Firefighters face many dangers in the course of their work. Unfortunately, they also face frequent legal claims related to accidents, injuries, property damage, and even wrongful death. The higher instances of injuries and lawsuits that those in this important profession face require more than the typical insurance policy to provide adequate protection from all these risks. Firefighter insurance can help to protect the assets and services of firefighters and fire departments in today’s risk landscape.
Understanding the Need for Excess Liability Coverage
Primary liability policies have limitations on the range of covered events and the amount of benefits they provide. The purpose of coverage is to cover potential losses, so firefighter insurance must consider the risks and plan ahead by purchasing excess liability coverage for additional benefits.
The nature of the work fire departments do puts them at an unusual risk for the following:
- Inherent dangers: Responding to a fire call puts firefighters at risk of smoke inhalation, building collapse, and exposure to hazardous materials.
- Property damage: Firefighters may cause property damage while responding to an emergency. In some cases, they may face liability claims for the damage caused.
- Legal claims: The priority of all firefighters is their emergency response efforts. They may face legal claims if, during the course of these efforts, an injury, property damage, or wrongful death occurs and someone files a lawsuit. Firefighting is dangerous work, and accidents happen despite attempts to keep everything and everyone safe.
Severe losses like these pose serious financial risks. A lawsuit’s potential impact on an emergency service organization can be catastrophic. Financial trouble from the fees and damages may prevent the department from operating at full function, leaving it unable to adequately respond to future emergencies.
How Excess Liability Covers the Gaps
Excess liability insurance policies cover many instances that traditional liability policies do not. It provides additional benefits for common lawsuits like injury claims, property damage, and wrongful death.
In many cases of legal action, the cost of the claim is more than the standard liability limits. Firefighter insurance with excess liability coverage of up to $10 million helps to pay for legal defense costs, judgments, settlements, and other expenses.
Coverage Scope of FirePlus Excess Liability
Excess Liability coverage is typically triggered once a claim exceeds the general liability coverage benefits the department has. Not only does FirePlus excess liability coverage give your client added liability coverage, but it also includes these underlying policies:
- Commercial general liability
- Public officials and management liability
- Business automobile
- Employers’ liability
Every fire department’s needs may be similar, but it’s important to consider each client’s range of coverages and best coverage limits. For example, cyber liability is an increasing concern for many businesses.
Internet usage and new technologies put businesses at risk of cyberattacks and the theft of sensitive data. Cyber liability is a fairly new but essential insurance offering that recognizes these risks and puts protection in place to mitigate losses.
Get Comprehensive Firefighter Insurance from Provident FirePlus
Firefighter insurance with excess liability coverage is critical for all your fire department clients. Contact us at Provident FirePlus to learn about our tailored insurance solutions for your firefighter clients.
About Provident Fire Plus
At Provident Fire Plus, we offer custom-tailored packages to best protect firefighters and volunteer firefighters. We understand the risks that emergency response teams are subjected to on a daily basis, and have worked to serve these dedicated professionals for over 87 years. For more information about our products and policies, we invite you to contact our experts today at (855) 201-8880.