As a restaurant owner, you have been proactive in insuring the business’ property and your employees. But have you insured your business against your customers? Notice, we didn't say "insured your customers," but "insured against your customers." Why would you do this and how does insurance and customers relate?

You need to insure against your customers because many people come and go within your restaurant, and people can be quick to blame others and disrespectful of property that is not theirs. For example:

• McDonalds has been sued for serving coffee that was too hot and for making people fat.

• A Kaiser Permanente restaurant was sued when people found glass fragments in soup.

There are plenty of examples of people filing lawsuits against culinary establishments—some of them frivolous, some not and those customers sometimes win. That is why you need to be insured against your customers. There are policies that protect you from the unique liability risks found at restaurants, which may cover:

• Legal and medical costs if someone slips on the floors and gets hurt. Accidents happen. An employee or even another customer might spill water on the floor and fail to wipe it up. That can lead to someone falling. It wasn't deliberate on your part, but the person can say the restaurant was negligent in cleaning up. Liability insurance can help with the legal and medical costs.

• Legal and medical costs if someone becomes ill after eating at your restaurant. If they can prove that it was the food from your restaurant that made them sick, then you need insurance to pay for their medical bills. Even if you are extremely careful about the temperature and freshness of food, there is a small chance that someone can become ill. Protect yourself with liability coverage.

Get liability and/or restaurant insurance to cover customer injuries, illnesses and whatever else they claim you were negligent in that caused them harm.

We’ll protect your establishment. Call Nobles Insurance Agency at (919) 833-3803 for more information on North Carolina restaurant insurance.