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Are you in need of a facility with the experience, expertise and product availability to assist with...ous bulk/tank transportation risks? Our exclusive program offers the ISO "Pollution Liability-Broadened Coverage for Covered Autos" (CA 9948) and is available for both Trucking and Business Auto risks!

Be Like the Smart Little Piggy. Let GMI Quote and Bind ALL YOUR COMMERCIAL AUTO ACCOUNTS Today!...

Our Business Auto Program, provided by Falls Lake Insurance Company, provides comprehensive coverage to a wide range of eligible accounts. This program is designed for automobile fleets that involve the use of commercial vehicles as well as private passenger cars. These commercial vehicles should be used with the primary goal to sell and distribute products, perform contracting operations and provide services to clients....

The leading causes of property damage during the course of construction are attributed to weather events*. While it is difficult to control disasters caused by Mother Nature, damages caused by liquid piping systems can often be prevented with good work programs and procedures....

Commercial auto insurance for automobile fleets that involve the use of commercial vehicles and private passenger cars to support business activities where the primary goal is to sell and distribute products, perform contracting operations and provide services to customers....

Air, water, and soil pollution pose a serious financial threat for contractors. One small misstep can require thousands - or even millions - to clean up. Consider these scenarios: Remodeling a school kicks up dust. Using construction materials generates fumes that pollute the air. Hitting an underground storage tank leads to the release of liquid pollutants. Spraying to remove a bees' nest from a work area releases insecticides. Tying into a sewer line improperly causes sewage to back up. Your Comprehensive General Liability (CGL) policy provides severely limited protection against these types of pollution claims. Not to worry! Con...ctors Pollution Liability (CPL) insurance can protect you. (These policies are sometimes written together with Contractors Professional Liability coverage - see the previous article). CPL covers Bodily Injury and Property Damage - whether by settlement or verdict - as well as the expenses of investigating, defending, or settling claims. Most policies also cover the costs of removing or neutralizing pollutants and restoring the damaged property. CPL policies usually include a "hammer clause" that works like this: if the contractor chooses to fight a claim, rather than settle it, the insurance company's liability for damages and claims expenses is limited to what it would have had to pay if the contractor had approved the settlement. As you can imagine, most contractors choose to settle when their insurer recommends this approach. As with Contractors Professional Liability coverage, CPL policies are usually written on a case-by-case basis, with the size of the policy depending on your situation (for example coverage might be worldwide or limited to the U.S). Our agency would be happy to work with you, and the quality insurance companies we represent, to tailor a program suited for your needs. Feel free to get in touch with us at any time.

... Here are some featured markets we thought you might be interested in taking advantage of: ...

Although business management and performance are the major factors that will determine which contractors survive the downturn in construction, the size of the contractor also comes into play. As a rule, project owners are more likely to continue with larger developments because of their greater value, higher investment, and longer lead time. Smaller projects are easier to cancel, which makes smaller and midsize contractors (with work backlogs between $5 million and $100 million) more vulnerable to cancellation. If you're experiencing losses on a project, your first step should be to deal with overhead, liquidity, problems, and ongoing business concern. It's also essential to communicate any problems to your insurance agent and surety company immediately! Because the surety has a strong financial interest in preventing you from default on your bond, it will leverage its relationship with the bond underwriter to help you work through these difficulties and reach a mutually acceptable solution that will keep you on the job. However, a contractor withholding critical information about a problem situation from a surety would lead to a far different result. Concern about the contractor's deteriorating financial condition - which makes it a riskier bonding candidate - might make the surety restrict its future capacity, leading it to make the contractor either bid on only smaller projects that pose less risk to the underwriter or postpone bidding on all projects until the business can clean up its balance sheet. If you have any questions about working with your surety, please feel free to get in touch with the Bond professionals at our agency...

Many Americans fire up the grill when the weather is warm, especially during summer holidays and family get-togethers. This adds up to more than three billion barbecues a year. But serious accidents can occur without proper precautions. Here are some important tips to help you keep danger away when you are enjoying food and fun: Choose a safe location for your grill. According to the National Fire Protection Association, more than one-quarter (27%) of home structure fires involving grills started on a courtyard, terrace or patio and 29% started on an exterior balcony or open porch.* Keep grills on a level surface more than 10 feet away from the house, garage, deck rails or other structures. Keep away from children, pets, landscaping and overhanging branches. Grills should not be used on a balcony or under an overhang. Grill outside only! Never use a grill in a garage, vehicle, tent or other enclosed space, even if ventilated, due to risk of harmful carbon monoxide buildup. Keep gas grills and supplies safe. Always store gas grills – and propane tanks – outside and away from your house. Turn off valves if the odor of gas is detected or when not in use. Check at least annually for leaks in the connections. Use the right fuel the right way. While starting and maintaining the flame in a charcoal grill can be challenging, avoid shortcuts. Only use starter fluids intended for these grills. Never use gasoline or too much starter fluid. If the fire is too low, rekindle with dry kindling and more charcoal if needed. Avoid adding liquid fuel because it can cause a flash fire. Do not leave grill unattended. Do not forget post-grilling safety. Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill. If using a charcoal grill, dispose of coals by soaking them in water to let them cool completely and placing them in a closed metal container away from your home, garage or deck. Be aware that grills themselves remain hot long after extinguished. *Source: NFPA http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/outdoors/grilling ...

Most states demand that businesses, regardless of size, take every reasonable action to keep their premises safe for employees and visitors. The definition of visitors is fairly loose. Basically, it is anyone not employed by the business and covered by its workmen's compensation insurance policy. This means that clients, customers, delivery persons, repair persons, outside maintenance contractors and anyone who comes to the business premises needs protection from foreseeable dangers. There are different types of people who come into a business and each has a different level of required care for its class of visitors. Invitee This is a person whose invitation is explicit (by appointment, for example) or implicit (a customer looks at the goods and services for sale in a shop). A business owner's duty to an invitee is to exercise ordinary care and make the property generally safe without any dangerous conditions. Licensee A licensee in not an invitee or trespasser. An example of a licensee is a party who enters the premises for their own convenience or gratification. Think of a person ducking into your entryway to avoid the rain. The duty of care is far less than for an invitee, and the business is only liable to a licensee for willful and malicious harm. Trespasser This group of people enter the premises lacking an implicit or explicit invitation. They come on the business property for their own enjoyment or benefit. The only duty of a business owner is a negative one - the business cannot build any mantraps the willfully and maliciously causes a trespasser harm. Many states have an exception to this limited responsibility; if the business anticipates, suspects or knows of the presence of a trespasser it must exercise ordinary care and avoid inflicting injury on a trespasser through any kind of active negligence. Common Workplace Visitor's Injuries Slip and Fall Accidents These are the largest cause of visitor injuries. Injuries happen when a visitor trips, slips or falls and suffer injuries. These accidents often stem from things such as uneven floorboards, electrical extension cords crossing aisles or doorways, spills or liquids on the floor, and poorly installed carpet or carpeting that has tears or rips. Negligent Security It is normal that businesses have a duty to their invitees to make sure they are safe from foreseeable. A business is liable for the criminal acts of a non-employee when the business fails to keep the premises safe from criminal activity. Usually claims of negligent security stem from places such as:  Hotels Motels Parking garages Apartment complexes Businesses in high-crime areas (a parking garage in such an area needs adequate lighting, video cameras and warning signs that video surveillance is ongoing, and other security measure as needed. Attractive Nuisance This is a legal doctrine that applied mostly to children, even if they are trespassers. Hotels with outdoor pools need adequate fencing, a pool cover, locks and lighting, as the pool is attractive for kids to try to use after trespassing. Defective Property Conditions Businesses are often liable for dangerous or defective conditions. These include faulty elevators, faulty escalators, crumbling stairways and more. Speak with your business insurance advisor about these risks and how to protect yourself, your business and employees from legal liability for them....