What’s different about commercial accidents?

On Behalf of | Feb 10, 2023 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Accidents happen all the time. You can get into a wreck just pulling out of your driveway, or fall down the steps at your own house.

However, when you’re seriously injured due to some other party’s negligence, you may find yourself pursuing a claim against their commercial general liability policy – and that can significantly affect the trajectory of your case and its outcome.

What is a commercial accident?

Most people realize that the semitrucks and delivery vehicles they see all over the roads are commercial vehicles, so it’s probably no surprise that an accident involving one of those would be covered under a commercial insurance policy. However, other vehicles – like tour buses, limos, medical transport vans and ambulances may also be covered under commercial insurance. This is particularly true when they’re operated by private businesses.

In addition, most accidents at hotels, restaurants, nursing homes, retail stores, repair shops and other places open to the public will be handled under commercial insurance. For example, if you suffer a traumatic brain injury in a slip-and-fall accident at your local supermarket, the odds are good that your claim will be covered through a general liability policy.

How are claims made under commercial insurance policies unique?

When you’re in an accident with a private party, like an ordinary car wreck or a fall down someone’s poorly maintained basement stairs, you’re generally only going to be able to recover what their insurance policy will pay (unless they have significant assets that you can possibly attach). That may not be nearly enough to fairly compensate you for the losses that you and your family suffered in a severe injury.

A commercial policy generally offers better coverage at higher dollar amounts – and that’s critical if you are facing a lifetime of problems due to spinal cord damage or something similar. Unfortunately, those insurance companies aren’t particularly eager to pay out large claims, so you can also generally expect difficulty getting a fair settlement without experienced legal guidance.