Insurers Warn of Post-Election Rioting
Plus, Harvard ROTC students were advised not to wear uniforms on campus
The Hartford, a property and casualty insurance company (HIG), is warning customers about the risk of riots after the U.S. presidential election.
“While most protests and gatherings of people are peaceful, some can evolve into a civil unrest event that may result in costly losses to businesses,” an email to customers says.
The email includes a preparedness checklist for businesses advising steps such as, “Use steel roll-down doors and shutters on windows where possible.” And “Have temporary supplies, such as fireproof and waterproof tarps and plywood, on hand to make emergency repairs if needed.”
Some of this may be an effort by the insurance companies to drum up business by harping on fears. Some of it, though, may be a prudent, market-based assessment of risk.
A report from another insurance company, Allianz, warned of what the report called “election related SRCC [strikes, riots, and civil commotion] events.” It advised, “Review your insurance policies. Property policies may cover political violence claims in some cases but insurers also offer specialist coverage via the political violence market.”
“Any unrest around the November election is likely to be focused on the battleground states as well as the capital Washington DC,” Srdjan Todorovic, Head of Political Violence and Hostile Environment Solutions at Allianz Commercial, is quoted as saying in the report. It warns, “A narrow result, combined with election laws that can lead to protracted counting processes, could inflame tensions.”
An October 28, 2024 client letter from Wood, Smith, Henning, Berman, a law firm, warned, “Businesses located near polling stations, government buildings, or in urban areas prone to political activity must carefully consider exposure to potential damage from protests or riots that could occur in response to election results.”
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