
• Controlled bleeding or cuts that require stitches
• Diagnostic services (X-ray, lab tests

Choosing the wrong facility

If you go to the Emergency Room with a relatively minor injury or illness, you will most likely have to wait to be seen. Depending on the severity of the other patients’ conditions, you may have to wait more than an hour to be seen. Most often you could have been seen more quickly at an urgent care facility. And you will also end up with a higher bill by visiting an Emergency Room. Most insurance plans offer a discounted co-pay if you go to an urgent care vs going to the emergency room. For example a plan may have a $250 Emergency Room co-pay vs a $75 Urgent Care co-pay. If your plan does not have a co-pay and your visit is subject to your deductible and co-insurance you will still most likely have a lower charge from an Urgent Care facility vs an Emergency Room.

Know the difference between an Emergency Room and Urgent Care

Knowing the difference between an Emergency Room and Urgent Care will help you determine the best facility for you or a loved ones medical emergency, as well as saving you time and money if it is determined that care can be received at an Urgent Care. Understanding your health insurance plan is also important. Co-pays, deductibles and coinsurance are all very important parts of your plan. 

Click here to learn more about health insurance benefits.

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Did you know a recent study from the University of Minnesota found that talking on a cell phone while driving impairs one’s ability even more than driving while intoxicated? Talking on a cell phone and other driver distractions pose a major hazard to everyone on the road.  

Preventing Distracted Driving

When driving, make sure to use the following precautions:

• Do not talk on your cell phone or use the text messaging feature. 
• If you absolutely must conduct a conversation, use a hands-free device and speed dial. 
• Never touch up your makeup or hair in the rear view mirror. 
• Limit your conversations with passengers and ask them to keep their voices down so you can concentrate. 
• Do not smoke while you are driving, as you will probably pay more attention to not burning yourself or putting out the cigarette than driving safely. 
• Only adjust the radio or CD Player when you are completely stopped. 
• Never allow animals to sit on your lap while driving. 
• Do not eat or drink while driving. 
• Avoid reading maps or directions. Instead, pull into a parking lot to get our bearings and determine where you need to go next to reach your final destination. 
• Do not take notes or search for phone numbers. 
• Never use a cell phone (even with a hands-free device) in bad weather, work zones or heavy traffic. 

We can help with all of your auto insurance needs, however, it’s up to you to drive safe. Distracted driving can lead to dangerous, and even fatal, consequences. Be a responsible motorist and make paying attention to the road your number one priority when you’re behind the wheel. 

Click here to learn more about auto insurance. 

If you live around here you have seen the recent aftermath of the tornado that hit Shelby Sunday night. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected! Hopefully we will not experience another storm like this anytime soon, however it never hurts to be prepared. Do you know the steps to take in the event of a tornado? Does your family have a plan? Do you know the signs? Keep reading, we can help. 

Tornado Safety Precautions

When it comes to tornado’s it is crucial to plan ahead. Peak season is between March and May and deadly storms can pop in at any time. It is important for you and your family to know what to do before and during a tornado. 

Before A Tornado Strikes

• Create a family plan. Include where you will seek shelter and where you will meet after the disaster in the event you get separated. Practice your tornado safety plan at least once per year. 
• Gather items that can protect you such as mattresses, sleeping bags and thick blankets and place them near your shelter area. 
• When the National Weather Service issues a tornado watch, go to your shelter area and check to see that everything you need for protection is there. 
• Gather bottled water, non-perishable food items, flashlights and a batter-operated radio. 
• Keep an ear to the radio or television and listen for storm status updates, and stay alert for warnings. 

Signs Of A Tornado

In addition to listening to weather reports, the following signs may indicate a tornado is near:

• Strong, persistent rotations at a cloud’s base
• Whirling dust or debris
• Hail or heavy rain, followed by a dead calm or intense wind shift
• Loud rumbles of noise that do not fade away in seconds like thunder

During A Tornado

• Go to the basement or lowest level of your home. Get under a sturdy structure, such as a table, and then cover yourself with protective materials. If your home does not have a basement, go to a small, central space such as a bathroom, closet, under a stairwell or a hallway with no windows. Then, crouch down to the floor, face down and cover your head with your hands.
• If you live in a mobile home, leave your house and seek other shelter. If there is nowhere else to go, lie flat on the ground and cover your head with your hands. 

We hope you will never need these tips, but having a tornado safety plan can ensure your family’s safety.