ALL California employers must provide coverage for their California employees
Security Guard Insurance
A vital part of any community is safety and protection, making security guards and security services extremely important. As a security guard, your job is not only valuable but also inherently dangerous. With the many risks you take for your clients, you deserve the most thorough and complete protection when it comes to business insurance. Let‘s take a look at what California business insurance coverages you need and what coverages you should consider for your security guard insurance quote!
Basic Security Company Insurance
Like any California business, security companies and freelance security guards should all be secured with basic coverages to ensure complete insurance protection. These coverages include:
- Workers Comp- For those who have a security company with employees, workers comp coverage is not only important; it is legally required in the state of California. This will cover medical expenses and legal costs if one of your employees gets hurt while on the job. Given that part of their job is to potentially get in harm’s way, this is a must to protect your security guards.
- General Liability- This will protect you if you or your employee causes harm to someone else or damage to other’s property.
- Professional Liability- Also known as Errors & Omissions (E&O), this provides coverage against any mistakes made while on the job, such as providing inaccurate advice or misrepresenting a situation
- Commercial Auto- This will cover any vehicles that you or your employees drive while working, such as a patrol car or golf cart.
- Commercial Property- This covers damage to a property that you were hired to guard but could not secure the area or prevent the damage from occurring
- Inland Marine- Provides coverage to any equipment that you are transporting between sites
The Security Industry Insurance Specifics
The security industry comes with its own set of risks that must be insured properly with specific California insurance coverages. These should be considered depending on the type of business you have and the type of security services you provide. Such coverages include:
- Assault & Battery- Security guards are expected to protect against violent acts and this coverage would protect your business should they be found negligent for such acts. This can be added onto your general or professional liability quote.
- Lost Key Coverage-Since many guards are in charge of locking up a building or site, this covers in the event that they lose the client’s locks and/or keys. This can also be added to your liability policy.
- False Arrest- If you or your employees detain the wrong person, false arrest coverage can provide protection against this and can be added to a professional liability quote as well.
Whether you own a security company or are a freelance security guard, your California business insurance quote should provide the protection you need so that you can protect others. Talk to a knowledgeable commercial insurance broker who can create tailored insurance quotes to fit your business’s specific needs at competitive rates. You and your business deserve the best insurance coverage for the great risk you take on every day for your community!
Frequently Asked Questions about Business Insurance
Largely because of claims that occur, experience modifications, fraud and payroll amounts statewide
The Department of Insurance website, The WCIRB, The Insurance Journal and many other trusted sources
It’s a percentage that compares the payroll and loss history of your company to a similar-sized company within the same industry. For example, if a company has a better than average loss record, their experience modification would be less than 100%. If that is the case you would receive a credit on your Workers Comp rates. If that is not the case however it would result in the opposite, an increase in rates. The experience modification can be closely compared to an individual’s credit score.
It is illegal in the state of California to not carry it. There will be penalties, fines and many other consequences if a worker is injured and you do not carry it. Furthermore if there is a claim and you do not have California Workers Compensation Insurance at the time the employer is still liable for all costs relating to the injury which can be devastating to any company.
This is calculated based on your payroll, premium paid and by your reported losses for the last three consecutive years
The Department of Insurance regulates the laws and the State Senate makes them
It’s a component used determine the price an employer pays for their workers’ comp insurance premium. Classifications are established for each industry and typically include all jobs or operations within a particular business.