Why Insurance is Crucial for Process Servers

• March 17, 2021
• by Stephanie Irvine
• Articles

Although it is not very exciting, insurance is a subject that all business owners, including process servers, should look into before getting out and doing work in the field. Owning a business presents many risks that are not limited to simply profit and loss, and insurance can protect business owners from these other risks. Keep reading to learn about insurance for process servers and why it might be a good idea for process servers to consider it.

Why do process servers need insurance?

Like any business, process servers need insurance. By having insurance, process servers can protect themselves from major financial harm, primarily the result of being sued. Even if a lawsuit is without merit, the potential for it to negatively impact the business financially (and even with regard to the reputation of the business) is high. Process servers specifically need business insurance because they deal with the general public. Add to this the consideration that unfortunately, process servers are often delivering less than desirable news, the potential that something could go wrong and that lawsuits could be filed only increases. Not having insurance and being sued could result in great financial liability that could be devastating both to the business and to the business owner. Having business insurance can protect process servers from being stuck with inordinate costs associated with lawsuits and accidents. Finally, while process servers may not be legally required to carry insurance, they may be required to have some type of business insurance by their clients, or they may need insurance to remain a part of a professional organization, association, or directory.

Business insurance basics: general and professional coverage

For process servers, it is important to consider what types of insurance they will need. Professional servers will likely need both general liability coverage as well as professional liability coverage. Process servers are on the go which means they will likely need general liability insurance that covers them while they’re at the office and while they’re out on the job. General liability insurance is the type of insurance that protects process servers from instances in which they could be liable for bodily injury and/or property damage. People typically don’t think about all the possibilities for accidents, but when issues do arise, they are glad to be covered.

The second type of insurance mentioned is professional liability coverage. This is important to have because this covers process servers in the event that they are sued for an error or something that is not related to bodily injury or property damage. This type of insurance will protect process servers from financial damages resulting from lawsuits.

Other types of insurance

If your process serving company has employees, it might be wise to also include an employer’s liability insurance policy. This type of insurance protects employers from issues stemming from their employees, which could run the gamut from sexual harassment claims to wrongful termination. If the employees are subcontracted, there is a different type of insurance policy for that. Another important type of insurance that process servers should consider is automobile insurance. Process servers often use their vehicles to do their job, so it would make sense that liabilities associated with that are covered. There are different types of automobile insurance, so it is important for process servers to discuss what coverage is needed with their insurance agent.

Want to learn more?

This post merely touches the basics of insurance, and is not meant to be all encompassing with regard to what insurance is necessary and what insurance a process server’s business specifically needs. ServeNow offers several videos on business insurance with input from Eric Vennes from Pacific Coast Insurance Company that offers insightful discussion from an insurance professional. Check those out, but always keep in mind that it is a best practice to consult your company’s legal counsel as well as your local insurance agent before making decisions on your policy and coverage.