The Ins and Outs of Contractors Professional & Pollution Liability Coverage

Denise GillinConstruction

By Gary Semmer, CIC, CWCA, Executive Vice President & Construction Vertical Practice Leader for Assuredpartners Does standard General Liability insurance provide coverage for design activities or modifications and environmental or remediation services? Great question, and the chances are likely that the answer is no. Commercial General Liability and Umbrella policies have evolved over the years, but one thing has remained constant: they contain Professional Liability and Pollution Liability ‘exclusions or restrictions’ that negate coverage. Additionally, more subcontract insurance agreements require Contractor’s Professional Liability (errors & omissions) coverage for design/build activities or design modifications and Contractors Pollution Liability coverage for environmental/remediation services provided. Read more here>>>

The Supply Chain Crisis’ Latest Woe

Denise GillinNews, Risk Management, Transportation

By Dani Romero for Yahoo!finance With a number of cargo containers bottlenecked at California’s ports, another problem has ensnared the companies trying to ship goods, and the customers and shops waiting for those supplies. Theft. The worsening supply chain troubles are making stolen shipments an increasingly common problem that’s affecting shoppers, already facing long delays and soaring prices. Cargo that finally makes its way out of backlogged ports on the West Coast is being aggressively targeted by criminals eyeing containers filled with electronics amid the chip shortage. What are the implications>>>

Mandates and Old Man Winter

Denise GillinBusiness Insurance, Risk Management, Transportation

By Kevin Rettberg for AssuredPartners The weather is turning, and with it the conditions on the roads will be changing. The incoming winter weather is set to turn the peace and quiet of the tranquil summer, sun-filled roads into a wintry mix of ice and snow in many areas of the country. The idea of what winter brings is nothing new, but somehow this winter feels a little unlike anything we have every experienced. Our weather is a microcosm of what is happening in the US right now: a calm before a storm. However, while we know exactly what weather brings us, there is an upcoming vaccine mandate that is causing a concern from the unknowns that it causes many …

Does Stock Throughput Insurance Make Sense for Your Agribusiness Operation?

Denise GillinAgribusiness, Business Insurance

By Gina Ekstam for AssuredPartners As the property insurance market continues to put pricing pressure on renewals, some agribusiness operations have benefited from specialty insurance programs, such as stock throughput coverage, to help them navigate the challenging marketplace. A form of inland marine insurance, a stock throughput program insures a product throughout the supply chain and accounts for any potential gaps in coverage. From the time the product is shipped, stored, and delivered to its final destination, there is a lot at stake. A stock throughput policy provides continuous coverage against all risks not explicitly excluded in the contract as long as the insured has ownership or responsibility for the product. What are the benefits>>>

Improve Operational Health, Maximize Flexibility to Mitigate Drought Risk

Denise GillinAgribusiness, Insurance, News, Risk Management

By Gina Ekstam for AssuredPartners According to NOAA, the average global surface temperature was the sixth highest for August 2021 since global records began in 1880. Further, the U.S. Drought Monitor reports that over 46% of the contiguous U.S. experienced moderate to exceptional drought in August. These extreme weather conditions are impacting ag operations across the country. Decreased water availability leads to production losses, increased pests and diseases, and lower livestock productivity. Matt Carstens, president and CEO of Landus in Ames, Iowa, adds, “drought conditions affect weed and fungi control, changes the products that are stored, and impacts the health of livestock. Operationally, severe weather events can lead to supply chain and infrastructure disruption. For example, a lack of corn …

Infrastructure Lacks Critical Funding

Denise GillinBusiness Insurance, News

By Kevin Rettberg for AssuredPartners With the September House passage of the latest infrastructure spending bill tagged somewhere around $3.5 trillion, there is still one issue that this bill has not addressed: commercial truck parking. To understand why this is an issue, we need to provide context. It goes without saying, but there is consensus that our nation’s highways and roadways are infrastructure, and as a country there is a continued investment of billions of dollars to maintain and improve them. Another point of agreement, especially having gone through the COVID pandemic, is that our commercial truck drivers are the lifeblood of our economy. Finally, the work that has been done in the industry to make the job safe is …

Flagger holds up stop sign for traffic in construction zone

OSHA’s Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Violations

Denise GillinNews, Risk Management

By Toby Graham for KPA Hot off the press… the new OSHA Top 10 list is here! Every year OSHA compiles a list of the ten most-cited standard violations from the previous fiscal year.  OSHA publishes this list to alert employers about these commonly cited standards so they can take necessary steps to find and fix recognized hazards before OSHA shows up. The 2021 fiscal year statistics, which ended Sept. 30th, have just been released. They show some slight changes from the 2020 list. Not surprisingly, the list’s actual violations stayed the same as the previous year, though some standards moved up or down. Click to see the complete list>>>

Businessman pointing dollar currency icon, Successful money financial investment concept

Firm Insurance Market Expected to Last into Next Year

Denise GillinBusiness Insurance, Personal Lines

By Gavin Souter for BusinessInsurance.com Introduction by Jeffrey Gelburd, Vice President, Murray: As we head into the busy year end property / casualty renewal season, it is important to get a head start and have your best foot forward when negotiating renewal terms. With the exception of cyber liability, which is still very much in flux, rate increases on some lines have slowed down, and underwriters are interested in writing new business. After over two years of rate increases and takeaways, it’s in the best interest of insureds to market their program. Progress can now be obtained in negotiating improvements so anyone with good loss experience should use that to their advantage in renewal negotiations. Click to read Firm Insurance …

To Pay or Not to Pay: Is That the Question?

Denise GillinBusiness Insurance, News, Risk Management

By Scott Sinder for LeadersEdge We are on the heels of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and many of us lived the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act debates that followed. The widely shared expectation at the time was that 9/11 was just the first of what we thought would be a long litany of terrorist events on U.S. soil. But those never materialized, and, to date, not one claim has been paid through the TRIA program. The recent exponential growth in “ransomware” claims, however, seems to have bucked that trend. There is a spate of more well publicized cases—Colonial Pipeline and CNA?—but as Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, recently noted, the overall “rate of ransomware attacks …

The Cost of Distracted Driving – A Reminder

Denise GillinRisk Management, Transportation

By Tyson Keith for AssuredPartners Distracted driving continues to be one of the most dangerous hazards on our roads. Whether it is eating, drinking, scanning the radio, fiddling with the navigation system, or texting on a cell phone, distracted driving causes thousands of accidents every year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2019 there were 3,142 lives lost due to crashes resulting from distracted driving. By taking their eyes off the road for just five seconds, while traveling at 55mph, their vehicle can travel the distance of a football field. Please do your part by reminding your drivers of how dangerous it is to drive while distracted. The Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA), recently shared a video produced by the Minnesota …