Protecting your business property is one of the most important things you can do. Not only will it keep your business financially viable, but it’ll also help ensure that your customers feel safe and comfortable when they visit, so they keep coming back again and again. Over 7 million small businesses in the United States rely on commercial insurance to protect their operations.
But how do you know if you have enough coverage? And what exactly does commercial property insurance mean? This article will tell you what commercial property insurance is, why it’s essential for business owners, and how to get the proper coverage.
Accidental Injuries to Visitors
You can be held responsible for injuries to visitors. If your business property is not adequately protected, you may be sued for injuries sustained by a visitor on your premises. A typical lawsuit filed against a business owner would include the following claims:
- Personal injury – This includes medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and disability.
- Property damage – The injured person can sue you for injuries related to their property, such as medical bills or repairs made to vehicles used in an accident at your business.
There are many reasons why someone would bring a personal injury claim against you, but one common scenario involves a slip-and-fall accident at your place of work (like if someone trips on an uneven sidewalk).
An employee injured while working might also file suit against the employer if he/she was fired after being injured on the job (this happens more often than most people think). According to a recent report, 441,000 employees suffered non-fatal injuries in Great Britain alone. Commercial property liability insurance covers you if someone sues you for injuries or property damage caused by your business.
Inventory, Equipment, and Furniture
Losing inventory, equipment, and furniture can severely impact your bottom line. That’s why it’s essential to protect these assets with commercial property insurance.
The truth is that many business owners don’t realize the extent of the risk they’re taking by not protecting their assets. If your company’s inventory or equipment is damaged or destroyed by fire or flood, you could be out of business for months and even longer if you have no way to replace those items.
Vandalism and Theft
Vandalism and theft are different, but they can happen to your property anytime. Vandalism is when someone intentionally damages something, such as breaking a window or spray painting graffiti on the side of your building.
Theft is when someone takes something without permission, such as stealing tools from the back of your truck, breaking into an office, and taking a computer. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s December 2021 report found that property-related crimes constituted over 60% of the total 8.9 million crimes reported in 2020. Therefore, it is prudent to have property insurance to cut your losses.
Fire, Smoke, Wind, and Weather Damage
Fire, smoke, wind, and weather damage are covered by commercial property insurance. According to data from local fire departments, warehouse fires in the US between 2016 and 2020 caused an average of $283 million in direct property damage.
If you have fire damage to your business property, the insurance company will pay for repairs or replacement of the damaged or destroyed building and any damage it causes to other buildings on your premises. It can also cover the cost of repairing or replacing inventory, equipment, and furniture damaged in the fire.
If a storm damages your building’s roof or siding and you need to replace these items yourself, most commercial property policies will also reimburse you for those costs.
If you’re one of the many people who have recently been affected by flooding, earthquakes, or other natural disasters, having a commercial property insurance policy can help protect your business from these types of losses. This type of coverage will pay for repairing or replacing damaged property.
Site Loss in the Event of a Disaster
Site loss insurance is a type of property insurance that covers the cost of repairing or replacing your business premises if an insured event damages it.
If you have a commercial property insurance policy, it will usually cover site loss. However, different types of policies and exclusions could affect how much your claim is worth—so it’s essential to understand what site loss is and how it affects your business.
What exactly is site loss? Site loss occurs when damage to your building causes a reduction in its value, so if you want to sell or lease the space at a later date (and at full market price), you’ll need to replace the building with something equivalent in size and condition. Otherwise, potential buyers won’t want it anymore! So while sight loss doesn’t mean that someone has stolen or destroyed all of your equipment overnight—it does mean that they’ve rendered them unusable due to damage caused by fire/flooding/etc.
Commercial Property Insurance Provides a Safety Net
Insurance is a tool for protecting your business, your property, and its contents. An insurance policy can help you get back on track if something goes wrong.
Commercial property insurance provides a safety net for your business. You might think that the risks to your company are low or unlikely to occur, but the truth is that they’re always there, and they can have devastating effects if they do happen.
Property damage can be an expensive and time-consuming, especially in today’s market, where space is at a premium, and companies will take advantage of any opportunity to save money by cutting corners or skimping on maintenance.
A commercial property insurance policy will cover not only structural damage but also equipment loss resulting from fire or other insured peril, water damage due to burst pipes (or other insured perils), vandalism, etc., as well as employee injuries caused by falling objects like glass panes from broken windows caused by storms.
Conclusion
Commercial property insurance is a key component of any business, and it’s essential to ensure you have the right coverage. Don’t forget that you can buy commercial property insurance through your agent or broker, or you may be able to find a policy online. Most importantly, always read the fine print.
