AGRICULTURE

Stone & Johnson has developed a sophisticated practice in the area of agricultural liability and insurance coverage. Farm and livestock operations are the first line of agribusiness. However, feed and farm supply stores, grain elevators, pesticide applicators, farm equipment rental, farm cooperatives and agricultural transportation form the secondary agribusiness market and also have specialized liability exposures and insurance coverages. The firm’s attorney have expertise to advise insureds and insurers in these markets on how to protect themselves from liability and how to limit their exposure when a loss occurs.

Parties to agreements in the secondary agribusiness market can often limit their exposure through the use of specialized contractual language. Whether in rental agreements or contracts for services, language that provides for risk transfer can be inserted to protect both insureds and insurers. This language may take the form of indemnity and partial indemnity language, safety transfer provisions, as well as agreements to procure insurance. Stone & Johnson can advise its agricultural clients as to what language to include in their contracts, based on their particular risk or jurisdiction.

However, when a property damage or bodily injury loss does occur, whether it is crop or livestock loss, pesticide spill, or an agricultural transportation or farm equipment accident, Stone & Johnson can provide advice on immediate investigation and loss control. Aggressive investigation, gathering of evidence, protecting insureds from making incriminating statements and immediate evaluation and implementation of risk transfer can often dramatically limit liability exposure and protect both loss history and underwriting results.