Distinguished Blog - Risk Insight

Market insights and industry news.

Builder’s Risk Insurance in Arizona: Everything You Need to Know 

Arizona is currently experiencing unprecedented growth. Queen Creek and Maricopa, both in the Phoenix metropolitan area, are two of the fastest-growing cities in the US. All of this growth means more construction and, for insurance agents and brokers, more clients looking for competitive Builder’s Risk (BR) policies designed for the Arizona market.  So, with more…

Read More...

Inside the HVAC Risk and COVID-19 Exposure in Restaurants, Office Buildings

COVID-19 is spread either by inhaling respiratory droplets or, more rarely, touching a contaminated surface and then your eyes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, aerosol transmission of the disease cannot be ruled out, says WHO, with the possibility that the virus can be…

Read More...

Swimming Pool Safety Equipment and Spa Safety Measures

While some community association pools remain closed, others are open, under new, socially distant protocol. Ensuring that residents are safe from COVID-19 is likely at the forefront of community association owners’ minds, but the possibility of an injury caused by unsafe pool and spa practices is still an important consideration. In addition to a full-coverage…

Read More...

Are You Hurricane-Prepared?

Hurricane season is here — and although fortunately up to now we have had fairly little activity, there is no reason to sit back. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted a 60% chance of an above-normal season, with as many as 19 named storms and up to 10 hurricanes coming our way….

Read More...

Remote Work Cybersecurity Best Practices

Hacking activity is up, with cybercriminals taking advantage of remote work vulnerabilities amid the COVID-19 crisis. There are approximately 85 million Americans working from home. In fact, researchers cite that activity against corporations in the United States more than doubled by some measures in March, with malware infections, phishing tactics ,and ransomware running rampant. That’s…

Read More...

Top Five Vacant Building Losses

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 30,200 structure fires per year in vacant properties. The most recent data (2016) estimates direct property damage to these properties at $710 million annually.

Read More...

How to Offset Negative Google Reviews

When assessing risk, underwriters look at more than just a business’ application. To get a complete and comprehensive picture of a business, underwriters sift through all available data, from loss history to google reviews. When a property has negative google reviews — for instance, a reviewer complains about a hotel’s cleanliness — or fails to…

Read More...

Why Do Your Clients Need High Limits?

Over the last decade, we have seen a litigation landscape with nuclear verdicts running in the tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars, fueled by an aggressive plaintiff bar and anti-corporate sentiment that continues to gain momentum today. Jurors are made to feel that someone needs to pay – and pay big – in…

Read More...

Avoiding Legionnaires’ Outbreaks as Businesses Reopen

Amid COVID-19, remote work became the new normal, with the doors to most commercial offices closed for at least 90 days. The same was true for hotels, restaurants, theaters, gyms, factories, and other businesses that have been temporarily shut due to the pandemic. As businesses reopen, now there are also concerns about Legionnaires’ outbreaks, a…

Read More...

Wildfire Preparedness Part II: Mitigating Risk

Researchers are discovering that embers blown by the wind during wildfires cause most of the fires that burn homes, according to the Insurance Institute of Information (I.I.I.). In addition, homes less than 15 feet apart are more likely to burn in clusters. In such cases, fire is often spread by combustible fences and decks connected…

Read More...

Wildfire Preparedness: Creating a Defensible Space

Wildfire season is once again upon us with the Western United States anticipating raging fires after a winter of not much rainfall. Further exacerbating the potential for real devastation from the wildfires is the coronavirus, which interrupted the normal firefighting training and forest management that typically take place in the spring. Social distancing also presents…

Read More...