Insurance for portable mill (Liability)

[gator gar]

I've dug through some of the archives looking for my answers, but I want to know if most of you that are portable, have liability insurance?? Woodmizer has a contract for the customer to sign, but my wife will have no part of that..She says if I am going to pull this mill around to other peoples property, I need liability insurance to cover us from being sued, in case someone gets hurt out there. I never concerned myself with it in the past with my old mill and she said I was lucky.

How do ya'll feel about it??? Any insight would be appreciated.

Mark

[Magicman]

My opinion is that you do need liability insurance, but I also feel the absolute need for signing a contract with each new customer.  It spells out some items other then liability.  When I have a repeat job, I always remind the customer about the contract that we have previously signed.

Do a search, and you should find a copy of my modified contract.

[gator gar]

My opinion is that you do need liability insurance, but I also feel the absolute need for signing a contract with each new customer.  It spells out some items other then liability.  When I have a repeat job, I always remind the customer about the contract that we have previously signed.

Do a search, and you should find a copy of my modified contract.

.

That seems to be the opinion of everyone that I talk to. So, I guess liability insurance it is.

[True North]

I was suprized how cheap insurance was. It is well worth it.

[John_Haylow]

I have it.
John

[gator gar]

I was suprized how cheap insurance was. It is well worth it.

What do you call cheap??? I'm hearing figures from 750.00-1500.00 a year. These figures aren't set in stone, this is just something that it could be.  Are these close to what ya'll are paying???

[True North]

I think we pay around $600 for liability and ins. on the mill.

[gator gar]

Alright........I'm digging deeper in the archives and finding out that this question has been asked more than a few times in the past. I apologize for not digging deeper before I originally posted. For those of you that have been on here for a long time, please bare with me. I know alot of you are saying, "not another question about insurance". ;D

Mark

[pnyberg]

There have been lots of questions about liability insurance, but fewer answers.

I'm paying $840/year for my policy. 

The agency I'm dealing with covers all of New England, but based on your forum name I'm going to guess that you're not in New England.

--Peter

[sdunston]

In the great tax state of NY the (liability ins) is not priced to bad, But if you have a helper that is a non family member you are required to have workers comp at the tune of about 5 grand a year(thats why I work alone)
Sam

[sigidi]

Down here in Aus, I have public liability insurance at $700 per year that also covers the mill and 'equipment' for fire and theft.

I don't use contracts on mobile jobs, but maybe I should... been burnt a couple times with leaving site and not getting paid. I now make it a personal rule not to leave site unless I'm paid for what has been done.

I'm thinking about doing contracts for log supply if someone says I can have logs - a friend who also uses a Lucas here in Aus recently had logs 'promised' to him, so he went and signed a contract to supply 8,000 wheelbarrow handles, when it came time to start cutting, the 'promised' logs where "un-promised" and he had a very stressful few days thinking the customer was going to sue him for not supplying the handles... anyway you get the idea, the world is gettin to the point where you have to have a contract to do everything  :-\ :(

[DouginUtah]

The first year I had my mill I insured it. But I got around to reading the fine print and found that it was only insured if it was in a fenced, locked area. (Property insurance, not liability.)

I didn't renew.

[DR Buck]

This is all I got to say about insurance............

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,31115.msg449828.html#msg449828


https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,27780.msg398411.html#msg398411

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,27780.msg403800.html#msg403800

[SwampDonkey]

We have Woodchuck Portable Mill Insurance in Canada.

[sgschwend]

Liability $800/yr.

Truck, health, pick-up truck also insured.

[gascher]

Here is another way to look at Liability Insurance.   General Liability insurance for a portable mill will probably cost between $500-750 annually.  General Liability insurance protects you for claims alleging bodily injury or property damage to others.  Even if you have done nothing wrong, you can still be sued.  In fact, most lawsuits are groundless.  Once a lawsuit is brought against, you have to defend yourself.  In my town, attorneys charge between $150-$250 PER HOUR! As long as the suit is claiming bodily injury or property damage, the insurance company has a duty to defend you - which means they pick up the attorney costs.  Defense costs for one lawsuit can easily equal 10 years of premium payments.  Plus, if you are found negligent, the insurance company will also pay the claim for damages.  I have seen liability claims costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Let me give you one example of a type of lawsuit that is increasing in frequency.  Someone hire a subcontractor to work for them.  The sub has his own general liability insurance but he does not carry workers compensation insurance on himself.  The subcontractor gets injured or killed.  The person who hired the subcontract now gets sued for negligent supervision, unsafe work environment, lack of safety equipment, etc.  Desperate people will do desperate things.  The injured party is facing financial ruin because they had no insurance, so they are going to try to blame someone else.  And a sympathetic jury will agree with them.  Especially if it is a widow with three small children.  A general liability policy will protect you.

Gary Ascher
www.loggerinsurance.com

[gascher]

Here is some more food for thought for portable sawmill owners.  What happens if you are pulling the sawmill behind your truck, it becomes unhitched and causes an auto accident resulting in damage to another vehicles, injuries, or maybe even loss of life?  Which insurance policy protects you?  Most people would guess their auto policy which may not be correct.  The portable sawmill is "mobile equipement" and unless your auto policy is endorsed to extend coverage for mobile equipment, you probably need a general liability policy.  Don't assume that you have coverage under your auto policy - ask your agent!

Gary Ascher
Logger Insurance Agency, Inc.
www.loggerinsurance.com

[gator gar]

Here is another way to look at Liability Insurance.   General Liability insurance for a portable mill will probably cost between $500-750 annually.  General Liability insurance protects you for claims alleging bodily injury or property damage to others.  Even if you have done nothing wrong, you can still be sued.  In fact, most lawsuits are groundless.  Once a lawsuit is brought against, you have to defend yourself.  In my town, attorneys charge between $150-$250 PER HOUR! As long as the suit is claiming bodily injury or property damage, the insurance company has a duty to defend you - which means they pick up the attorney costs.  Defense costs for one lawsuit can easily equal 10 years of premium payments.  Plus, if you are found negligent, the insurance company will also pay the claim for damages.  I have seen liability claims costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Let me give you one example of a type of lawsuit that is increasing in frequency.  Someone hire a subcontractor to work for them.  The sub has his own general liability insurance but he does not carry workers compensation insurance on himself.  The subcontractor gets injured or killed.  The person who hired the subcontract now gets sued for negligent supervision, unsafe work environment, lack of safety equipment, etc.  Desperate people will do desperate things.  The injured party is facing financial ruin because they had no insurance, so they are going to try to blame someone else.  And a sympathetic jury will agree with them.  Especially if it is a widow with three small children.  A general liability policy will protect you.

Gary Ascher
www.loggerinsurance.com

Man, I wish you covered the State of texas too. That is great info. Thanks.

[sdunston]

Here is some more food for thought for portable sawmill owners.  What happens if you are pulling the sawmill behind your truck, it becomes unhitched and causes an auto accident resulting in damage to another vehicles, injuries, or maybe even loss of life?  Which insurance policy protects you?  Most people would guess their auto policy which may not be correct.  The portable sawmill is "mobile equipement" and unless your auto policy is endorsed to extend coverage for mobile equipment, you probably need a general liability policy.  Don't assume that you have coverage under your auto policy - ask your agent!

Gary Ascher
Logger Insurance Agency, Inc.
www.loggerinsurance.com

Gary, do you write in New York State?
Sam