Hardly a week goes by these days without news coverage of the latest mass shooting somewhere in America. Last year alone, there were 692 mass shootings in this country. 2021 had the highest occurrence of mass of shootings since the Gun Violence Archive began tracking in 2014, and that number will likely be even larger this year.
Perhaps even more worrisome: attacks around the world have shown that we need to look beyond just active shooter situations and consider how even knives and vehicles can be used in violent mass attacks.
The Problem
When it comes to mitigating such risks for your company, a glaring problem arises. Most standard property and casualty insurance policies were not written with the intention of covering such disastrous scenarios. At best, a standard general liability policy is vague on whether it even covers such occurrences.
Even if you have terrorism coverage, if no underlying political or ideological motive can be determined for the assailant — as is often the case in these tragedies — terrorism coverage cannot be invoked.
And yet the need for Active Assailant coverage in the unlikely event your company is struck by such an attack is often great.
Why?
Gray Areas
Recognizing the many gray areas left by standard insurance policies, some carriers have begun offering Active Assailant coverage. It can help address the aftermath of an incident by providing business interruption coverage, counseling, funeral and burial expenses and even public relations consulting.
There are some significant coverage differences one must consider when evaluating between various carriers and coverage forms. They include:
As you consider how to address this threat in your company, some basic education may be in order. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has several pages on its website dedicated to the topic of Active Assailant. It offers training and guidance on prevention–including warning signs of potential violence, emergency action plans, business continuity planning and mitigation planning.
At Armada, we’d also welcome you to schedule a visit or a call to discuss your company’s needs in this area. Our advisory services help clients customize their coverage to their actual risk profile.
