Municipalities face a lot of risks. From a child getting hurt on a community playground to a town official being sued as the result of their decision-making, many things can go wrong when you are running local government.
How can you protect yourself, your staff, and your municipality? The right insurance coverage can help you manage the risks. Every county, parish, town, township, city, and village are unique and require insurance solutions tailored to their distinct needs. Let’s take a look at some of the coverage options you should consider.
Commercial Auto
Municipalities have unique risks when it comes to automobiles. Your municipality may own several vehicles ranging from fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars to buses and street maintenance vehicles. Commercial auto insurance can help cover the cost of accidents involving municipality owned vehicles as well as theft, vandalism, and other damage. If your municipality has elected officials, who may use their own personal vehicle for official business, you may want to ask about non-owned vehicle coverage as well.
Commercial Property
Whether your municipality owns just a small-town hall building or numerous buildings and emergency service locations, protecting your physical property is vital. Losing your municipal buildings could be a huge disruption and cost to the municipality. Commercial property insurance can help cover the costs of damage to your buildings as well as any property inside. This coverage typically covers losses related to fire, explosion, storms, theft, and vandalism.
Commercial General Liability
Everything from opening a skate park to spraying for insects can open a municipality up to a variety of liability issues. In the event that someone is injured or has their property damaged as a result of municipality business, you will want to be protected. General liability insurance can help cover the costs associated with legal battles resulting from bodily injury or property damage.
Public Officials Liability
Lawsuits can come at you from every direction. For example, a taxpayer who is upset by a zoning decision or claims of wrongful termination. It is important to protect both the municipality and these public officials from the financial risks that these lawsuits bring. Public officials’ liability can help cover the costs of lawsuits related to the municipality’s public officials.
Cyber Liability
Virtually every municipality relies on its technology to run efficiently and manage sensitive information. It is important to protect yourself from cyberattacks such as malware and ransomware. Cyber liability insurance can help cover the costs associated with the aftermath of a cyberattack including cyber extortion, data restoration, business interruption, and more.
Other Important Coverage Options
The list of important coverages you should have is long and there are only a few of them. Some others you may want to consider include:
Umbrella Liability
Umbrella liability can provide coverage and limits beyond your existing policies. It also can provide coverage for claims that are not covered by your existing policies, these claims are subject to a type of deductible called a self-insured retention.
Workers Compensation
Workers’ Compensation is a federally mandated, state-regulated program that protects your business if an employee gets injured or becomes ill as a result of work-related activities.
Running your municipality requires a lot, you shouldn’t have to be an insurance expert as well. At Gannon Associates Insurance, we have insurance professionals with years of experience insuring municipalities like yours. We understand the unique risks that your municipality faces and are partnered with carriers who are rated A+ by AM Best to provide you with top-quality coverage. Let us work with you to match you with the right coverage for your needs and your budget.
