Many providers believe that their insurance needs can be met by securing just Commercial Automobile & possibly Workers Compensation coverages. The reality is that General Liability coverage is required by your broker and is certainly needed to protect your assets.
Typically, General Liability coverage is needed to protect your business from losses that may occur on your premises or losses that could stem from liability created by your operations. Transportation providers (TPs) often forget that there are additional exposures related to the nature of their work that are understated. Many TPs only provide ‘curb to curb’ service for their clientele. If a loss arises related to the passenger from the time of pick up at the curb to the designation point aka curb, then coverage would be triggered by your Automobile policy. However, if a TP provides ‘door to door’ service, there is exposure to a potential loss stemming from the extra assistance that is given away from the curb. For instance, a passenger needs assistance from their place of residence to the vehicle or assistance to the drop off point which may be at the door of the appointment or possibly even inside the building. Coverage for a loss emanating from this type of exposure past the curb is not contemplated in the standard Commercial Automobile policy that most insurance carriers provide. If a loss arises due to providing this assistance, i.e., helping a passenger into/out of a wheelchair away from the vehicle, coverage should be provided from your General Liability policy. These types of losses can be very costly and that is why it is important to maintain a sound General Liability policy in addition to your Automobile coverage preferably with the same carrier so there are no disputes in coverage.
Many carriers recognize this exposure related to your unique class of business and will sometimes try to exclude this “loading & unloading” exposure. Other carriers may try to offer sub limited (lower limits) coverage for this exposure because they believe the premium generated isn’t sufficient for the exposure. At NEMT Insurance, we recognize this inherit risk to your operations and do not try to eliminate or carve out this important coverage. You can have complete confidence that you have obtained the coverage needed to protect your operations.
Be sure to reach out to your agent if you have any doubt or questions about your current coverages, and Apply Today to see how NEMT Insurance can better fit your needs!