Category Archives: Insurance

by | June 30, 2013 · 8:31 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Florida Restaurant Structural Damage Confirmed To Be Caused By “Sink Hole”; Large Cracks In Wall And Floor

“…Geotechnical testing performed over the past two weeks at the Bob Evans off I-4 in Seffner have confirmed that there is loose soil beneath the Restaurant Sink Hole Damagerestaurant…they are confident that what they found is responsible for the structural damage to the carryout area of the restaurant…employees noticed cracks in the walls and in the floor. Large cracks are also visible on the exterior of the Bob Evans. The bricks are also separating. After workers noticed the cracks, the restaurant did not open…”

Margaret Standing, the Director of Corporate Communications for the company, said experts found the problem between 40 and 60 feet beneath the north and northwest side of the restaurant. It has been closed ever since.

All 35 of the employees who work at the restaurant have been working temporarily at other Tampa area locations.

Standing said the company is now working to determine the best course of action. The company is evaluating options for remediating the site and rebuilding the restaurant at its current location or remediating and selling the property.

Read more: http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/22700727/2013/06/27/loose-soil-confirmed-beneath-bob-evans-in-seffner#ixzz2Xi8L7HUS
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by | June 25, 2013 · 7:02 am

Hospitality Industry Health Insurance: Restaurant Industry Continues To Assess Options, Costs Of Implementing “2010 Affordable Care Act” Next January; #1 Issue For Small Businesses

“…restaurants employ roughly 10 percent of the workforce both in Georgia and nationwide. While many dining establishments have fewer than health insurance national50 employees and therefore won’t be subject to the mandate, others will be affected…the cost of health insurance has been the No. 1 issue facing small businesses, according to surveys by the National Federation of Independent Business…(margins) are so thin, there’s only X amount of dollars…(if health insurance was affordable) you’d have everybody insured.”

Steve Simon is co-founder of Fifth Group Restaurants, which operates seven restaurants and other businesses in the Atlanta area, employing more than 500 people. Currently, Fifth Group offers health insurance to its managers only.

But under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, when it is fully implemented next January, a business with 50 or more full-time workers must offer all employees working at least 30 hours a week a health plan that’s considered “affordable.” If it doesn’t, the business must pay a penalty.

Despite all the concern in the industry, some restaurant operators say the law’s impact may not be as great as originally feared. They cite the fact that to count as affordable coverage under the law –– thus escaping the penalty –– a business can charge workers up to 9.5 percent of their annual wages to pay for insurance. So if a worker is making $30,000 a year, the business can set his or her share of the premium at $2,850 annually, or $237.50 per month.

The restaurant owners say many workers will avoid such premiums by going without coverage, choosing instead to pay the ACA’s penalty of $95 for uninsured individuals.

For more:  http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/health/2013-06-24/restaurant-industry-nervously-eyes-aca-s-changes-insurance-rules?v=1372103979

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by | June 24, 2013 · 6:27 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Georgia Restaurant Propane Gas Line Explodes Severely Damaging Building’s Interior And Roof; Five People Injured

“…workers installing a new air conditioning unit Saturday smelled gas and shut the propane line off at the building in Lake Park. When the line Restaurant Gas Explosion Riskswas turned back on, it exploded and destroyed the building’s roof and one of its walls…”

Authorities in Lowndes County say a propane explosion at a restaurant left five people injured and caused severe damage to the building.

Fire Chief Richard Guyton says between 80 and 85 percent of the building’s interior was damaged. Four employees and a customer were injured and information on their conditions wasn’t immediately available. Witnesses said some of the victims suffered cuts from falling ceiling tiles.

Lake Park is about 15 miles south of Valdosta.

For more:  http://www.11alive.com/news/article/296578/3/5-hurt-in-south-Ga-restaurant-explosion

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by | June 19, 2013 · 1:35 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: Pennsylvania Hotel Employee Injured And Property Evacuated When Pool Chlorine Tablet Feeder Explodes

“…the hotel’s general manager says an employee suffered minor injuries when the equipment that feeds chlorine tablets to the pool exploded. He Hotel Pool Chemical Riskswas taken to a hospital…The hotel was evacuated when fire crews got on scene, including about 10 guest rooms and 15 employees…”

An explosion at a hotel in Clinton County forced some guests from their rooms Tuesday morning. It happened around 9:30 a.m. at the Comfort Inn near Lamar. The building was evacuated as a precaution and fans were used to air out the hotel. By 11 a.m., business was back to normal.

Emergency officials say chlorine can be deadly but in this instance, the chlorine tablets are commonly used for swimming pools and don’t pose serious risks.

For more:  http://wnep.com/2013/06/18/hotel-cleared-out-after-chlorine-incident/

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by | June 18, 2013 · 10:14 am

P3 Hospitality Industry Risk Report: “Hotel Pool Preparation, Maintenance And Checklist” By Petra Risk Solutions’ Risk Manager Joe Fisco, CLSD (Video)

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/52436189]

P3Petra Risk Solutions’ Risk Manager, Joe Fisco, CLSD , offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Update – ‘Hotel Pool Preparation, Maintenance And Checklist’.

P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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by | June 16, 2013 · 6:46 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Maryland Restaurant Damaged And Two Employees Injured After Drunk Driver Crashes Vehicle Through Building’s Front Glass Exterior

“…two people were taken to the hospital initially, after a patron and an employee suffered non-life threatening injuries. A second worker was Restaurant Damage From Car Crashtransported to the hospital for anxiety…the driver was taken into custody and charged on suspicion of DUI…(a district manager) doesn’t know when the restaurant will reopen…”

A Lanham, Maryland Wendy’s restaurant is picking up the pieces after a driver of an SUV crashed through the shop and nearly reached the counter just before 9 p.m. on Friday in the 9400 block of Annapolis Road.

There was a steady flow of people on Saturday trying to place orders through the drive through and people were trying to get into the restaurant, but it’s closed. Customer after customer came to the seemingly popular spot surprised at what happened.

For more: http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/262879/373/Picking-Up-Pieces-After-Wendys-Crash-In-Md

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by | June 15, 2013 · 6:09 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Florida Motel Sprinkler System Malfunctions With Water Flooding Rooms, Hallways And Lobby

“…a water restoration company said it brought an infrared camera that detects moisture and found water damage in several rooms, the lobby and Hotel Water Damagehallways on the first and second floors…Officials said the hotel had to cut off power because all the water became an electrical hazard…”

A sprinkler system malfunctioned at the Crestwood Suites Extended Stay motel on University Boulevard in East Orange County, Orange County Fire Rescue said.
The incident happened at about 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

“It was like a flood coming down. You looked into the lobby from the doors and it was like rain pouring through the ceiling,” said motel guest Andrea Paul.

For more:  http://www.wftv.com/videos/news/motel-flooded-following-sprinkler-system/v4SmW/

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by | June 13, 2013 · 6:16 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Texas Hotel Fire Starts In Air Conditioning Unit, Resulting In Extensive Damage And Death Of Elderly Guest From Smoke Inhalation

“…occupants of the actual room where the fire started…woke up in the night to their fire alarm going off and could see fire coming out of the air Hotel Fire and Smoke Damageconditioning unit in their room…the death of hotel guest  Rena Goodson, 74, of Holly Lake Ranch, was attributed to smoke inhalation…she was carried from the burning building by firefighters and transferred to a Dallas hospital, where she died over the weekend…”

Fire investigators said Wednesday that the fire that claimed the life of a Holly Lake Ranch woman and destroyed a large part of the Best Western Trail Dust Inn started in an air conditioning unit.  Assistant Fire Marshall Eric Hill said fire investigators Aaron Kager and David James interviewed hotel guests and combed through the burned out section of the hotel before making the ruling.

The fatal fire broke out sometime before 2 a.m. Saturday in the west wing of the hotel. The assistant fire marshall said the motel was booked to capacity when the fire broke out and forced evacuation of 58 people staying in that section of the hotel. Another 150 people were evacuated from adjoining buildings, which were threatened by the fire that stretched firefighting resources.

For more:  http://www.myssnews.com/news-telegram/news/22372-fatal-hotel-fire-started-in-ac-unit-ruled-accidental.html

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by | June 9, 2013 · 6:35 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Ohio Restaurant Fire Starts In “Kitchen Fryer” And Heavily Damages Structure; “Advanced Fire In Building’s Center” Limits Firefighters To Defensive Action

“….an employee saw smoke at a fryer as he was walking through the kitchen, preparing to make a Restaurant Fire Risksdelivery…he and the two other employees cut off power to the fryer and tried to use a fire extinguisher “but it only got worse…(there was no) way of getting it stopped…”

A fire Friday afternoon that heavily damaged a popular Irish pub and restaurant, as well as a catering business, started in a kitchen fryer. That’s the preliminary assessment from Springfield Fire Rescue Division Chief Nick Heimlich, who kept firefighters on the scene at McMurray’s Irish Pub, Paddy’s Backdoor Pizza and Carmae Catering, all housed at 122 E. College Ave., on Friday night.

Heimlich said firefighters found “an advanced fire” in the center of the structure and noted that the progression of the fire was very rapid. Because the three businesses are connected and under one roof “a problem in one pretty quickly becomes a problem in the others,” the chief said.

When the decision was made to pull back and take a defensive posture in battling the flames because crews weren’t making the kind of progress they wanted in putting out the fire, Heimlich said, “basically that means for the most part the structure is a loss.”

For more:  http://www.whiotv.com/news/news/local/mcmurrays-popular-springfield-pub-is-on-fire/nYFfP/

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by | June 7, 2013 · 5:51 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Hotel Management Must Evaluate And Prepare For Potential “Punitive Damage Claims” In Lawsuits Arising From Privacy, Over Service Of Alcohol And Criminal Actions Of Employees

“…the No. 1 priority is effective case evaluation and resolution. Early factual investigation is critical in determining what happened, why it happened and who was involved. Knowing and preserving the correct version of facts and events with effective reporting mechanisms is essential Hospitality Industry Lawsuitto knowing what kind of claim possibly can be presented and what kind of exposure exists…”

“…it is critical to evaluate the potential punitive exposure early and assess the potential for a punitive claim to get to a jury. Always consider the risk that punitive damages may get to a jury, how a jury will receive the evidence and whether your hotel could be punished by a jury that is attempting to make a statement that these incidents will not be tolerated…”

Hoteliers may face the problematic public-relations case that contains a punitive damages claim. These claims include: invasion of privacy, inappropriate surveillance, over service of alcohol, and criminal actions of employees and third parties. These cases are difficult for members of the hospitality industry who pride themselves on showing customers a positive experience, want good feedback and want customers to return to their hotel.

Securing and preserving evidence, which includes photographs, videos, an accident report, incident statement and/or witness statements must be undertaken to document what the incident involves. If photographs and videos are not preserved once a hotel has notice of a claim, a court could instruct the jury that they can infer the hotel destroyed the evidence for a reason. It is critical to use technology to best find and preserve evidence. No potential accident can be overlooked as a hospitality group never knows what accidents can turn into a possible lawsuit.

For more:  http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/10625/How-to-respond-to-punitive-damages-claims

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