How often should a business review its insurance coverage?

At minimum, every business should review its insurance program at each annual renewal. Any significant business change, such as new employees, new locations, new equipment, or a new service line, should also trigger an immediate mid-year review.

What’s a bailee’s customer policy?

Bailee's customer covers property owned by others while it is in the bailee's care, custody, or control. Critical for repair shops, dry cleaners, warehouses, and storage facilities.

Do contractors need inland marine insurance if they have general liability?

Yes for most contractors. General liability does not cover damage to the contractor's own tools and equipment. Inland marine fills that gap, covering loss of contractor-owned equipment at job sites, in transit, and stored at the shop.

Is builders risk required for Georgia construction projects?

Most construction loans require it. Lenders typically demand builders risk as a condition of the loan because the building under construction is collateral. Cash-funded projects are not required to carry it, though the same fire, wind, theft, and vandalism exposure remains.

Who is responsible for builders risk: owner or contractor?

Depends on the contract. Most residential construction puts the owner in charge of builders risk (it's their building). Commercial projects often have the contractor carry it. Always written into the construction contract.

Commercial FAQs

What is equine insurance?

All FAQs

Quick answer: Equine insurance covers horses against death, theft, major medical expenses, and liability exposures.

What does equine insurance cover?

Equine insurance is specialized coverage for horses and the financial risks that come with owning them. Standard homeowners policies treat horses as personal property with minimal coverage limits, typically far below what a horse is worth, and they provide no meaningful liability protection when a horse injures someone or damages a neighbor’s fence. Dedicated equine policies are built around the fact that a horse is simultaneously a large financial asset and a living animal that can get sick, cause accidents, or require emergency surgery.

What types of coverage does an equine policy include?

Most equine policies are assembled from a set of core coverages, each addressing a distinct risk:

Mortality coverage reimburses the insured value of the horse if it dies or must be humanely euthanized from a covered cause, illness, injury, or accident. Covered causes vary by policy, so reviewing the exclusions carefully matters.
Major medical and surgical coverage helps pay large veterinary bills from illness, injury, or emergency procedures such as colic surgery. Colic alone can require surgery costing $8,000 or more. Without coverage, that bill lands directly on the owner. With a major medical rider, most of that cost shifts to the insurer after the deductible.
Liability coverage protects the owner if a horse kicks, bites, or otherwise causes injury to a person or damage to property. Georgia follows a one-bite rule framework, but that protection is narrow. A horse that bolts, knocks someone down, or damages a vehicle can generate a lawsuit that far exceeds what any homeowners policy would cover.
Loss of use coverage pays a partial benefit if the horse becomes permanently unable to perform the activity it was insured for, whether competition, breeding, or work, even if it survives.
Care, custody, and control coverage applies to boarding facilities, trainers, and lesson operations responsible for horses they do not own. If a horse in their care is injured, this coverage addresses the liability.

How does a claim work when a horse needs emergency surgery?

For example, a Georgia owner insuring a $20,000 show horse with mortality and major medical coverage pays premiums calibrated to the horse’s appraised value and use. When an $8,000 colic surgery becomes necessary, the major medical portion covers most of the bill after the deductible, turning a potentially devastating expense into a manageable one. The owner submits the veterinary invoices, and the insurer processes the claim against the policy limits and deductible. The FAQ on how deductibles work explains the mechanic in plain terms.

How does Georgia law affect equine liability?

Georgia follows a one-bite rule framework for animal liability, which means an owner may not face automatic liability the first time a horse injures someone if the owner had no prior knowledge of dangerous tendencies. That protection is narrow. A horse that has bolted before, or one kept in a setting where it regularly interacts with the public, such as a boarding operation or trail ride service, can expose an owner to substantial liability regardless of prior incidents. For example, a homeowners policy with $100,000 in liability coverage could be exhausted quickly by medical bills and legal costs from a single horse-related injury. An umbrella policy can layer additional liability protection above a base equine or homeowners policy, and the FAQ on what an umbrella policy covers explains how that extra layer works.

What factors affect equine insurance premiums?

Coverage structures differ depending on whether the horse is a backyard companion, a competition animal, breeding stock, or part of a commercial operation. The premium reflects the horse’s value, age, breed, use, and health history. A young competitive show horse carries different risks than a retired trail horse, and insurers price those differences accordingly. Owners of multiple horses can sometimes bundle coverage, which affects the overall cost structure. A licensed advisor can review those details and match the right structure to the actual risk. The coverage review process covers specialty lines like equine in the same way it covers home or auto.

For a free coverage review, visit our coverage review page and our team will build a policy that fits how you use your horses.