If you’re in the landscaping business, there’s no question that you need insurance due to the number of unique risks that you face on the job. The potential for injuries is relatively high and doing work on other people’s personal property is a huge liability. However, there are a variety of options that landscapers have when it comes to protecting your assets and lowering your chances of facing a lawsuit.

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance is the most basic type of insurance that any business should have regardless of its industry. It is especially important for landscapers as it can protect you from being sued for thousands of dollars if you damage or destroy your client’s property by mistake.

Let’s say you’re pulling into your customer’s driveway and accidentally run over their mailbox, damaging it enough to require a replacement. With general liability insurance, you would not be required to pay for a new mailbox out of pocket. This is, of course, subject to the limits of your insurance, but it can save you a large sum of money in the event of more serious damages.

General liability insurance, however, does not cover the costs of an employee’s medical bills if they get injured on the job. This type of coverage would require workers compensation insurance.

Workers Compensation Insurance

Generally, Workers compensation (or work comp) insurance is necessary for all landscapers who have at least one full-time or part-time employee. If you have “sub-contractors” or 1099 employees, you may still needcoverage. These sub-contractors can be considered employees, making you responsible for injuries occurring on the job.

A job like landscaping in which you’re on the move for hours at a time presents a higher risk of injury to yourself or your employees. If one of your employees falls off a roof and breaks their arm, you could be expected to pay for their medical bills. We all know that a trip to the hospital isn’t cheap, so workers compensation insurance will help you avoid breaking the bank.If your employee decides to sue you after an accident, a workers compensation policy would also help cover the cost of any legal fees.

It’s important to note that if your landscaping company does seasonal work such as snow removal, insurance companies will see you as more of a financial risk and some may not insure you as a result. Talk to a Risk Averse agent today about your specific needs and we’ll make sure you have coverage year-round.

Call Risk Averse Insurancein Media, PA to discuss yourgeneral liability and/or workers compensation insurance for your business.

Risk Averse Insurance is an independent insurance agency in Delaware County that specializes in providing high-quality insurance products at an affordable price.