This is another reason why a valet service requires insurance
Why did the valet parking service purchase a related business insurance policy?
The answer to this question can include many scenarios regarding when the business can be held liable for loss and damage to other people’s property. The true-to-life episode posted below about a luxury car handed over to the valet, however, would not rank as the norm in insurance claims.
The valet parking error
James Fowler was an attorney who had come to St. Petersburg, FL to participate in an industry convention. Upon arrival at the Vinoy Renaissance Resort and Golf Club where the weekend event would take place, he handed over the keys to his several hundred thousand dollar Ferrari to the parking attendant.
No one, surely Mr. Fowler, the quintessential squire, could have predicted what would happen after the delivery of the car.
Enter Levi Miles, a young cheater who wanted to make a surprising impression as a rich man of great importance to his date.
Levi Miles pretended to be the proud owner of the Ferrari and asked the valet for the keys. After receiving them and sitting him and his girl in the front seats, Miles let the valet wait for the property ticket. In fact, the attendant waited so long that he turned away without realizing that the Ferrari “owner” had left without depositing the required ticket.
The theft went unnoticed for a time. But it didn’t take long for a police officer to realize a traffic violation. It was then that he stopped Miles. One thing led to another until Miles confessed that the car wasn’t even his.
Once Fowler, the true owner of Ferrari, learned of the episode, he began legal proceedings for a lawsuit directed at the resort’s valet service for negligence …
What is valet parking insurance all about?
Your business may have a valet service if it is involved in the following healthcare, hospitality, or other industries, such as a
• Hospital
• Dance room
• Restaurant
• Country Club
• Hotel
• Art Gallery
• Museum
When a customer approaches the valet counter, the attendant takes the car key and gives the driver a corresponding identification ticket. Valet parking parks your car for your convenience. When the car owner returns to claim their vehicle, they hand over the ticket along with the payment. In turn, the valet attendant returns the car to the owner.
Valet parking can also provide car details and transportation tickets.
An experienced independent insurance agency would be better equipped to explain more about valet service coverage and present a personalized protection policy.
