Each week, landlords and authorities discover 300 methamphetamine labs in the United States, according to National Public Radio. If you own apartments, rent hotels or run boarding homes, you may run into a tenant who decides your rental properties are a great place to cook meth. Better check your commercial property policy now, because recent changes in commercial property insurance coverage forms may significantly restrict coverage for the resultant clean-up from meth “cooking” operations.

Real estate is one of the most important assets one can have regardless of owning personally or as a business entity. As they say, it’s all about location, location, location – so you better know exactly what risks you are going to be exposed to when looking to purchase new property or simply evaluating your current location(s). In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy the scrutiny of flood insurance policies is at an all-time high, particularly, in the northeast. When assessing the value of any new or current property and the insurance requirements and costs that come with it, understanding where it is in relation to local flood zones is critical.

One of the most commonly found clauses in any construction contract is the requirement of one party to name another party as an additional insured. It is found in The American Institute of Architects (AIA) documents, the Consensus DOCS, and was inserted in almost all manuscript agreements.

When business owners shop commercial insurance coverage, the solvency rating of the proposed insurance company is one critical factor they consider. However, savvy commercial insurance buyers should consider another vital factor — how will the proposed insurer handle your claims?

Product contamination and product recall risks are becoming prevalent for many industries.  In 2008 there were 351 FDA Class I recalls. Over the next 24 months, the number of Class I recalls had jumped to 1,499. The FDA defines a Class I recall as a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that use or exposure to a product will cause serious adverse health conditions or possibly death.

The recent spate of construction site accidents in New York City in the past several months couldn’t have come at a worse time.

In a disturbing ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals on October 5th 2011, the interpretation of language in an OCIP Program sponsored by the Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport was held to create a third-party beneficiary relationship for the estate of the injured worker. The contract stated the city's OCIP was "to provide one master insurance program that provides broad coverages with high limits that will benefit all participants involved in project".

I advise many of our clients on their personal risk management and insurance issues. An often overlooked area is a family’s Personal Umbrella coverage and limit.