The Upside of Insurance for Design Professionals

While designers, architects, engineers and other professionals in this sector have extensive training, mistakes can still occur. Unfortunately, when miscommunication or misaligned expectations occur, legal action is an all-too-common result. In these situations, insurance for architects and other design professionals protects you by paying for defense costs — even in false claims — and any damages awarded (up to the policy limits).

Insurance for design professionals protects you if a client takes legal action over a mistake, you or an employee made or are alleged to have made. Insurance may be needed in situations where a client contends financial loss stemming from:

  • Recklessness: When a client alleges you did not take due care with the quality of designs or made careless mistakes, this coverage can protect you by paying for damages awarded and paying for defense costs (subject to policy limits). 
  • Broken Promises: Sometimes, design and build projects take longer than expected due to circumstances beyond your control. If your company does not fulfill a promise, a client can sue, alleging the broken promise resulted in financial losses. In these cases, insurance can cover your legal defense and any damages awarded (subject to policy limits). 
  • Mistakes or Incorrect Designs: If a design proves to be not up to code, poorly implemented, inadequate or otherwise fails to meet specific standards, the legal costs can be significant. Insurance can help cover you in these circumstances.

 

Who We Cover

Architects

Land Surveyors

Design Consultants

Engineers

Landscape Architects

Construction Managers

What We Cover

Errors & Omissions/Professional Liability

Errors & Omissions insurance, also known as professional liability insurance, is a type of insurance offering that provides coverage for businesses against claims arising from errors or mistakes in their work.

For example, if an engineer makes an error when calculating the structural requirements for a building, which later causes the owner to have to make costly repairs down the line, the owner might sue the engineer to recover the costs. In that case, the engineer’s E&O policy might cover the claim.

General Liability Coverage

General Liability insurance is a class of insurance that provides liability protection to businesses in the case of bodily harm or property damage during the course of business.

Your business may actually be required to have a minimum level of liability insurance either by law in some states or to win certain contracts that require it. Companies who complete many design-build projects will definitely want to have liability insurance in case they are sued for mistakes. Also, subcontractors are frequently required to carry liability insurance in order to work for certain general contractors.

    Pollution Liability

    Pollution Insurance provides coverage for claims associated with clean-up costs, as well as covering injury to third parties, such as neighbors harmed by a release of toxic substances. The costs of a chemical spill or any leak of hazardous materials can be enormous for an organization, making pollution insurance mission-critical for most businesses. A pollution claim can result in expensive clean-up costs, as well as property or bodily damage. 

    Also, a pollution liability claim can easily result in litigation and investigation to determine who is responsible. The costs of legal teams and investigations can be significant, especially since these claims tend to involve multiple parties. The producer of the harmful pollutant, the owner, and tenant of the business property where the spill or exposure took place and other parties may all be considered when evaluating a claim.

      Commercial Auto

      Commercial Auto Insurance provides both liability and physical damage coverage for the vehicles and trailers your business uses every day at the higher limits demanded by today’s market. This includes liability, comprehensive & collision, hired & non-owned and uninsured & underinsured motorists.

      We can help you correctly insure your:

      • Commercial Fleet-including trucks, vans, box trucks and flatbeds
      • Private passenger fleet-including everyday cars & SUVs used by salespeople & owners
      • Trailers-including utility trailers, covered trailers & mobile workstations
      Inland Marine

      Inland marine insurance provides coverage for property in transit, at a temporary location or temporarily being stored by a third party. If you are transporting or shipping goods, or own property that is mobile or may be transported at some point, you may need the protection provided by inland marine insurance. Any time you transport property, it is subject to theft, destruction from accidents or other forms of loss.

      Inland marine insurance can cover a wide range of property such as:

      • Equipment
      • Supplies
      • Tools
      • Computers
      • Structures/Materials
      • Someone else’s property that is in your possession

        Workers Compensation

        Workers Compensation is insurance coverage designed to protect businesses and contractors when their employees are injured while on the job. It does this by covering benefits mandated by State Law, which include:

        • Medical expenses
        • Missed wages
        • Ongoing recovery costs related to an injury
        • Funeral costs and death benefits

         

        Cyber Liability

        Cyber Insurance is essential for businesses that rely on computers and electronic devices for critical processes, including client file management. Cyber liability insurance can cover the costs of a breach including losses sustained by third parties, costs to repair systems and data, notification & credit monitoring costs and more.

         

        Happy Upsiders

        “I am writing today to tell you what great customer service I recently received from your staff member Matt Dishner. Matt took the time to really listen to what I was looking for, asked clarifying questions when he needed to, did research, and got back to me in a short time with a policy option. He was professional, polite and personable. Kudos to Gunn-Mowery for fostering an environment where customer service is a top priority (that can be a rare thing these days). Thanks to my fantastic experience with Matt, your company will always be the one I turn to first when I am in the market for insurance”

        -Andrea Reidell

        To the Upside!

        Buckle up because we are getting ready to launch your insurance to the Upside!