Everything You Should Know About Tree Removal Insurance
Insurance coverage might not be the first thing you think of when hiring a tree service company. But arguably, it’s a really important consideration.
Removing a giant tree from a property is an arduous task. Even though you can minimize the risk significantly by hiring the best tree removal company in Depew, sometimes things can still go out of hand.
Thus, before you hire any company for tree removal, verify whether they have tree removal insurance or not and, if yes, which type of insurance they hold.
In case you don’t know much about the types of insurance coverages for tree companies, keep reading to know more about them.
Types of Insurance Coverages for Tree Service Companies
Mainly, there are two types of insurance coverage you should keep in mind — general liability and workers’ compensation. To be completely protected, you can look for an expert company that has both.
General Liability Insurance
Even though it’s called “general” liability insurance, when it comes to the work covered, this policy is extremely specific.
This insurance outlines that if anything goes wrong while chopping or removing trees, the insurance will only cover tree work. Any other kind of damages and injuries would be counted as the company’s responsibility and should be taken by the company itself.
For example, insurance policies for landscapers only provide coverage for tree work done on the ground or up to 10 feet above the ground level. In case a person climbs over 10 feet (on the tree or a ladder), the insurance company will not be liable for any damages or injuries that happened to the person or property.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Tree removal is a risky process, and anything can go wrong at any moment. However, in case of any injuries, the workers must be taken care of.
Workers’ compensation establishes the liability of an employer for injuries that arise out of or in the course of employment. Benefits of this insurance coverage generally include compensation for loss of income and payments for required medical procedures etc.
Similar to general liability, workers’ compensation insurance must also specifically cover tree work (not just landscaping) in order to be valid.
Even though this insurance coverage is a necessity. Given the dangerous nature of the work, it’s also extremely expensive to have. Thus, many tree companies classify themselves as landscapers to entirely forgo workers’ compensation. They might use these cost savings to offer lower prices to the customers, making it riskier for them. So it’s better if you avoid these kinds of companies.
In case you hire a ‘landscaping’ company for your tree work, and an accident happens, you would be liable to pay for the medical bills of the injured person.
Coverage Limits
Along with the insurance, knowing about the coverage limits on the company’s insurance policy is also important. The limits should be high enough to pay for any damages or accidents that happened during the work. Here are some minimum limits every company should have, depending on their insurance coverage type:
- General Liability: $1 million for each occurrence and $2 million aggregate
- Automobile Liability: $1 million for each accident
- Umbrella Liability: $1 million
- Workers Compensation: $500,000 per accident
Ultimately!
Tree care is a risky and dangerous endeavor, and even if you work with a professional, accidents can happen.
However, with Branch Specialists Depew, there is no added danger as such. Our company has all the necessary tree removal insurance coverage, and we ensure our workers and customers are protected in every circumstance. Connect to know more about our insurance coverage.