Frank Winston Crum Insurance Review

Frank Winston Crum Insurance Ratings at a Glance

Workers’ comp

Workers’ comp is insurance that protects employees from injuries occurring on the job or at the workplace. Workers’ comp is FWCI’s specialty. Frank Winston Crum sells workers’ comp in 37 states.

You need workers’ comp insurance to cover the medical bills and lost wages of employees who are injured on the job that you otherwise would be liable for.

Why choose FWCI for your workers’ comp policy? FWCI offers workers’ comp insurance for both small and mid-sized businesses. Policies are available for qualifying risks on a guaranteed cost basis. Policies that have high deductibles and are loss-sensitive are also available for larger risks if they qualify. Program specifics include:

• Pay-as-you-go premiums
• Flexible deductibles
• Competitive rates
• Return-to-work and claims-management programs
• Claims filing online and by phone, 24/7

Enhanced risk-management support includes safety-management programs, technical resources and on-site reviews.

General liability

A general liability policy protects both you and your businesses from unforeseen events related to third-party injuries and property damage. It also covers legal expenses.

Why does your business need general liability coverage? 

1. Risk of loss: If your business doesn’t have risk-of-loss coverage, you could be held liable for medical expenses, property damage or legal defense costs.
2. Potential accidents: Whether it’s physical injury or damage to property, accidents happen. You need to be covered.
3. It’s required: Auto insurance is required in every state. Other types of general liability insurance are also required. You may need it just because you’re required to have it.

FWCI is not only nationally recognized, it’s competitively priced. Policyholders have the option of paying in full or in installments. The company also offers a $0 deductible option.

Excess liability insurance

What happens when you're hit with a claim so big it exceeds the limits of your existing coverage? Unexpected damages could bankrupt your company, but not if you have excess liability insurance.

Excess liability insurance is extended coverage that’s there for those big, sometimes even catastrophic events. You may need excess liability insurance if you are in:

• Manufacturing
• Publishing
• Real estate
• Hotels
• Construction

Whatever business you're in, if you’ve got a large book of assets, like buildings, or work equipment, there’s a good chance you need excess liability insurance. But what if you already have added protection through an umbrella policy? What’s the difference between commercial umbrella insurance and excess liability insurance? 

While umbrella insurance gives you an added layer of protection, it is not an additional policy. An umbrella policy provides higher coverage limits for your already existing insurance. It also covers exposure gaps in those policies.

Excess liability insurance, on the other hand, is an added layer of protection to both your primary and umbrella policies. Excess liability insurance provides coverage when your policy responds to a particular event, like death, or a major injury. In short, an excess liability policy is more restrictive than an umbrella.

Inland marine insurance

Sure, your primary insurance policy covers your assets when they’re at the workplace; but what happens when something goes wrong on the job site? What if all your tools are stolen? Your machinery? That’s where inland marine insurance comes in.

In short, inland marine insurance protects your commercial property when it’s on the job site, in transit or somewhere other than your primary business location. It also covers certain, highly valued assets that are not covered by your normal insurance policy.

Why do you need inland marine insurance? If you’re a construction worker or a contractor, you need inland marine coverage for:

• Gaps in coverage: Your primary insurance policy doesn’t cover your assets while they’re off your property or in transit.
• Loss of income: If your tools or machinery are stolen or damaged off site, you’ll have a loss of income if you can’t replace them.
• Incomplete projects: If your tools or machinery are lost or stolen and the project is not complete, you can be held liable.

Why purchase your inland marine insurance policy from Frank Winston Crum? FWCI has a financial rating of B+++ from A.M. Best. It also has flexible coverage options and payment plans.

FWCI policyholder services

If you’re a policyholder, FWCI has a wide range of services and resources on its website. They begin with filing your claim.

File a claim

If you’re an FWCI policyholder and you need to file a claim, there are three easy ways to do it:

1. Call the 1-888 number
2. Email the company
3. File your claim online

All three types of claim submissions are available 24/7. If you choose to file your claim online, the four-step process is fast and easy. No login is required.

Claims management

FWCI policyholder services don’t just cover filing a claim, it also helps you manage the claim. What does managing a claim mean? A workers’ compensation claim begins when a claim is filed, but it doesn’t end there. With FWCI’s claims management resource, you can stay on top of the claim all the way until the employee returns to work. Effective claims management means:

• Improved results: A claim tends to be shorter in length when properly managed
• Expedited return to work time: The sooner a worker returns to work, the better the outcome for both employer and employee.
• Stress relief: Communication with the injured employee about payments, medical treatments and their impact on the workers’ paycheck help give a better understanding and relieve the stress that comes with not knowing.
• Save money: It isn’t all about money, but the faster the worker heals and reenters the workplace, the less cost there will be for both worker and employer.

FWCI handles claims management by cost control and efficiency, monitoring recovery and a safety-first approach. The best way to hasten a claim is to stop it before it even happens.

Risk management

FWCI isn’t only there for you after an accident. With risk-management services, the company looks to help you identify the risks before they even happen. Risk management helps you get better rates, increase productivity and be more responsible. How does FWCI do this?

• Workplace consultations: Help avoid accidents by accessing the job site, your facilities and all current safety measures.
• Customized safety program: Let FWCI help make your workplace safer with a safety program that’s tailor-made for your business’s needs.
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Make sure both employer and employees are up to date on all OSHA safety guidelines.

Payment center

At the FWCI payment center, you can make a payment, view your account balance and payment history and change your payment schedule. The payment center is available to both policyholders and agents alike. For policyholders making a payment, login is not required.

Resource library

The FWCI resource library has hundreds of training tools, policies and programs. Categories are broken down into:

• Construction
• General liability
• General risk management
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Staffing

Short-term training for construction workers is available. FWCI offers training courses in chainsaw safety, mold protection, fall protection equipment and dozens more. General risk management offers certificates in insurance, accident investigation and fire protection, just to name a few.

While the FWCI website offers ways to contact the company both by phone and internet message, there doesn’t appear to be a chat service. While the company has Facebook and Twitter accounts, they have very low customer interaction and are not listed on its website. The website also does not provide customer service hours for its main phone number. FWCI is a family-owned business, but more up-to-date services should be available.

While customer support may be lacking, FWCI takes care of its policyholders when it comes to claims.

Because prices vary, the company doesn’t post rates. Quotes are only available through an independent insurance agent. Pricing depends upon:

• What size your business is
• Your location
• The industry your business is in
• Your claims history, good or bad
• The amount of coverage you’re seeking

To find out how much commercial insurance from FWCI will cost, contact an independent insurance agent. 

User benefits include a 24/7 claims filing system by email, phone or online. As an FWCI policyholder, the company makes sure your claims get filed as soon as possible. The company also offers a wide array of services and resources on its website, including a payment center, resource library, claims and risk management. For policyholders, FWCI makes available everything you need to help keep both risk and costs down.

For potential customers looking for information, the front page of the website tells you everything you need to know about what the company does, and what those areas mean. Extensive pages on workers’ comp, general liability, excess liability and inland marine insurance let you know whether FWCI has what you’re looking for.

As a policyholder, it couldn’t be easier to learn how you can help your company manage risk and save money on coverage. The FWCI website goes into extensive detail about the services and resources it offers on its Policyholders page. Here you can find out how to make a payment, file a claim and manage your claim. It even has an informative FAQ page that answers many of your questions before you even get started.

Frank Winston Crum vs Competitors

Frank Winston Crum is not one of the largest sellers of commercial insurance, but it is very competitive. As a family-owned business, what you lose in size, you gain in access. At FWCI, the company knows exactly who its customers are — not something you’re going to get from the competition. 

FWCI employs more than 350 people. With over 4,000 professional employer organization clients and 45,000 policyholders nationwide — and with an A.M. Best financial rating of B++ (Good) — the company is very competitive.

Overall, FWCI offers both its potential customers and policyholders a good understanding of exactly what they do, and how they can help their customers. Extensive pages covering everything from claims to risk management make it easy for the customer to learn everything about their policy, and even things they don’t know already. Overall, FWCI presents itself both clearly and comprehensively.

Frequently Asked Questions