In these challenging times with the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent rioting, these tense times should have restaurant and bar owners strongly considering the levels of insurance coverage they have. It is important for businesses that sell and serve alcohol, employ bouncers, or have heavy foot traffic to have insurance coverage for assault and battery. As Mark Trombly, vice president of marketing for Hospitality Insurance, describes it, “Assault and battery coverage is a specialized insurance that covers physical harm that someone suffers when they are attacked by another person.”
Hospitality Insurance Group offers coverage as an endorsement with four other coverage limits because some businesses may not want it or some may not need as much coverage as others. This way, you know exactly what you are paying for in your policy. Assault and battery coverage will pay for medical costs, legal fees, and settlement costs when a claim occurs.
While the person who causes the injury is usually responsible for the claim, the bar or restaurant may be held responsible for a number of reasons. They may be responsible due to overservice of alcohol, for asking or forcing a patron to leave the restaurant or bar where injury can occur, or when a staff member sees an incident and does not interfere to stop it from happening. Assault and battery coverage can also cover areas outside of the business such as alleyways, parking lots, and sidewalks.
The best and easiest way to see if your business has the right coverage is to talk to an independent insurance agent who represents Hospitality Insurance Group.
The opinions expressed are the views of the author alone and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity and shall not constitute a legal opinion.