Pollution Exclusions
Your commercial auto insurance will cover any bodily injuries that staff members suffer in an accident. Those will injuries will not be covered if they are a result of the release, seepage, dispersal or escape of pollutants from that vehicle. Most of the time, employees should not be dealing with pollutants. The only case they would be is if they have the appropriate coverage for it. Obtaining coverage is relatively easy when your workers are handling pollutants in the correct manner. Most businesses don’t have anything to do with waste or pollutants, only some businesses will need to deal with that. Before you decide whether the exclusion with affect your business, you should ascertain what exactly a pollutant is. Even simple items like paint and industrial solvents may be considered pollutants which will make events like an office renovation a risk when transporting pollutants.
Pollution Optional Coverage
There are certain times when your business needs to be involved in transporting and dispersal of contaminants. If you have coverage and are compliant with waste handling regulations, and an accident occurs, then your insurance carrier will not exclude the claim. If you are handling waste and pollutants on a regular basis, then you should definitely include that coverage. This will help when it comes time to handle claims for injured workers, and it will also help with paying fines to the government for accidents or spills.
Assess your daily activities and decide whether or not to add pollution coverage or to exclude it. Is it practical for your business? Is it worth the risk to forgo it?
If you'd like to sign up for Long Island commercial auto insurance, please don't hesitate to give us a call at 888-565-2212.
