National Business Insurance Stats
Number of businesses in the US: 30,819,176
Burglary rate per 1,000 residents in the US: 3.76
Auto theft rate per 1,000 vehicles in the US: 2.29
| City | No. businesses | Burglaries / 1,000 people | Auto thefts / 1,000 cars |
| Bridgeport | 10,452 | 3.83 | 4.26 |
| Bristol | 4,353 | 1.88 | 1.77 |
| Danbury | 7,765 | 1.55 | 1.01 |
| Fairfield | 7,686 | 1.54 | 0.87 |
| Greenwich | 11,060 | 1.03 | 0.92 |
| Hamden | 5,376 | 1.79 | 2.83 |
| Hartford | 7,841 | 3.49 | 4.36 |
| Manchester | 4,534 | 2.48 | 1.7 |
| Meriden | 3,716 | 3.00 | 2.07 |
| New Britain | 3,948 | 2.60 | 2.50 |
| New Haven | 8,976 | 5.05 | 5.51 |
| Norwalk | 11,380 | 1.49 | 1.40 |
| Waterbury | 7,148 | 4.17 | 5.02 |
| West Hartford | 6,556 | 2.07 | 1.34 |
Business Insurance in Connecticut FAQ - Quick Answers
The cost of your business insurance in Connecticut will vary and quotes are needed for exact premiums. However, you can understand what information carriers use to rate your coverage:
- Type of industry
- Number of employees
- Gross annual sales
- Location of business
- Number of company vehicles
- Safety practices in place
- Past claims reported
- Number of years in operation
In Connecticut, workers' compensation insurance is required when you have just one employee. Another policy that is mandated is commercial auto coverage. Your other policies are useful to consider, but not required by state law in most cases.
Business insurance in Connecticut comes in several different forms. However, there are a variety of policies that are used most often by small business owners:
- General liability insurance: Pays for a bodily injury or property damage liability lawsuit brought against your operation
- Workers' compensation insurance: Pays for the injuries of an employee hurt on the job. Mandatory when you have more than one employee.
- Property insurance: Covers damage to your business property due to a covered claim
- Business income insurance: Pays for regular business expenses when a covered loss closes your operation for some time
- Business auto insurance: Pays for a loss resulting from an auto accident with a company-owned vehicle. Must abide by state car insurance laws.
- Professional liability insurance: Pays for a lawsuit against your business due to negligent or harmful advice
- Commercial umbrella insurance: Provides an additional limit of liability coverage over your underlying business policies
In Connecticut, small business liability insurance can come in many forms, depending on your exposures. Below are some of the most common liability coverage options:
- General liability insurance: Pays for a bodily injury or property damage liability lawsuit brought against your operation
- Professional liability insurance: Pays for a lawsuit against your business due to negligent or harmful advice
- Commercial umbrella insurance: Provides an additional limit of liability coverage over your underlying business policies
If you're a small business owner in Connecticut, you may want to offer health coverage to your staff. While it's not a requirement by law unless you have 50 employees or more, it may be worthwhile to consider. Get quotes through a local independent insurance agent.
When you own a small business, you'll have options on your insurance coverage. In Connecticut, Travelers, Nationwide, Hanover, and Progressive insurance companies are top-rated. This is due to their exceptional customer service and broad limits.
Do You Know What Your Business Insurance Covers in Connecticut?
Find the Best Business Insurance in Your City
- Bridgeport, CT
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: Most business owners have invested a lot of money in their company’s assets, including such things as computers, furniture, tools, machinery, inventory, and supplies. Business property insurance can help cover the cost of repairing or replacing this property if it is lost or damaged by a covered event like a structure fire.
- Commercial auto: Many businesses in Bridgeport have company-owned vehicles, including cars, vans, buses, and trucks. If yours is among them, you will be required to cover these vehicles with a commercial auto insurance policy. Doing so can prevent your business from facing a financially devastating lawsuit if one of your drivers is responsible for a serious accident. A comprehensive policy can also cover damage to your vehicle, even if the damage is the fault of your driver.
- Workers’ compensation: Workers’ compensation insurance covers expenses like medical bills and disability payments for workers who are injured in the course of doing their jobs. It is required for Connecticut businesses that have at least one employee. Rates for this coverage are assigned according to your company’s overall payroll amount and the types of jobs your workers do.
- New Haven, CT
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: Hazards like theft, vandalism, accidental fires, and severe weather can lead to significant loss and damage to your business-owned property. Hurricanes are among the most damaging weather risks in this city. For example, in 2012, Hurricane Sandy brought storm surges measuring nine feet to the New Haven area and caused more than $360 million in damage in this state. Make sure that your business insurance policy package includes flood insurance so that you are fully covered against the damage a hurricane can bring.
- Commercial auto: If your business owns a vehicle or vehicles, you may find it beneficial to have the added liability coverage that comes with a commercial auto insurance policy. This is because liability lawsuits related to collisions often result in higher judgments when they are brought against a business. Your rates will be based on several factors, including the number and types of vehicles you are covering, information about the employees who will be driving them, and the risk of collisions in the areas where they are likely to be driven.
- Workers’ compensation: Workers’ compensation insurance can cover the cost of medical bills and lost wages if your workers are injured on the job or if they come down with an occupational illness. Rates are based primarily on your company’s overall payroll and the likelihood that your employees will be injured at work according to the types of jobs they do.
- Stamford, CT
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: You will want to be sure that all of your business property is covered at levels that will allow you to rebuild, repair, or replace damaged items as needed. Floods pose a significant risk in Stamford, especially during hurricane season, but coverage against this hazard is typically excluded from business property coverage.
- Commercial auto: Whether you are insuring a delivery van or a fleet of construction vehicles, commercial vehicle insurance can protect your business against losses related to liability lawsuits and property damage following a collision.
- Workers’ compensation: Workers’ compensation insurance is required by Connecticut state law for all businesses with at least one employee. This insurance can cover medical treatments, disability pay, and other costs associated with injuries that occur on the job. Every type of business has specific risks when it comes to employee safety, and some jobs are simply safer than others. That is why workers' compensation rates often vary significantly from one business to the next.
- Hartford, CT
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: Hartford has a relatively high property crime rate, with residents and businesses reporting more than 600 burglaries and 3,000 thefts every year. This makes it particularly relevant for local business owners to ensure that their company assets are sufficiently covered against crimes like theft, vandalism, and embezzlement. In addition to covering against crime, your policy can also cover loss and damage due to hazards like severe weather and accidental fires.
- Commercial auto: Commercial vehicle insurance can protect your business from facing large liability expenses if one of your drivers causes an accident while driving a company car. Rates are based on several factors such as your employees’ driving records and the types of vehicles you are covering. For example, it costs far more to insure a large construction vehicle than it does to cover a company car since the larger vehicle can cause significantly more property damage if involved in a collision.
- Workers’ compensation: Workers’ compensation insurance is designed to cover the cost of medical treatments, lost wages, and other expenses related to injuries or occupational illnesses your employees may suffer because of doing their jobs. With very few exceptions, it is required for all employers in Connecticut. Workers' compensation rates are assigned according to your company’s overall payroll and the types of jobs your employees do.
- Waterbury, CT
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: Having a sufficient amount of business property insurance can shield your company from losses related to hazards like accidental fires, property crimes, and severe weather events like hail, heavy snows, gusty winds, and electrical storms.
- Commercial auto: If your Waterbury business owns a vehicle or fleet of vehicles, you will be required to carry commercial auto insurance. Rates for coverage can vary according to the number and types of vehicles you are covering, as well as the risk of collisions and of vehicular theft where they will be driven. If your company uses its vehicles to engage in interstate commerce, you will need to make sure that your commercial vehicle policy meets federal as well as state minimum coverage requirements.
- Workers’ compensation: Workers’ compensation insurance covers medical expenses and paid time off for employees who suffer occupational illnesses or are injured on the job. With few exceptions, if your Waterbury business has employees, you are required by state law to have this insurance. Rates for coverage can vary significantly from one business to the next, depending on the types of jobs your employees do and your company’s overall payroll.