Assault and Battery Coverage
Assault and Battery Coverage is specialized insurance protection for claims arising from physical altercations on your restaurant premises, typically excluded from standard general liability policies.
What You Need to Know
Standard liability policies specifically exclude assault and battery, so you must add this as an endorsement. Without it, you have no coverage if a fight breaks out among customers or if security personnel use force.
Standard exclusions typically deny coverage for:
- Injuries from physical altercations between customers
- Use of force by security staff or bouncers
- Claims of inadequate security that allowed violence to occur
- Allegations of over-serving alcohol leading to violent incidents
When you add the endorsement, coverage typically includes defense costs, medical payments for injured parties, settlements and judgments up to your limits, and liability protection for security staff who use reasonable force. Coverage limits usually run $100,000 to $1,000,000 per occurrence, with annual premiums of $500-$5,000 depending on risk factors.
Why It Matters for Restaurant Owners
This coverage is essential for any restaurant serving alcohol, operating late hours, or employing security staff. A single incident can easily exceed $500,000-$1,000,000+ in medical bills, legal defense, and pain-and-suffering damages.
Even if you're not directly responsible for a fight, you can be sued for:
- Inadequate security — failing to hire security in a high-risk environment
- Over-serving alcohol — serving a visibly intoxicated person who became violent
- Negligent supervision — not monitoring an escalating situation
- Failure to intervene — not calling police or taking action to prevent violence
The endorsement is relatively inexpensive compared to the risk — annual premiums of $1,000-$3,000 are minimal next to a potential $500,000+ exposure. If you serve alcohol past 10 PM, operate a full bar, or employ security, this coverage is not optional.
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