Insurance Lingo 101: Understanding Additional Insured

The world of insurance can get pretty complicated. Besides the terminology, there are all kinds of exceptions and rules that can leave you in the dust. Still, it is something crucial, especially for business owners. Proper insurance assures that both your business and bankroll stay protected when life happens. It also shows that you will take care of your clientele. Protection of both them and yourself in the event of an accident can save you from hefty fines and lawsuits. While any old Certificate of Insurance (COI) will do to show you’re covered, some instances call for an additional insured.

If you’re in the business of doing business and contracts are a common part of your operations, then you’re going to want to listen up. Additional insured comes in handy and helps you incorporate the proper permits to function as a business. It can also keep you safe at any time from start to finish with your clients.

Still a bit fuzzy about what all this means and how it can be useful for you?

Below, we have a definition along with an in-depth explanation of additional insured that will make it all clear. Just because the terminology may make your head spin, doesn’t mean you’re exempt from holding proper insurance. Policies and protection are crucial, which is why we have it all lined out for you here.

Additional Insured: What Does It Mean?

So, what does an additional insured mean?

According to the definition, it “is a person or organization that enjoys the benefits of being insured under an insurance policy, in addition to whoever originally purchased the insurance policy.” You may be thinking,

What?

What this all means is that a business will add additional members to protect both themselves and the client. In turn, they are able to operate more smoothly.

Additional insured comes in handy any time that there is a potential for risk of some kind of fault. Think of it as a shield that is there to protect just in case anything is to happen.

When you look at the insure meaning, you will see that it is an arrangement between two parties that is set up to compensate. The event that qualifies for compensation includes damage, loss, injury, or death. The type of coverage offered from a company specific liability policy varies.

Those who become part of the insurance under liability as an additional insured acquire protection under the same circumstances listed in a company’s policy. This coverage continues as long as there is a business in progress. Just like with anything, there are some requirements and exceptions to the rules also known as eligibility.

Eligibility

In order to gain coverage from a company or individuals’ policy, you’ll have to first meet a few criteria. These are separated by the type of coverage needed and provided by the insurer. The types that you will see and the requirements involved are:

General Liability

To qualify under a liability policy, there must be an ongoing business relationship between the business and the policyholder or the name of the insured. These include business relationships such as:

• Landlord and tenant
• Owner of property and contractor
• Seller and manufacturer

As you can tell, some of these relationships are prone to risk. Because there is a lot of potential for mishaps, there is also the need to insure on behalf of negligence. This is a way to keep both parties protected, as customers could potentially sue both the business and the individual who is additional insured.

A good example of this would be a landlord. If they are renting out a business location to a business owner that doesn’t upkeep the store, any injury of a customer could fall on both the tenant and/or the landlord. It is a way to keep things from costing an arm and a leg in the event of an accident.

Auto Liability

To qualify for auto liability insurance, the circumstances are much the same. This time, however, a vehicle can pose a problem. This is good anytime there are company vehicles in the mix. To keep both parties protected and avoid the potential of vicarious liability, companies that are working together will hold a contract. This contract means to keep both parties safe.

Accidents happen, especially on the road. If anything is to happen on the road, both parties will remain protected equally as long as there is no outstanding reason or cause.

Additional Insured Endorsement: What is It and How Can You Use It?

An additional insured endorsement is an amendment to one party’s insurance policy that adds another. This is nothing negative and comes with the benefit of strengthening the relationship between both parties. It is a way to make sure that all parties have coverage.

This leaves no room for anything except the business that is at hand. Before doing any business deals, it is highly recommended to point out all potential risks. This will help you map out all those who you will add to your policy.

To add an insured endorsement to your current policy, you’ll need a few minor details. These come from the party you’re wishing to add. It normally entails things like names and addresses, nothing too personal. This will show up on the policy as an additional document apart from the original insurance policy.

Just like with anything dealing with risk and business deals, you’ll want to have something in writing. While you cannot have a copy of the original document, you can request a document that will show that you have coverage under a specific policy.

Range of Coverage

Just like with any policy, pay close attention to the range of coverage. An additional insured is not, in any way, a way to fully cover another person on one’s insurance policy. The coverage provided limits potential claims, only reaching the areas of rightful risk.

This means that this type of policy only covers claims that are a direct cause of the work or operations performed by the primary business.

Knowing your range of coverage is a good way to make sure you have protection and stay out of harm’s way. additional coverage, finding out the range where show you the patchy areas that need coverage.

Final Thoughts

The world is constantly doing business. Every day new partnerships form that involved business between two parties. These partnerships require a contract to keep both parties protected. When parties become involved with one another, both need some sort of reassurance.

As an additional insured, both businesses have a way to relax. They know that any accidents or slip-ups have coverage backing them. While It is easy to add, always check the range of coverage to make sure you and your business have proper coverage.

We are only human and are all prone to accidents or injuries. But these accidents shouldn’t wind up costing businesses their entire net worth. Insurance coverage keeps everyone protected plus, leaves room for the most important things at hand.

We cannot defy what nature has in store for us, but we can at least take away the potential for risk. This helps to make sure we have the proper coverage with the help of a solid insurance policy.