Railroad Insurance: Still Relevant Today
Nobody is alive to verify this statement, but back in the 1800s when railroads were in their infancy, there wasn't any railroad protective liability insurance around to protect the workers who laid the rails that today crisscross this country. No legal protection simple meant that if you were injured or dropped to the ground from the heat or cold, tough luck! Some other worker was quick to take your place.
Yes, the days of traveling via wagons and horseback was the way it was. Yet we wanted more. More power, speed and options to ship stuff and since the railroads heard the "pleas" two hundred years later, we have what they didn't in those days. Insurance and risk management for railroads is a complicated business that requires "specialization" to cover the railroad injuries that occur on a frequent basis.
Most every person who has ever owned any real property like a home, car, motorcycle or cabin in the mountains knows the meaning of "insurance" or should. But if you mention "railroad insurance" to people they might think you don't have both oars in the water saying: "it's not your railroad; why do you need insurance?" Well here's the deal if you are a worker for a railroad and get injured.
Railroad liability is strictly governed for many reasons like:
- Shipping hazardous materials and perishable items
- Passengers on trains
- School bus accidents
- Pedestrians
- Regular traffic
All of the above must, sooner or later, cross over the "rails" that can be a "hot-bed" for potential accidents. And many times the RR crossing signs and other alerts like the "clang-clang" bell or colored lights at night, mean nothing to drivers or people casually walking on the tracks.
When it comes to railroad workers, RRP insurance is required of contractors who perform within 50 feet of any railroad-owned property or that affect any railroad bridge, trestle, tract, roadbed, tunnel, underpass or crossing. And when the insurance company writes a policy, it's for the "term" of the job undertaking, not on an annual basis. Because you're dealing with railroads, typical limits run into the millions and the premiums are pretty scary, too.
In case you were wondering, here is a typical list of what is also covered by this unique type of insurance:
A - Railroad excursions - scenic and tourist trains
B - Short-line railroads
C - Railroad contractors, suppliers and products
D - Private railcar owners
E - Large scale trains
This insurance will cover, freight railroads, railcar leasing, light rail and urban transit. It's financial protection, folks. Contact HMBD Insurance Services for more information.
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