General Liability Insurance
The Benefits of our General Liability Insurance Coverage
Our general liability coverage program is the best in the industry, with “A” rated carriers, flexible packages and $10 million in excess capacity.
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$10,000,000 Excess Capacity available.
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Premises Liability including slips, trips, and falls.
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ISO Occurrence and Claims-made coverage forms.
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Customized Coverage.
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Per Location aggregate endorsement.
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Hired and Non Owned Auto (supported).
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Employee Benefits and Stop Gap Liability.
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Blanket Additional Insured.
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Abuse and Molestation (SAM) Coverage.
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Evacuation Expense Endorsement to relocate residents in a natural disaster or emergency.
What is General Liability Insurance?
General Liability covers medical expenses and attorney fees which result from bodily injuries and property damage that your company or organization could be legally responsible for. General liability insurance can help cover medical expenses and attorney fees resulting from bodily injuries and property damage for which your company may be legally responsible.
What does General Liability cover?
General liability policies typically cover you and your company for claims involving bodily injuries and property damage resulting from your products, services or operations. It may also cover you if you are held liable for damages to a landlord’s property.
Who needs General Liability Insurance?
Anybody who is operating a medical facility of any kind in the current climate should be covered with general liability. In today’s climate of uncertainty, with generous awards being handed out by juries to injured parties, your business could be wiped out through one unfortunate accident without General Liability coverage.
This is particularly true of aged care facilities, including: adult day care centers, assisted living facilities, residential care centers, skilled nursing facilities, nursing care centers, and continuing care retirement communities. The reason for this is that elderly people are much more prone to accidents and a small lapse in attention by a busy staff member could lead to an accident and a corresponding claim. Even other service providers for the elderly and disabled should absolutely be covered by general liability insurance.
But general liability is not only needed by those facilities dealing specifically with the elderly. Any medical facility, including physical therapy clinics, medical spas, diagnostic imaging and X-Ray centers and hospitals should have a good general liability insurance policy in place. So should centers providing alternative medicine, like massage centers.
Even facilities who do not care for patients, like HMP medical supply centers can benefit from having a General liability policy in place.
Does General Liability cover all Costs?
General liability insurance should not be confused with Professional liability insurance, which covers professionals for mistakes they could make while carrying out their professional duties.
While General Liability covers all medical expenses and attorney fees awarded against you by the claimant, it does not cover your legal expenses defending the claim. To help clients overcome what can amount to serious charges, Westwood put together a Legal Defense Insurance package, incorporating general liability with legal defense and a third-party administrator to administer claims against you.
At the moment, this is only offered for Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living Facilities in Florida, but the program may be expanded in the future, depending on the availability of suitable carriers.
Other things not covered by General Liability include:
- Work-related injuries or illnesses for employees — these are covered by workers’ compensation insurance.
- Damage to business vehicles from an accident — these are covered by your commercial auto insurance policy.
- Sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination and other employment-related claims — These are covered by employment practices liability insurance.
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Does General Liability for Senior Living Facilities cover Evacuation Expenses for Natural Disasters?
The Evacuation Expense Endorsement is an essential addition to General Liability policies for senior living facilities. It provides coverage for the costs associated with relocating residents in the event of a natural disaster or emergency. This endorsement ensures that facilities can cover critical evacuation expenses, such as transportation, temporary housing, and medical care, without facing financial strain.
Often bundled with other critical coverages like disinfectant coverage, public relations, and crisis management, the Evacuation Expense Endorsement offers comprehensive protection during times of crisis.
Key Benefits:
- Transportation Costs: Covers expenses for moving residents to safer locations, including buses, ambulances, and, in extreme cases, air transport.
- Temporary Housing: Ensures that residents can be housed in alternative facilities, hotels, or other safe locations, covering both the cost of accommodations and essential medical support.
- Medical Support: Helps maintain continuity of care for residents with specific medical needs, ensuring that oxygen, medications, and other treatments are available throughout the evacuation.
Additional Endorsements:
- Disinfectant Coverage: Protects against the costs associated with sanitizing and disinfecting facilities after an outbreak or contamination event, ensuring a safe environment for residents to return.
- Public Relations and Crisis Management: Provides assistance with managing communication, both internally and externally, during a crisis. This includes handling media relations and maintaining the facility’s reputation during and after an emergency.
This combination of coverages ensures that senior living facilities are not only able to evacuate residents safely but also manage the broader impacts of an emergency, from public perception to returning the facility to normal operations post-crisis.
Adding this endorsement to a General Liability policy is crucial for facilities in areas prone to natural disasters or other emergencies, ensuring that they can meet their legal obligations and regulations for resident evacuation, while protecting the well-being of their residents.
For more information, see:
- Why Senior Living Facilities Must be Prepared for the Unthinkable
- Assisted Living Regulations for Resident Evacuation
How do I get General Liability Cover?
Fill out the form below or call our representative listed below. We look forward to working with you.
Our general liability coverage program is the best in the industry, with “A” rated carriers, flexible packages and $10 million in excess capacity.
Speak with an Insurance Professional
Michael Richards
Michael specializes in sourcing the most suitable General Liability Insurance at the best price. You can call him or fill out the form and he will get your message directly.