Snowplow / Snow Removal Liability

Snowplow / snow removal liability addresses the distinctive risks of businesses that clear snow and ice, whether a dedicated snow contractor or a landscaper working seasonally. The core exposures are twofold: slip-and-fall bodily injury claims from people who fall on a lot the contractor plowed or salted, and property damage from the plow itself, gouged pavement, clipped bollards, damaged landscaping, or a truck striking a parked car. Because plowing is done with a vehicle, coverage straddles both general liability and commercial auto, which is why placement is tricky.

This matters to a small operator because slip-and-fall claims are frequent, expensive, and often filed months later when the underlying weather conditions are hard to reconstruct. Standard CGL forms may exclude or heavily surcharge snow operations, and a dispute over whether an injury arose from "completed operations" (a lot cleared hours earlier) versus ongoing work can determine whether a claim is covered at all, making the completed operations exposure central. Contractors should verify that both the auto liability for the plow truck and the premises liability for the cleared surface are affirmatively covered.

A practical nuance: risk transfer is as important as the policy itself. Well-drafted contracts should include hold-harmless language, indemnification, and site-condition documentation (time-stamped service logs and photos) so the contractor can defend against "you missed a spot" allegations. Insurers scrutinize whether the contractor uses written service agreements and whether they perform ice management (the highest-frequency claim source). An umbrella is commonly added because a single serious fall can exceed primary limits.