So much goes into landscape management, from jobs and employee scheduling to equipment maintenance. Issues can quickly arise and go unnoticed. Running this kind of business will require you to secure insurance policies to comply with contract terms. Landscapers are faced with a wide range of risk exposures constantly.
Take note of these common ones for landscaping businesses.
Employee and Worker Injury
Heat, machinery, and stormy weather all pose a serious risk to the health and safety of employees. For instance, if an employee was to have a heatstroke, they could be out of work for a while. Or, if a blade was to come in contact with them, the result could be tremendous. This liability can be detrimental to any business if not properly protected. To avoid the hefty expense of medical bills relating to injured employees, confirm with your insurer that your workers are properly classified and covered.
Injury-related Lawsuits
Imagine if one of your workers became severely injured on the job. Workers’ comp will take care of the medical bills, but it doesn’t always cover the legal expenses if your worker decides to sue. If they claim that you should have maintained your equipment better to prevent their injury, they may have a claim. Even if this is a false allegation, the high cost of legal bills, lawsuits of any kind may be too much to take on. Ask your insurer if your worker’s comp policy does or can cover cases related to workplace injuries.
Equipment Damage
Destroyed and stolen gear always comes as a surprise, and the cost of repairing or replacing equipment can be high. Also, these scenarios run the risk of a long replacement or repair time, which may cause clients to switch to another company. A client may even decide to sue for breaking your contract from missing a deadline. It is crucial to have a plan for when equipment fails. Property insurance can reduce the time it takes to recover equipment breakdown or loss.
Potentially Injured Clients
How well do you and your team clean up after yourselves? What are the chances of a slip-up? Leaving behind tools can be easy to do, and mistakes are inevitable. It is crucial to secure a general liability policy that would cover lawyers’ bills and any settlement or judgment you become responsible for.
Hefty Payouts
Since this line of work involves heavy, potentially deadly machinery, it is important to keep in mind the risk for settlements or judgments that exceed the limits of a basic business insurance policy. Consider securing extra protection for lawsuits over worker and client injuries with an umbrella insurance policy, which can be applied to your policies that are maxed out.
The best way to protect yourself and your business is to have a strong proactive risk management plan which should cover employee training, equipment maintenance, client contracts and relationship management; but when this fails your insurance policies will be your saving grace.
About Sine Insurance
At Sine Insurance Group, we are dedicated to providing you with custom-tailored insurance policies to protect your assets. Our comprehensive packages have been expertly crafted to serve St. Louis and the surrounding areas for the past 25 years. For more information about our products, contact us today at (855) 700-0889.