Why Landscaping Contractors Need Insurance

Landscaping contractors, like any contractor, need insurance. They actually need as much insurance to cover themselves and their businesses as construction and general contractors do. If you are just getting started in the landscaping business, here are all the reasons why you need landscaping contractor insurance.

Injuries on the Job

Injuries on the job in landscaping include getting cut by electric shears, chainsaws, loppers and spades. Slips in water or wet mud, tripping over tools and supplies and heat stroke are also possible dangers. As such, you need medical insurance and worker's compensation insurance. You also need business insurance to protect you so that you do not have to sue your customers for any injuries. Being insured and bonded is the first thing customers want to know too, because they do not want to be responsible or share responsibility for your accidents.

Injuries to Customers

Customers, and more to the point, their children, sometimes get themselves into positions where you cannot see them. If you are operating a mini-excavator and you back up and hit the family pet or a small child who could not be seen when you looked behind you, you could be sued. Special types of business insurance help cover these unfortunate accidents and provide for the injured party. These policies also cover any property damages, personal damages, and other damages as a result of accidents.

Protection Against Theft

Your equipment and tools are your livelihood in the landscaping business. You have several yard tools that can be stolen quite easily. When lots of your tools and equipment are stolen all at once, you are out the money needed to replace them and out of work until you replace them. Certain types of insurance cover your tools and equipment against theft so you can continue business as normal even when someone has walked off with your stuff.

Protection Against Lawsuits

While it is rare for customers to sue a landscaper, you still should have business insurance to protect you against lawsuits. Customers may decide that they do not like your work and will either refuse to pay you or pay you and then attempt to sue to get all of their money back. If that happens, you want your business to survive the costs of hiring a lawyer and going to court, and that is what business insurance is meant to cover. It helps keep your business afloat in the midst of legal troubles.

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