As an ABA provider, your staff members are constantly on the go, traveling to clients’ homes and other locations to provide care. With so much time on the road, it’s essential to ensure that your team is protected with commercial auto insurance coverage—not personal auto insurance
But, are your BCBAs (Board Certified Behavior Analysts), RBTs (Registered Behavior Technicians), and LBAs (Licensed Behavior Analysts) covered? Here’s what you need to know.
The Importance of Commercial Auto Coverage for ABA Agencies
According to the National Safety Council, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the United States. Without commercial auto coverage, your ABA agency and staff members is not technically covered for a work-related accident.
Commercial auto insurance can help cover damages and injuries caused by your staff while driving for work-related purposes. But, you cannot apply to a personal auto policy to a commercial accident. In fact, your carrier could drop your coverage if they find you’re filing personal claims for commercial accidents.
Moreover, you cannot simply assume that your employees are covered under their personal auto policy. Again, they could be dropped by their carrier for filing what amounts to an errant claim.
Understand the Types of Coverage
There are several types of commercial auto coverage, including liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage. Liability coverage is required by law and helps cover damages and injuries caused to other people and their property. When you work with our team at Liberty, we ensure that you’re covered under state law.
Outside of what the state requires, you need additional coverage like:
- Collision coverage helps pay for damages to your staff member’s vehicle if they are involved in an accident.
- Comprehensive coverage helps cover damages caused by non-collision incidents, such as theft or weather-related damage.
You may also want to look into perks like rental car reimbursement to ensure that your agency can continue operating normally. While these may seem like annoying line-items on a tight budget, something like rental car reimbursement helps your employees get back on the road quickly.
Ensure All Staff Members are Covered
It’s important to ensure that all staff members who regularly drive for work-related purposes are covered under your commercial auto insurance policy. This includes BCBA’s, RBT’s, and LBA’s, as well as any administrative or support staff who may be required to drive for work-related purposes. Yes, please name these drivers on the policy.
Plus, you want to make it clear to everyone that they are covered—but they are also bound by the policies and procedures laid out by the agency. If you need help creating a fleet vehicle program, our team at Liberty Behavioral Health is happy to be of assistance.
Consider the Limits of Your Coverage
Before purchasing commercial auto coverage, it’s important to consider the limits of your policy. The limits of your coverage refer to the maximum amount your insurance company will pay out in the event of an accident or claim. If the limits are off, you could be in for a surprise when an incident occurs.
If the damages or injuries exceed your policy’s limits, your agency will pay out-of-pocket for what should have been a covered claim. Remember, quite simply, commercial auto claims are almost always more expensive than personal auto claims.
Protect Your ABA Agency Today
At Liberty Behavioral Health, we understand the unique needs of ABA providers and can help you find the right insurance coverage for your agency and staff members. Contact us today to learn more about commercial auto coverage and how we can help protect your agency so that you can focus on your caseload.