Why look at a snow removal company’s slip-and-fall claims history?

Snow and ice make people fall, and when they do, the property owner and the contractor are often both named. That makes the claims record one of the most useful things to read before buying a snow removal company.

Ask for a list of every claim, open or closed, with the site, date, outcome and who paid. Ask for the insurer’s loss history too. Check how the company documented its work on those days: visit logs, time stamps, salting records and photographs. Good records can protect a contractor, and gaps can make a claim harder to defend.

Look for patterns, such as the same site, the same crew or the same type of weather. Ask about notices or letters that have not turned into claims yet, since a claim can arrive after some time has passed. Find out what insurance is carried, who is named on it and what happens to coverage when ownership changes. Review how contracts divide responsibility between the contractor and the property owner. Your lawyer and insurance broker are the right people to explain exposure and how to protect yourself in the deal. Ask whether the company has ever been dropped by a customer or an insurer after a claim, since that shows how seriously the people on the other side treat the risk.

Key takeaways

• Ask for every claim, open or closed, with outcome and who paid.
• Check whether visit logs and photos exist for the days involved.
• Have your lawyer and insurance broker explain exposure after a sale.