To our customers:
You have probably received several (many!) emails over the last few days from companies and organizations offering details of their responses to COVID-19. I’d like to share what Strate Insurance Group is doing to keep our employees safe and healthy, as well as provide advice on what to do if your business has experienced a loss due to COVID-19.
Employee Preparedness:
Since the first of March, we have focused on the health and safety of our employees, their families, and visitors to our office while continuing to provide you a seamless service experience and accessibility to our team. We will continue to be diligent and sensible and follow recommendations from trusted health organizations.
Our Advice on Managing Business Loss:
The COVID-19 virus has presented an unprecedented insurance situation. Strate Insurance Group is not authorized to provide a legal determination about whether your business insurance will respond in any way to the circumstances that all of us are dealing with. Only the insurance carrier/company can do that.
All insurance polices have a provision related to prompt reporting of claims or circumstances that might lead to a claim. You, the Insured, have a specific responsibility to report a claim or circumstances that might give rise to a claim to the insurance carrier.
Due to the very unusual circumstances we are living in, we do not know how the insurance industry will respond to your decline, slow down, or interruption of business due to COVID-19. Our best advice is that if you have experienced a change in your business that you attribute to COVID-19, we highly recommend you report this in writing to our Claims Manager, Debra Robinson (drobinson@strateinsurance.com). It is not necessary for you to have any financial details. This information would be gathered at a later date. The priority is to notify the insurance carrier in a timely manner. The date of loss should be closely associated with the date that you noticed a change in your business pattern and produced a financial change.
Moving Forward:
We are here to help you navigate uncertainty and to give you our best advice. Our response plan starts with the steps above.
At this time, we are continuing with normal business operations and are prepared to work remotely, should the virus cause us to vacate our office. With roots dating back to 1978, we have navigated other periods of uncertainty and various economic cycles alongside our customers.
Our goal is to help you protect the wellbeing of your family, your finances, your business, and your employees. We are here for you and encourage you to call us if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you for trusting us to provide wise counsel and uninterrupted service,
Tom
