The Commercial Insurance Market
Property/casualty insurance can be broken down into two major categories: commercial lines or types of insurance and personal lines. Personal lines, as the term suggests, include coverages for individuals—auto and homeowners insurance. Commercial lines, which account for about half of U.S. property/casualty insurance industry premium, include the many kinds of insurance products designed for businesses.
Commercial insurance performs a critical role in the world economy. Without it, the economy could not function. Insurers protect the economic system from failure by assuming the risks inherent in producing goods and services. For further information on commercial lines see the Commercial Insurance website.
There are over eight million small businesses in the U.S., ranging from construction firms to grocery stores to home-based businesses. All have one thing in common: Without the right insurance coverage, each could be wiped out by a disaster or a lawsuit. In addition, almost all businesses are accountable for the safety of their workers and bear responsibility for injuries suffered on the job. The Triple-I’s Insuring Your Business website provides information on the kinds of liability coverage businesses should consider and what business owners should know about risk management and loss control. (See small business.)
