The high cost of blowing a yellow light

We’ve all been there. Speeding through a yellow light to shave three minutes off our commute time. Passing someone on the freeway because they are going under the speed limit and we are hurrying to get to work on time. It’s common knowledge that speeding – and impatience – is written into our very DNA.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, more than 8,000 people were injured in speed-related crashes last year.

Aside from the tragic results of an auto accident – possible injuries (or worse) and damage to your vehicle – there are some things you don’t consider in the moment, such as whether your business has proper commercial auto protection in the event an accident does occur.

Imagine a business owner juggling the responsibilities of full-time boss, part-time everything else. Sometimes it’s unclear what kinds of unexpected scenarios he or she should be preparing for.

For example, the business owner requests an employee to run an errand for the company. Normally, he would run the errand himself, but today he is answering phones as the receptionist called in sick. The employee takes his own car and, during the errand, runs a stop sign and strikes another vehicle. The employee sustains minor injuries while a passenger in the other vehicle – an 11-year-old boy – suffers more serious injuries. Because the employee was on company business at the time of the accident, the business owner is named in a suit for the remaining medical cost and lifetime care required for the boy.

In this particular case, the business owner had coverage for non-owned autos endorsed onto his business auto policy, which will help cover the 11-year-old’s future medical bills. And, should those medical bills push policy limits, additional peace of mind is afforded through the client’s commercial excess liability umbrella policy.  This additional liability protection sits over all of the client’s business policies and is ready to fill the gaps when the unimaginable happens.