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What is Product Recall Insurance?

Jim B.
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Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 7,080
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Product recall insurance is a type of insurance policy purchased by a company or business that protects against the possibility of a recall of a specific product. This recall may be initiated by the company itself or by a regulatory body that oversees the industry in question. There are two main types of product recall insurance policies, which differ in size and scope. Any type of such insurance will generally provide the company with coverage for costs of disposal of the recalled product along with costs for communication to the public about the recall.

When a company manufactures a product, it is engaging upon a relationship with the consumer that is built on trust that the product is safe and reliable. If something occurs to damage that relationship, the company can be damaged beyond repair. Should such damage be caused by the recall of the company's product, it may require drastic and costly measures to get the company back to its original standing. Product recall insurance is often used in such a situation, supplying the monetary heft to implement the procedures necessary for rejuvenating the company's brand name and restoring its operations.

A company that decides upon product recall insurance must decide which type of insurance is best suited for its needs. If the company is smaller and doesn't require a third party to sell its products, then coverage A, as it is known in the recall insurance industry, might be the right choice. This coverage allows for payment of expenses pertaining to communicating with the public about the recall, such as media announcements or advertising, as well as any costs incurred from paying employees to dispose of the recalled material.

In most cases, a big brand-name company or any company that sells its product through retailers would likely consider the more inclusive coverage B. This type of coverage would include expenses similar to coverage A as well as extra demands placed upon the company by retailers for disposal of the product. These may include disposal other than simply tossing the product in the trash, costs for shipping the product elsewhere, and even rented warehouse space to hold the product for possible testing. Coverage B also usually allows for the redistribution of the product.

There are other differences between the two coverages that a company needs to recognize before making its choice. For example, while coverage A allows for the company itself to determine the process of recalling the product, coverage B stipulates that the insurance company itself can be much more involved in the recall procedures. Regardless of what choice a company makes, product recall insurance is a good step to take to protect against possible financial ruin caused by an unexpected manufacturing mishap.

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Jim B.
By Jim B.
Freelance writer - Jim Beviglia has made a name for himself by writing for national publications and creating his own successful blog. His passion led to a popular book series, which has gained the attention of fans worldwide. With a background in journalism, Beviglia brings his love for storytelling to his writing career where he engages readers with his unique insights.

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Discussion Comments
By mobilian33 — On Nov 01, 2014

I agree with @Drentel when he says that a person who owns even a small business needing small business insurance. The man who runs the local general store in the community where I live says he has been sued so many times by customers that he has lost track of just how many times this has happened.

The reason that many of the people have sued him is because they slipped and fell in his store or in the parking lot. We live in a place where there is a lot of snow and ice during the winter, so people are going to slip. But, as soon as people think they can make a little money, they hire a lawyer and try to get as much as they can.

One woman sued him when she knocked over a shelf of canned goods and one of the cans landed on her foot. She knocked over the cans, but the lawyer said the store owner shouldn't have had the cans stacked up the way he had them.

By Drentel — On Oct 31, 2014

@Feryll - Any type of business, no matter how large or how small, needs some type of commercial liability insurance. When you operate businesses there are so many things and people you are liable for should an accident happen.

I have several small businesses and no matter how many precautions we take, we are aware that something will go wrong and a worker will be injured or a customer will be injured or somebody's property will be damaged because of something we have done, or something we failed to do that we should have done.

By Feryll — On Oct 30, 2014

Car makers really need some type of product recall insurance to handle the costs of making all those repairs on their vehicles when a part is found to be defective. I have three items on my car that currently need to be replaced because of recalls.

Jim B.
Jim B.
Freelance writer - Jim Beviglia has made a name for himself by writing for national publications and creating his own...
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