Company insurance is intended to safeguard the financial assets of a business owner and is a necessary investment for a cider mill.
This article will discuss the primary insurance coverage for cider mills, general liability insurance, as well as additional policies that are appropriate for this industry.
Cider Mill General Liability Insurance
Every firm, regardless of sector, has risks that should be insured. General liability insurance is the most frequent and comprehensive form of coverage that company owners purchase.
General liability insurance covers the following risks:
Physical harm
Damage to property
Medical expenses
Legal defence and decision
Personal and commercial harm
While general liability insurance is not legally needed for companies, operating without it is exceedingly dangerous. If your company is sued, you might face costs in the hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more). The only way to avoid this sort of catastrophe from destroying your organisation is to have an adequate general liability insurance coverage in place to assist pay for these losses.
COMMON SITUATIONS THAT A CIDER MILL’S GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE MAY COVER
Example 1: While touring your factory floor, a possible customer slips over an uneven floorboard, fractures her wrist, and demands that your firm pay for her medical treatment. If she chose to suit for damages, her general liability insurance would cover her medical expenditures as well as any related legal fees.
Example 2: A rival says you copied its long-standing, copyrighted design for your logo. Even if you disagree with this argument, you still need legal counsel. Your legal bills and any associated settlements would be covered by general liability insurance.
Example 3: An employee loses control of a forklift while moving heavy product containers onto a delivery van. The cargo collides with the rear of the delivery vehicle, causing damage to the door. General liability insurance would cover the cost of vehicle repairs as well as the replacement of damaged property.
Of course, this is not an entire list of risks covered by a general liability insurance policy, and certain situations may result in a specific peril not being covered. To minimise coverage gaps, it’s always better to speak with your agent about the terms of your policy.
General Liability Insurance Cost
Cider mills in the United States typically pay between $500 and $1,100 per year for $1 million in general liability insurance.
The cost of your coverage will be determined by a number of variables. Among them are your:
Location
Deductible
Employees’ number
Per-occurrence restriction
The overall aggregate limit
You may be able to get general liability insurance at a lower cost if you buy it as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) rather than as a separate policy. A business interruption policy (BOP) is a more complete option that covers numerous types of coverage, such as business interruption and property insurance.
Cider Mills Require Additional Coverage
While general liability insurance is the most crucial, there are various different types of coverage to be aware of. Other forms of insurance that all cider mills should have are as follows:
Insurance for Commercial Property
It requires a significant amount of money to setup and maintain your cider mill. If you own the building where you do business, you are liable for any business-related property that is held there in the case of a fire, burglary, or natural catastrophe. After an accident, commercial property insurance would pay for the expense of repairing or replacing your building, specific industrial equipment, and other company supplies, allowing you to recover fast.
Insurance for Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation insurance is required in most states for both part-time and full-time employees. This coverage covers your workers if they are hurt at work or get sick as a result of a workplace accident. It covers not just an employee’s medical expenditures and missed pay if they need time off to recuperate, but also any disability or death benefits resulting from a work-related accident.
Coverage Options Available to Cider Mills
In addition to the insurance listed above, your cider mill may need other forms of coverage based on particular features of your business. Some of them may not apply to you, so be sure to ask your agent whether policies are appropriate for your company.
Insurance for Commercial Vehicles
In the case of an accident, any car you use mainly for work needs commercial auto insurance to cover the vehicle, driver, and others on the road. Choose a policy that not only covers accident-related vehicle repair expenses and medical care for anybody harmed, but also provides enough coverage for any particular equipment you have in your vehicle. If a court rules that one of your workers was at fault for an accident, your insurance will cover the third party’s losses and medical bills as well.
Umbrella Insurance for Businesses
While most claims are covered by your general liability insurance policy, certain incidents or lawsuits may be so severe that they threaten to deplete the limits of your main coverage. Commercial umbrella insurance protects you from having to pay for legal expenses and awarded damages that exceed the limits of your main policy out of pocket.
Additional Security Measures for Your Company
Although investing in company insurance is simple (and necessary), it should not be your first line of defence. Yes, insurance will reimburse your company for cash losses incurred as a result of an occurrence, but it is much preferable to avoid losses altogether.
With this in mind, here are a few steps you can take to better secure your company:
Make use of legally binding contracts and other business agreements. (We provide free templates for several of the most often used legal forms.)
To safeguard your personal assets, form a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation. (To discover how to incorporate an LLC or company in your state, see our step-by-step tutorials.)
Keep your company licences up to date.
Streamline the internal procedures of your company. This will eliminate unneeded variables from routine activities and establish a secure, consistent environment in which to do business.
If your company is an LLC, you should check into LLC insurance.