Thoughts, Prayers and Workplace Shooting Insurance

After you think about the unthinkable once or twice it isn’t unthinkable anymore. From there it’s just a few easy steps to “active shooter insurance,” a policy created by McGowan Program Administrators that currently covers about 500 law firms, car dealerships, daycare centers, coffee shops and small restaurants, as well as a number of schools. General liability insurance doesn’t pay for workplace murders unless the company where the mayhem took place is liable, which, absent the type of insurance McGowan issues, may leave the victims footing the bills. Besides covering costs such as medical expenses, funeral costs and counseling, it also includes business interruption and loss of income insurance. Premiums start at $1,200 a year for companies, a bargain compared to the cost of coverage for a university, which could cost between $30,000 and $50,000 a year depending on the number of students. Active shooter coverage for schools also often includes what the insurer describes as “a mental anguish coverage trigger.” 351 people were intentionally shot dead at work in 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 35 fewer than the year before.