Although businesses in Hawai’i face many of the same risks as businesses in other states, there are distinct environmental challenges in Hawai’i that pose additional risks. After a natural disaster such as a hurricane, tropical storm, tidal wave, volcanic eruption, or landslide, business owners often must repair or replace their property, compensate the business for lost income and additional expenses, temporarily relocate, or solve liability issues.
In every industry from tourism to food service, businesses in Hawai’i need insurance that is customized to their distinct needs. This article goes into detail about how the right business insurance plan is an essential recovery tool after a natural disaster, one that allows businesses to get back on their feet, recoup their losses, and make up for lost time.
What are the Costs of Natural Disasters to Businesses in Hawai’i?
For the last two decades, businesses in Hawai’i have purchased around $38 billion worth of disaster insurance. Businesses damaged or destroyed by past events have relied on their insurance plans to recoup their losses, compensate their personnel, and continue operations. Those operating with coverage gaps may not have recovered.
In addition to property damage coverage, business insurance in Hawai’i should also cover:
- Temporary or permanent closures, including lost income and utility costs during operational downtime
- Personnel coverage, including medical bills, workplace injuries, and lost wages
- Equipment or asset loss, including inventory replacement
- Liability damages, including cancelled trips, legal conflicts, lost belongings, and more
- Data loss, including personnel files, customer information, contractor and vendor documents, legal documents, and other digital infrastructure
- Environmental liability, such as chemical or hazardous material leaks
Business insurance must be versatile enough to cover these and other costs, with liability limits customized to the business’s specific risk factors.
What Insurance Policies Do Businesses Need?
Businesses should not accept one-size-fits-all insurance solutions, instead requesting consultations from local insurance vendors to find out what types of policies they need for their specific workflows, and how much each should cover.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Commercial auto insurance is essential for businesses that employ drivers or use company vehicles to perform business tasks. However, these businesses are not the only ones that should look into these policies. Even businesses that use personal vehicles for business-related tasks need commercial auto insurance to protect their finances.
In the event of an accident involving a company vehicle, commercial auto insurance can save a business thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. Plans should cover every vehicle the business employs, including cars, vans, pickup trucks, box trucks, service utility trucks, food trucks, and more.
Commercial auto insurance that includes comprehensive coverage for damages related to wind, water, fire, tree limbs, and more can be a lifesaver for businesses that rely on their vehicles, or even those that employ them occasionally.
Employee Benefits Consulting
Designing a versatile employee benefits package can be difficult, but the right insurance advisor can match the plan to the business’s exact needs. For example, post-disaster leave and other benefits may be more relevant to businesses nearer to the coast, where wind and water damage often causes temporary closures. The right benefits plan can turn the challenges of weather-related risks into opportunities to support valuable employees, increase loyalty, and rebuild business operations following a disaster.
Business Owners Policy Insurance
For small and medium-sized businesses in Hawai’i, a business owners policy (BOP) provides enhanced general liability and commercial property coverage by grouping these important policies into one plan. This means that after a natural disaster, multiple types of damage can be claimed on one policy. For example, a BOP often includes physical protection coverage for damaged buildings and equipment, lost inventory coverage, and business interruption insurance, which replaces lost income following a disaster.
Bundling essential policy protections into one plan helps Hawai’i’s business owners create a comprehensive strategy to anticipate disasters and recover as quickly as possible.
Commercial Casualty Insurance
Commercial casualty insurance protects businesses in Hawai’i from the costs of injuries to personnel and damage to property, including the legal liabilities that can arise from natural disasters, especially in the tourism industry. The costs of these injuries can make it difficult for businesses to recover in the aftermath of a disaster, such as a major storm.
Commercial Property Insurance
After a major disaster, commercial property assets, including warehouses and offices, can be damaged or lost. Business-critical equipment can be lost or even stolen in the ensuing chaos following a storm. Commercial property insurance pays for repairing or replacing damaged assets, including equipment and property, helping businesses reduce downtime following a major event.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance
If a policy amount caps out, it may not provide individual businesses with everything they need to recover quickly following a natural disaster. Commercial umbrella insurance provides excess liability coverage beyond the limits of the other policies, potentially minimizing downtime by preventing costly coverage gaps. This can be invaluable for large or unique properties.
Insurance Risk Control & Claims Management
Insurance risk control and claims management involves assessing and quantifying the risk level of the business and the projected impact of a natural disaster on its finances, if part or all of the damage is filed in a claim. However, having coverage is only a part of the solution to recovering quickly from a natural disaster. Risk management processes help businesses determine cost-effective insurance solutions personalized to their needs and manage their claims so that settlements are timely and fair.
Local Insurance Experts Help Businesses in Hawai’i Recover From Natural Disasters
Despite knowing the importance of business insurance, many business owners fail to optimize coverage for their needs, beyond simply protecting their assets from damage. Not all insurance policies are designed equally, offer the same protections, or pay out in the way that owners may expect.
At Atlas Insurance, our team of local insurance advisors builds on nearly a century of experience helping businesses in Hawai’i recognize their insurance needs and we focus on customizing policies for quick recovery from any event. Contact our team today to learn how tailored business insurance policies can minimize your downtime and recover losses following a natural disaster in Hawai’i.