Grundy Worldwide has been contacted, for years, by restorers and builders who are fearful that they may be held liable by the insurers of the owners of the cars on which they are working. To address these concerns, Grundy formed an all-risk, direct primary coverage program that protects not only the interest of the restorers and builders, but the interest of the car owners, too.

Not for the hobbyist working on his own car, this is insurance for the professional with a shop who is working on collector cars for other people. It was designed by Grundy Worldwide from the ground up, specifically to meet the insurance requirements of businesses that restore, build, customize, repair or maintain collector cars.

The Restorer and Builder Program (R & B) is the only one of its kind that provides Agreed Value coverage for the Garagekeepers portion of the policy. All other policies in the marketplace write this portion of their coverage using Actual Cash Value, which is defined as replacement cost, less depreciation. That simply does not work for collector cars that typically appreciate over time.

The R & B policy is a comprehensive package, providing coverage for the building, tools and equipment, the liability exposures (both premises, and products and completed operations), customers' cars on which work is being done, shop-owned vehicles and more. And, because Grundy will not insure a mainstream collision shop in this program, the annual premium is usually much less than what the shop owner has been paying elsewhere for protection that amounts to what could be compared to a round peg in a square hole.

Sometimes a shop owner will say, "I don't need shop insurance. I have all my customers sign an agreement that says I'm not liable for damage that happens to their car while it's in my shop. My customers either carry insurance on their cars or I won't work on them."

Sounds good, doesn't it? Don't be so sure.

You may know, like and trust the customer. And, they may know, like and trust you. But, if a customer's car is damaged while it's in your care, custody or control, and you are not insured, your customer will be left with two choices: They can either eat the loss or file a claim with their insurer.

In these economic times, not many people are in the position to eat a loss, so they may be forced to file a claim. The insurer will pay them, and their car will get fixed. End of story. Right?

Wrong.

The problem is, that the agreement you made is between you and your customer. It's not between the customer and his insurer. The insurer has every right to come back against you for reimbursement, and there is nothing the customer can do to stop them. That's called subrogation, and it could put you out of business.

Why risk it?

Be smart. Join the hundreds of other shop owners from across the country who know the peace of mind that owning a Grundy Worldwide Restorer and Builder Insurance policy brings. Learn more at www.grundy.com/restorer or simply call John Heckman, the program manager, toll-free at 866-338-4006.