chapter 23
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in Dan becoming a co-insurer of the property. Because the actual insurance is only ˜91% of what it should be, Dan will be
required to make up a difference in the store claim. The insurance company would pay $90,909 and Dan would be
required to pay the difference of $9,091.
Dan should have insured the property for more than the 80% coinsurance clause or increased coverage with the new
appraisal. Hopefully he also had business interruption insurance as repairing the building from the fire damage might
require the building to be closed for repairs.
138. The first step in evaluating an insurance programs is to identify the business risks. For Melissa’s business, the
following risks should be discussed with the agent.
* What insurance is required by her state or federal laws?
* Is she required to keep certain insurance do to a contract?
* Will she drive the children and therefore need increased automobile insurance?
* What are the replacement costs for the building and any equipment being used for the day care center?
* What other liability issues should be considered related to having young children in her home?
* If she has a partner, how much insurance is needed to decrease the personal risks from premature death or poor health?
The agent can then provide quotes to cover these major potential losses (second step in the evaluation process) and also
provide guidance to her decisions concerning the feasibility and affordability of other smaller losses (step three).
139. Basic principles in evaluating an insurance program include three steps.
1. Identifying business risks to be insured: What insurance is required by state or federal laws or by contracts. The
agent can assist in providing what coverage will be needed and the premium charges involved. An owner should
determine the replacement costs for real and personal property to complete the step.
2. Securing coverage for major potential losses: Determining the magnitude of loss that it could bear without serious
financial difficulty is important in this step. The agent should be asked for replacement value of the firm’s assets, not the
actual cash value.
3. Considering the feasibility and affordability of smaller potential losses: The owner should age use the agent for
information especially as to suggestions for certain risks the new owner may not recognize as being a concern..
140. The company should identify ways for risk control such as loss prevention, loss avoidance and loss reduction. It
should then examine risk financing specifically risk transfer and risk retention methods.
The nature of this business has risks with the client being inadvertently hurt by an employee as well as the employee being
hurt by working with the client or due to a situation at the client’s home. Loss prevention methods might include all
employees being trained in proper lifting which might also assist in loss reduction. Loss avoidance is not possible as the
potential for employees and/or clients being hurt is high. Beth will definitely want to transfer some risk with liability
insurance and possibly an indemnification clause if the employee was hurt at the client’s home. Risk retention might be a
possibility by having a higher deductible. Since the business has just began, it is probably not large enough to have self
insurance.
141. There are two general types of property.
Real property consists of land and anything physically attached to land, such as buildings. It can not be easily moved.
Personal property is property that can be moved and includes such items as machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures,
stock, and vehicles.
Direct losses occur when the physical damage to property reduces its value to the property owner.
Indirect losses result from a company’s inability to carry on normal operations due to a direct loss of property.
Leidenheimer Baking Company suffered all four types of losses due to the peril of the 2006 Katrina flood. The building
(real property) and contents (personal property) were damaged (direct loss) resulting in the company being closed
(indirect loss) until repairs could be made.