Is a Group Captive Right for Your Business?

Denise Gillin Business Insurance, Risk Management

If your organization has a strong business culture that prioritizes employee health and safety and a history of low claims, you can: Have greater control over claim management. Know every penny spent on insurance is accounted for. Take the surprises out of renewal time. In less than four minutes, this video can help you determine if a captive is a good fit for your company. To further discuss the captive options we have available, contact Lori Harris, AAI, CPIA, Captive Director / Account Executive at 717.381.3477 or email her at lharris@murrayins.com. Murray is proud to be a part of AssuredPartners, committed to providing Power Through Partnership.

Trucking Companies: Insurance Renewal Questions

Denise Gillin Business Insurance, Risk Management

By Tyson Keith for AssuredPartners.com The year of 2021 has already proven to be a record-breaking year for the trucking industry, as there are more active trucking companies now than ever before. According to the Trucking Register’s May 2021 report, there are 13,200 more active authorities than there were in April, which is nearly ten times the average monthly growth of the industry! This creates an issue for truck insurance carriers, as the industry is not equipped to handle the rapid growth. Underwriting companies rely heavily on retail agencies to vet each trucking company and give them the insight they need to properly underwrite each risk. With over 431,000 active trucking companies all renewing their insurance on an annual basis, …

Risk Management Strategies to Reduce Your Liability

Denise Gillin Business Insurance, Risk Management

By Ashley Wilson for AssuredPartners.com Business leaders are forced with making impossible decisions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not just decisions about keeping their doors open, but decisions ranging from hiring and firing employees, to compensation, and how to provide safe work conditions during these unprecedented times. Unbeknownst to many employers, these difficult decisions are putting their business at risk for an Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) claim. As employment-related lawsuits are on the rise for employers of all sizes, it is critical for employers to understand these exposures in order to manage the risk of an EPLI claim. Read effective risk management strategies to reduce liability>>>

Young attractive asian manager woman looking, picking, replemishment, receiving inventory at store warehouse in warehouse management system concept. Smart ERP with iot for inventory management. (Young attractive asian manager woman looking, picking, r

Six Manufacturing Tech Trends to Look for in 2021

Denise Gillin Business Insurance, News

By Sharon Goldman for Forbes.com In the early days of the pandemic, manufacturers were hit hard with forced shutdowns, production slowdowns and serious questions about whether companies could navigate the disruptions. Manufacturing indicators had shown early 2020 momentum, but US industrial production in March registered a month-over-month decline of 4.5%, followed by a deeper decline of 11.2% in April. What did increase in 2020, however, was the speed of transformation. Companies made swift moves towards Industry 4.0, or the ongoing automation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practices. There is no time to waste: manufacturers looking to stay competitive need to serve their customers in new ways; become more agile and flexible; and attract the right skills and talent. Read the …

Everything You Need to Know About the Microsoft Exchange Server Hack

Denise Gillin Business Insurance, News, Risk Management

By Charlie Osborne for Zero Day Four zero-day vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server are being actively exploited by a state-sponsored threat group from China and appear to have been adopted by other cyberattackers in widespread attacks. While in no way believed to be connected to the SolarWinds supply chain attack that has impacted an estimated 18,000 organizations worldwide — so far — there is concern that lags in patching vulnerable servers could have a similar impact, or worse, on businesses. Read everything you need to know about the security issues and be updated as the story develops>>>  

Six Steps to Take After a Car Accident

Denise Gillin Business Insurance, Home and Auto Insurance, Risk Management

By Eric Rosenberg for Westfield Insurance Car accidents happen—and sometimes there’s nothing you can do about it. These accidents are far more common than you might think. Data from the last U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey in 2018 showed there were over 6.7 million car crashes in the U.S. that year. Of those accidents, nearly 1.9 million resulted in injuries and over 4.8 million of these accidents involved property damage. But while getting into an accident can shake you up, there are important steps to take after one occurs. These measures can help ensure everyone is safe, that the law is being followed and that the car accident claim process is as streamlined as possible. Stay calm …

OSHA Recommends Employers Cover COVID-19 Vaccination Costs

Denise Gillin Business Insurance, Risk Management

Following OSHA guidelines can often be a challenge. Compound them with a global pandemic and an  employer’s job gets that much harder. This article by By Louise Esola for Business Insurance elaborates: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued workplace safety guidance for employers that includes a recommendation that they cover COVID-19 vaccination costs. OSHA issued the new guidelines following an executive order by President Joe Biden on January 21 to do so. The new guidelines, which in general mirror existing U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, call for face coverings, social distancing and contact-tracing. They also call for employers to implement COVID-19 prevention programs, separate and send home sick workers, improve safety communication with workers, install …

Business Valuers: Why Purchase Professional Liability Insurance?

Denise Gillin Business Insurance

By Jeffrey S. Gelburd, CPCU, ARM, Vice President, for American Society of Appraisers Over the years we have been asked by Business Valuers about the necessity of purchasing Professional Liability (or E&O) insurance for themselves or their business. The following reasons are the most prevalent in the purchasing decision. The Insurance Policy Will Pay Defense Costs: This is the # 1 reason for purchasing E & O insurance – the policy is written to cover attorney defense fees which can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars. The Cost of Insurance is Relatively Inexpensive:  Minimum premiums for a policy offering a $1,000,000 limit can start at just $2,000. Low Deductibles: Deductibles for these policies typically start at $1,000 and can go …

Dining Out During a Pandemic

Denise Gillin Business Insurance, News

Shared from the National Restaurant Association  Research conducted by the National Restaurant Association indicates that the restaurant industry has lost $120 billion in sales during March, April, and May due to the impact of coronavirus in the United States. As state mandates allow for restaurants to reopen, jurisdictions that require face coverings in public spaces present a new challenge: guests refusing to wear masks. The Association’s Law Center partnered with Jackson Lewis P.C. to develop guidance for restaurateurs when dealing with confrontational customers or those who forgot their masks. Highlights include: What if a guest refuses to wear a mask on Constitutional grounds? Guests and employees have no constitutional free speech rights in a private business or workplace. The First …

Liability Immunity Offered by PREP Act

Denise Gillin Business Insurance, News

By Amy G. Mitchell, CIC, CISR, Vice President, Commercial Solutions Are you manufacturing products to support the COVID-19 solution? Respirators, face shields, face masks, etc. You may be eligible for Liability Immunity offered by the PREP Act that was made effective February 4, 2020, by the Department of Health & Human Services for products used for COVID-19. “The PREP Act authorizes the Secretary to issue a declaration to provide liability immunity to certain individuals and entities (covered persons) against any claim of loss caused by, arising out of, relating to, or resulting from the manufacture, distribution, administration, or use of medical countermeasures (covered countermeasures). Under the March 10, 2020, declaration, covered countermeasures are any antiviral, any other drug, any biologic, …