Business auto policies have several common exclusions that limit coverage, including: injuries to employees, which is why workers' compensation is required; personal property in your care, as other policies typically cover that; loading and unloading is only covered during delivery or pickup; pollution losses from transported pollutants except fuel and operating fluids; and injuries from equipment like cherry pickers, which general liability usually covers instead. An insurance professional can help compensate for these exclusion gaps.
2. Business auto policies have exclusions that limit
coverage. Be aware of the exclusions and
compensate for them. The top five are:
3. There is no coverage for injuries to your
employees arising out of the use of a covered
business auto. This makes workers compensation
insurance not just a luxury but a necessity.
4. There is no coverage for personal property in
your care, custody and control. This is because a
property policy typically covers personal
property. Business auto policies are liability
policies and cover bodily injury and property
damage to others.
5. In what is known as the loading and unloading
exclusion, the business auto policy covers events
that occur only during the actual delivery or
pickup of property.
6. There is no coverage for pollution losses arising
from any pollutants transported, towed or
handled by the insured except for pollution
stemming from the covered autos fuel source
and oils or fluids necessary to operate the
covered auto.
7. If, however, your insured vehicle hits some other
organizations tanker truck, spilling the tankers
hazardous cargo, there is coverage for that type
of pollution loss.
8. There is no specific coverage for bodily injury or
property damage caused by your operation of
cherry pickers or similar devices
mounted on an auto or
truck chassis and used
to raise or lower workers.
When using this type
equipment, your
general liability policy
usually covers any loss.