Commercial Insurance Blog

29-Aug-2023

Driving with Confidence: Rideshare Insurance for Uber and Lyft Drivers...

As ridesharing continues to gain popularity in Cape Cod and Islands, more Massachusetts drivers are joining platforms like Uber an...
31-Jul-2023

Insurance for Manufacturers: Cyber Market Improves, Property a Challen...

In a chaotic time filled with environmental instability, global supply chain issues and perpetual labor shortages, there’s one ind...
1-Dec-2022 employee

Training Employees to Train Others Can Be a Career-Advancing Benefit

A train-the-trainers model can help organizations streamline efforts to educate its workforce and empower key colleagues.
16-Nov-2022 dot

USDOT Number Requirements

Since 2018, commercial vehicle owners should be aware of the requirement for a USDOT number on commercial vehicles conducting busi...
6-May-2022

Impacts on Insurance Costs

Commercial insurance coverage can be difficult. Please see the article produced by Travelers Insurance Company below that explains...
3-May-2022

Number of Days to File Form 101

If one of your employees has been injured, the Mass.gov website states that you have 7 calendar days (excluding Sundays and legal ...
25-Jun-2020

Protecting your Business from Pandemic Scams

Many offices have successfully transitioned from in-office to a work-from-home system. It’s been a successful experiment for a lot...
16-Apr-2020

Business Interruption Insurance in the age of Coronavirus

We wanted to give an update on how insurance may play a part in COVID-19, and answer some common questions about Business Interrup...
16-Apr-2020

3 Ways to Lower your Insurance Costs During Coronavirus

In today’s business environment with some businesses closing and all under severe economic pressure, cash is king. One thing that ...
23-Mar-2020 business interruption

Business Interruption Insurance during a pandemic

Here’s our take on business interruption insurance: First, we don’t make the call, meaning only the insurance companies apply poli...
5-Mar-2020

“New” Inspection Requirement on Trailers used in Business

“New” Inspection Requirement on Trailers used in Business
5-Mar-2020 disease

The impact of Coronavirus on your business

The Covid-19 Coronavirus is now spreading around the world, including the US. We are likely to see an uptick in cases in the comin...
28-Feb-2020 infection

Preparing for the Coronavirus

The Coronavirus has left China, it is no longer contained and is spreading around the world. The world’s stock markets are more th...
19-Dec-2019

New Staff Additions and Farewells

We are excited to announce that Gordon Atlantic is growing! In 2019, we made 5 new and excellent additions to our staff:
3-Sep-2019 ERM-14

What is the ERM-14 form in Massachusetts?

What is the ERM-14 form in Massachusetts? The ERM-14 form is a form required by the Massachusetts Workers Compensation Board whene...
11-Jul-2019 commercial insurance

When does my builders risk coverage end?

Most insurance policies have a clear beginning and end date (also called the effective and expiration dates). Builder’s Risk cover...
9-Jul-2019 crime prevention

Did we accidentally void our crime policy?

Crime insurance policies, part of what is broadly known as fidelity coverage, include many kinds of theft, often of money, and can...
27-Jun-2019 home insurance

The top 5 insurance claims during summer months

BBQ Grill Fires- Cooking out with friends and family can be a great time, but can turn catastrophic in an instant if you aren’t ca...
22-May-2019 commericial insurance

What is Commercial Umbrella Insurance?

Most businesses have several different insurance policies in place to protect themselves, from General Liability to Workers Compen...
21-May-2019 homeowner policy

Insuring Your Home for Weekly or Temporary Rentals

Insuring Your Home for Weekly or Temporary Rentals Perhaps you have a second home in a beach side destination, or near a ski resor...
27-Sep-2018 storm prep checklist

Hurricane Season Preparation Guide

A storm is coming. What to do?
30-Aug-2018 waiver of subrogation

What is Contractual Risk Transfer?

Contractual risk transfer is a business strategy designed to reduce the cost of risk by transferring certain risks to another enti...
29-Aug-2018 fleet

New 2018 Massachusetts regulations for most commercial trucks

The Registry of Motor Vehicles has announced a new regulation {540 CMR 2.22(1)} that will affect MOST commercial vehicles, effecti...
9-Jul-2018 startup

Startups and Insurance

28-Jun-2018 non-profit companies

Directors & Officers Risk for Non-Profit Organizations

Directors and Officers coverage (D&O) may be as important to non-profit companies as it for other (for-profit) entities. People wh...
28-Jun-2018 insurance

Lowering your Insurance Costs

Selling your product to a consumer is your forte. Selling the risk of your operations to underwriters is ours. Having done this fo...
27-Jun-2018 bank

Cannabis Dispensary Roll Out Will be Slow

Massachusetts is still looking for a bank to step up as a participant in the fledgling recreational marijuana industry. July 1st i...
7-Jun-2018 construction

What is a Waiver of Subrogation?

In one of our previous blogs, What is an Additional Insured?, we discussed additional insureds in contracting. When subcontractors...
7-Jun-2018 Certificate of Insurance

What is an Additional Insured?

When subcontractors perform work for general contractors, they usually need to show the general contractor that they carry their o...
4-Jun-2018 commercial property

What is Coinsurance on a business property policy?

Coinsurance clauses are found in a wide range of insurance policies, but serve varying purposes depending on the area of insurance...
11-May-2018 marijuana

MA Cannabis Retailers & Manufacturers Application Portal Opening Soon!

On June 1, 2018 the portal at the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) (www.massciportal.com) will be open for businesses applying fo...
11-May-2018 commercial

Workers Compensation Audit Compliance

Your Workers Compensation insurance renews and you receive the letter informing you it's time for the prior term's audit.
26-Apr-2018 marijuana

Status Update on MA Cannabis Licenses

Applications are underway for Massachusetts Cannabis licenses!
24-Apr-2018 marijuana

Insurance for Cannabis Businesses in Massachusetts

Risk programs and Insurance programs for the marijuana industry are new, and face several unique challenges. However, they are fun...
16-Apr-2018

Massachusetts Workers Compensation Rates Decrease 12.9%

The Massachusetts Commissioner of Insurance recently approved an average 12.9% decrease in Workers Compensation rates. This brings...
5-Apr-2018 commercial

Massachusetts Potentially a Hotbed for New Marijuana Markets

According to marijuana.com, there is a great deal of interest developing in the newly emerging Massachusetts Recreational Marijuan...
26-Feb-2018 workers compensation

Insurance Issues with Choosing a Subcontractor

As a General Contractor, one of the best ways to control costs and reduce risk is to hire qualified and vetted subcontractors for ...
22-Feb-2018 Rental Coverage

Insurance for a Rental Property

Insurance for a rental property is different than insurance for a single family primary or secondary home, primarily because a ren...
10-Jan-2018 experience mod

Breaking down the Experience Modification Worksheet in MA Workers Comp...

If your workers compensation costs are a significant factor in your labor costs, you know how important your "experience modificat...
21-Aug-2017 retro date

Claims made – Prior Acts and Tail Coverage

Claims made policies have distinct limitations on occurrences that happened before the policy's inception (starting date), and aft...
16-Aug-2017 insurance

Claims Made Versus Occurrence Liability Form

A "claims made" policy treats the timing of a claim differently than the more commonly seen "occurrence" policy.
8-Aug-2017 Additional Insured

Excluding Sub-Contractors from General Liability

We have noticed a trend in our office for general liability policies to add an endorsement that excludes coverage for the acts of ...
2-Aug-2017 Water damage

Water Flow Detection Systems

28-Jul-2017 commercial

Can Changing Your Legal Entity Status Affect Your Insurance?

Changing the legal entity type of your business can affect your insurance, but changes affect different lines differently. For mos...
21-Jul-2017 management

Reputation Management and Brand Control

We recently heard from a customer of ours who had endured a terrible, terrible event happen at their company. Naturally we cannot ...
17-Mar-2017 Volunteers

Volunteers in Insurance Programs

How volunteers are handled differs with different types of insurance. The general liability policy does include protection for the...
31-Jan-2017 IT

Insurance for an IT Company

Many IT companies grow steadily for several years without having their risk and insurance program evolve to match the needs of a l...
27-Jan-2017

Construction and development tips when working near water or wetlands

Keeping water clean and abundant is important to us all which is why our federal, state and local governments have regulations tha...
22-Jan-2017 commercial

Business Owners: Consider Google

As social media engineer, I spend most of my time on the internet where I run into lots of great tools. Lately, I’ve become a bit ...
20-Jan-2017 commercial

Business Fleets: How GPS Technology can Lower your Costs

Wouldn’t it be great if you could watch your entire fleet of vehicles from 20,000 feet in the air? You could verify that workers a...
16-Jan-2017 car damage

What happens if I get the wrong fuel in my tank by mistake?

13-Jan-2017 IT

Liability Tips for Information Technology Professionals

Network Administrators and Managed Services Providers help businesses function at the speed of light. But other businesses are out...
29-Dec-2016 commercial insurance

Yikes!!! Did someone draw outside the lines with the crayons?

What is Professional Liability for? Is it just for guys who wear suits?
27-Dec-2016 commercial claims

A rock hit my windshield...who pays for glass damage?

20-Dec-2016 commercial insurance

Do I have coverage for my drone?

22-Nov-2016 employment safety

Marijuana in the Workplace

In 2016 Massachusetts voted to decriminalize marijuana cultivation, possession and sale for limited amounts. Does this create a pr...
8-Aug-2016 commercial

What is a Package Policy?

A Package Policy is a type of insurance policy that usually includes more than one kind of insurance coverage. The most common Pac...
29-Jul-2016 commercial

What is a BOP?

A BOP is an acronym for Business Owners Policy and is a good, simple solution for many small businesses’ core property and liabili...
22-Jul-2016 Certificate of Insurance

What If a Contractor Takes Money but Doesn’t do the Work?

31-May-2016 business insurance

Operating a Business at Home Can Void Homeowners Insurance Coverage

A homeowner policy is a bundle of coverages designed for the average homeowner. Since most homeowners don’t operate a business out...
4-May-2016 Can I cancel my insurance policy?

Should I Cancel My Insurance Policy?

The decision of when to cancel an insurance policy, not being replaced with another policy, depends on the type of policy:
17-Feb-2016 RI workers compensation;

Securing Workers Compensation Insurance in Rhode Island

Workers Compensation insurance is required in all 50 states for employees who could be hurt on the job. It is a form of no-fault i...
21-Jan-2016 Risk Changes

When to Call your Insurance Agent

15-Jan-2016 commercial insurance

The timing, purpose, and reply to an Insurance Inspection

When you insure a building with a new insurance company, the company will send an inspector to survey the property. This inspectio...
30-Oct-2015 voluntary parting

Voluntary Parting - When theft isn't covered for small business

2-Oct-2015 commercial insurance

Technology Errors and Omissions Liability

27-May-2015

Employment Practices Liability

Employment Practices Liability refers to the chance of being sued if you fail to observe and practice certain employment practices...
15-May-2015

Drones and Insurance

Drones will soon fill the skies and be used for many applications, both commercial and personal. This blog will provide an update ...
5-Feb-2015

Commercial Insurance Audits

Insurance Audits
24-Sep-2014 Subcontractors and IRS<

Independent Contractors and the IRS, Insurance Companies, and MA DoR

Independent contractors, or subcontractors, are treated differently by insurance companies, the IRS and by the Massachusetts Depar...
3-Feb-2014 commercial

Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund Program – Improving Employee Pro...

If you haven't heard of the Workforce Training Fund you're not alone. This is one of the best kept open secrets in Massachusetts. ...
23-Apr-2013 commercial

Condo Master Policy Insurance

11-Apr-2013 company

Insurance for Multiple Rental Properties

If you are an owner of several rental properties, keeping your insurance program organized is very important. If you are like many...
18-Mar-2013 insurance audit

What is a General Liability Insurance Audit?

An insurance audit for General Liability is performed by the insurance company at the end of each policy term to verify annual rev...
13-Mar-2013 waiver of subrogation

What is a Certificate of Insurance?

A Certificate of Insurance is a single page document that lists active, in-force insurance policies for a business's insurance pro...
12-Mar-2013 commercial

Insurance for Small Business Owners

11-Feb-2013 commercial

Cyber Liability and Data Breach market update

Do you store your customers or prospects personal identification information on your computer system? Do you share proprietary inf...
13-Dec-2012 media

Talking to the Press When Bad News Hits a Company

When something bad happens at your company, controlling the press’s reaction can mean the difference between an enhanced brand or ...
9-Oct-2012 commercial

What Insurance Should a Solo, Non-incorporated Consultant Carry?

Self employed consultants may assume erroneously that their homeowners insurance will protect them for their business activities. ...
5-Oct-2012 commercial

Errors and Omissions Insurance

Errors and Omissions insurance is also known as Malpractice insurance, or Professional Liability. Physicians, lawyers and other pr...
3-Oct-2012 commercial

The Difference Between Admitted and Non-admitted Insurance Carriers

For certain types of insurance, many standard "Main Street" carriers will not offer coverage. In this case we have to go outside t...
21-Sep-2012 law

Six Legal Traps for the Unwary Business Owner

Owning a business can be an all-consuming yet rewarding adventure. Business owners typically work long hours and juggle multiple r...
11-Jun-2012 risk

Lowering Your Cost of Risk Includes Placing Risk Controls Before the I...

Thinking Like a Risk Manager
10-May-2012 home

Moving an Office – The Technology Connection

In 2012 we moved our office to a new location. We had never done this before so we got a few things wrong, but we also got a lot o...
7-May-2012 home

Moving a Business: A Building Buying Checklist

When we were still Andrew G. Gordon, Inc. we moved our office from cramped space in Norwell Center to new, expansive space on Rout...
4-May-2012 home

Moving a Business: The Preparation

Moving an office is a major undertaking. Let me share our story so you can see what we did right, and what we did wrong, when we m...
30-Mar-2012 commercial

Gordon Testifies to WCRIB Hearing to Division of Insurance

I am a Massachusetts independent agent, so my comments will echo those of MAIA president, Frank Mancini.
19-Mar-2012 commercial

Is My Bookkeeper Stealing Money?

Two years ago, a paralegal who’d been on the job for sixteen years needed money to pay for unexpected medical bills. She decided t...
16-Mar-2012 commercial

Innovation Requires Keeping Top Employees

In what seemed like one of the most challenging times in recent history, the Great Recession left many companies adjusting to new ...
14-Mar-2012 commercial

What is Non-owned and Hired Auto Insurance Coverage?

Hired and Non-owned Automobile coverage is used to provide liability protection for autos used in your business that are not owned...
12-Mar-2012 commercial

Do I Need Commercial Plates for My Massachusetts Vehicle?

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation/Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) states that if your vehicle is defined as a "comme...
13-Feb-2012 commercial

How Detailed Background Checks Can Prevent Employee Problems Later

Mistakes were made. There was an error in judgment. I misspoke. Sometimes we just say we’re sorry and move on. We all have our “oo...
22-Dec-2011 home insurance

Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC)

The Certified Insurance Counselors program, aka CIC, provides an extensive education to insurance agents, insurance company underw...
4-Nov-2011 commercial

Data Breach – Exposures, Damage Control and Insurance

The loss of proprietary or confidential customer data is a bad scenario even on a good day. Consider the "missing" data from South...
4-Nov-2011 commercial

Lowering the Cost of Insurance to my Business

“Insurance premiums are killing me!” “My insurance costs are the difference between operating in the red and in the black.” These ...
31-Oct-2011 commercial

Registry of Motor Vehicles Procedures Made Easy for Your Business

First Time Registering A Business Vehicle In Massachusetts?
9-Sep-2011 theft

Employee Theft Prevention: MA Insurance

2-Sep-2011 commercial

Business Catastrophe Planning Made Easy - How to Begin

Planning for something catastrophic can seem overwhelming. At Gordon Atlantic, we hope to make it a little easier with our How to ...
29-Aug-2011 commercial

Performance Bonds for Contractors: Insurance

Every development depends on all contractors’ ability to provide the services they agree to. If any contractor fails financially, ...
22-Aug-2011 commercial

EPA Lead Paint Regulations (Insurance)

Homeowners insurance policies should always reflect the true cost to rebuild a home. In spite of the soft economy and suppressed a...
22-Aug-2011 plan

Insurance: Things to Know when Acquiring a Business

When acquiring another business there are several risk and insurance issues that both the buyer and seller need to address. Compan...
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