by Brianna Crandall — July 18, 2011—Bed bug infestation incidents have given rise to a range of allegations and claims including bodily injury, property damage, and mental anguish, says Willis North America. In addition, hotel and residential real estate companies involved in a bed bug outbreak may incur costs to remediate the infestation, suffer revenue loss, and incur expenses associated with managing the crisis. Any organization involved in an infestation also faces significant brand damage.
Most standard Property and Casualty insurance policies provide little, if any, coverage for this emerging exposure, says Willis. To meet the growing demand from hotel, hospitality and residential property owners, Willis recently announced Bed Bug Infestation Recovery Insurance (BBIR). This innovative product developed in collaboration with Texas-based Professional Liability Insurance Services offers a comprehensive risk management and insurance solution that extends coverage beyond what is generally available under standard property and liability policies.
The BBIR product delivers a range of solutions, including:
- Insurance to cover the cost of decontamination services, rehabilitation expenses, and the loss of profit due to business interruption;
- Crisis management services including a 24/7 crisis hotline, and expert operating teams to coordinate with regulatory authorities, public health authorities, customers, employees and media;
- Risk control techniques, including a bed bug prevention guide, customized action plans, and training material for staff education; and
- Decontamination services provided by locally and nationally recognized pest control specialists including Orkin, LLC.
- Crisis management services including a 24/7 crisis hotline, and expert operating teams to coordinate with regulatory authorities, public health authorities, customers, employees and media;
