The Sharing Economy: Are You Covered If Something Goes Wrong?

Charrise L. Alexander

Charrise L. AlexanderCompanies like Airbnb and Uber are considered pioneers in this new era of the “sharing economy.” This innovative way of doing business, allowing individuals to commercialize what ordinarily is for personal use, has created an entirely new marketplace in many cities around the world. However, as with most emerging markets there are new and unexpected risks. Airbnb,  Uber, and other new companies who operate in these emerging markets are challenged to respond to change and manage these unforeseen risks quickly. Airbnb is currently receiving pressure from numerous states to be more proactive in managing and curing potential risks.home_car_sharing_shutterstock_175014590

Of late, Airbnb has been in the headlines due to a devastating death at a rental in Texas.[1] Many questions are being asked. One of the biggest is, “Who is responsible for keeping renters safe?” And whoever that is, do they have adequate insurance coverage? Continue reading “The Sharing Economy: Are You Covered If Something Goes Wrong?”

What Real Estate Developers Need to Know About Insurance Coverage

Charrise L. Alexander

Charrise L. AlexanderAs the economy across the United States continues its slow improvement, many cities across the nation are experiencing a boom in real estate development. From residential to public transit to public works, developers are bidding on and undertaking large projects. Before beginning any new project, it is important that a developer understands the extent of its insurance coverage and ensures that it has adequate insurance to address the particularly unique circumstances involved with real estate development.

While most developers have a commercial general liability policy, such liability policies, even though broad in scope, maconstruction_shutterstock_223248622y not fully protect a developer against all of the risks it may face during development. For example, commercial general liability policies respond to claims involving bodily injury and property damage to third parties, but often do not provide coverage for damage to the developer’s own property. Continue reading “What Real Estate Developers Need to Know About Insurance Coverage”

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