Caucasian Male at Work Cleaning Residential Brick Road Using High Pressure Water Cleaning System Machine
Pressure washing companies provide much needed services in a variety of ways. Many pressure washers operate mobile units so they can take their services directly to a customer. Pressure washing companies might specialize in servicing specific types of customers, such as cleaning Recreational Vehicles, commercial trucks, construction equipment, buildings, or streets and surfaces. Other pressure washing companies offer their services to anyone who needs them, and they may have a stationary service bay as well as a mobile unit. As you can see, this type of business is quite dynamic and as such, it is open to any number of potential risks each day. If you own a pressure washing company, you can protect it from many of those risks with pressure washers general liability insurance.
General liability insurance helps pressure washing companies if a person is injured because of their business, if property is damaged, if there is a problem with products they use or sell, if there is a complaint against their advertising, and if damages occur to the business premises they lease.
If a person is physically hurt on or around the business location or work site, this is referred to as bodily injuries. Someone may be walking past a job site on the street for instance and slip and fall on the wet ground. If they need medical care because of an injury from that fall, they’ll expect the pressure washing company to pay for that care. Without general liability coverage, the company would have to pay for any associated costs directly out of pocket.
If a person’s property is damaged instead, they’ll also expect the pressure washer to pay for those damages. So, for instance, the company uses too much pressure when washing an RV and it damages the paint. The owner of that RV will expect the pressure washing company to pay for repairing the paint or repainting the RV completely depending upon the extent of the damage. The general liability policy will cover those costs for the company so that they’re not paying for repairs themselves.
Another common risk pressure washers encounter is with products they use or sell. If your company sells a product to a customer and that product is later recalled due to defects, the customer may expect the company to pay for any damages that defective product caused. Likewise, if a customer has an allergic reaction to a product used, they may sue the pressure washing company to recoup any expenses they incurred when getting treated. These types of risk are covered in the products and completed operations section of your general liability insurance.
Sometimes companies get sued because of their advertising. And in this modern world where many companies also have an internet presence, even a social media channel could trigger an advertising injury claim. Advertising injury is when a person or company feels you did damage to them with your advertising. A competitor might decide that a comment you made on social media was slanderous towards them, for instance. A photographer may claim that you are using their images without authorization, or someone else may accuse you of copyright violations. General liability for pressure washers has an advertising injury section that helps protect you if these things happen. The policy will pay for your legal expenses and may help with settlements and judgements if the case qualifies.
As pressure washing companies become more successful and begin to grow, they often lease business space for their business. They may simply lease a shop or storage room to house tools and equipment, or they may lease a property that has a cleaning bay for providing services on site. When a company leases property for business purposes, they usually need to provide proof of premises liability insurance. This insurance protects the property if the company who is using it causes damage. If a pressure washing company accidentally causes a drain to overflow and flood part of the building, for instance, the owner of that building will expect the company to pay for cleanup and repairs. With the premises liability section of a general liability insurance policy, those types of damages are covered. The insurance policy will pay for the necessary cleanup, repairs, or replacements as applicable for the event, so that the property owner does not have to.
General liability insurance for pressure washers protects the company from everyday risks like this, both financially and legally. The insurance policy may pay bills related to incidents similar to those outlined here, and it pays for legal settlements and judgements when applicable as well. This means the pressure washing company does not have to pay for their legal defense, nor does it need to lose income from stopped work due to taking care of legal and financial details.
General liability insurance is an inexpensive way to protect your company. Contact a commercial insurance agent today and let us help you create a policy that meets your specific needs.
