When you hire a Phoenix contractor, you are trusting that person with your health and property. Any mistakes that your contractor makes can lead to a weakened structure that could collapse, leading to serious injuries. It may be as simple as a floor board breaking and leading to a sprained ankle. Or it could be as serious as a roof truss falling in and causing fatal injuries.
The stakes are even higher when you hire a commercial or industrial contractor who will be working with heavy duty equipment and materials, such as large concrete or steel beams. Hiring a contractor who has a lot of experience and a track record of success is one of the best ways to protect your employees and your investment. However, you should also hire a contractor who has the right insurance coverage in case an accident does happen.
Here are a few things you should look for in the general liability insurance coverage carried by your Phoenix contractor:
Bodily Injury Claims
Bodily injury coverage protects the homeowner or other people who wander onto the jobsite who are not employed by the contractor. If someone is injured on your property, you want to be sure that you won’t be held liable for that. Bodily injury coverage protects the contractor and you.
Bodily injury coverage includes accidents caused by heavy machinery, power tool mishaps, and more. Make sure you check the coverage limits, as well. A small policy may only cover minor injuries. However, more serious injuries could easily exceed the limits, putting you or the injured workers on line for the rest.
Property Damage Claims
One miscalculation by a worker operating a crane could result in a steel beam smashing through your building walls, leading to tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Your contractor should have property damage coverage to pay for these and other mistakes that lead to physical property damage.
Again, double check to know what the maximum coverage is for the policy. You need to be sure that any accidents will be covered, no matter how severe the damage is. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in court trying to collect the rest, and you may never be able to get the full amount to cover the damage.
Completed Products Claims
Some accidents may not occur until long after the work is completed. For example, some improperly installed electrical wiring may cause a fire months or years after your building project is finished, leading to property damage and bodily injuries. Completed production coverage will protect the contractor against these claims and ensure that you get the compensation to cover the full cost.
Personal and Advertising Injury Claims
Personal and advertising injury coverage protects contractors against claims that their marketing and advertising campaigns either stole from another company’s intellectual property or somehow injured another company. While this may not affect you as a home or business owner directly, it does impact the contractor. You don’t want your project to go unfinished because your contractor went belly up after being sued and not having the insurance coverage to protect him against loss.
Medical Expenses Claims
Medical coverage pays for immediate medical care, such as a ride on an ambulance or a visit to the emergency room. This coverage is best for minor injuries that could become major problems if left untreated, such as a cut or a broken bone. Again, check the limits on this coverage to make sure the policy provides enough for the most common scenarios.
Construction is inherently a dangerous trade, even when left in the hands of experienced and trained professionals. Knowing that your contractor has the right general liability insurance protection can put you at ease, knowing that your property and your livelihood is protected.
Pride Development and Construction puts a high value on the safety of our workers and our job sites. Not only do we carry the best general liability insurance, but we also have strict safety standards in place for our workers. We are Phoenix concrete specialists, and we work on large-scale commercial and industrial jobs, as well as smaller jobs. In our industry, we cannot underestimate the importance of safety.
Guest Blog Published By:
Pride Development and Construction – Bob Jenkins
19827 N 30th St
Phoenix, AZ 85050
Office: (480) 968-6848
Email: bob@pridedc.net
Website: http://pridedevelopmentconstruction.net
