We have a couple of questions concerning the coverage for equipment in autos under the business auto policy (BAP).
If a camper body is removed from the covered truck and then was stolen or damaged, would there be coverage under the BAP for the loss to the camper body?
The second question concerns a CD player. There is a total loss to the covered auto due to a fire. Prior to the loss, an insured employee had removed the vehicle’s AM/FM radio and replaced the radio with the employee’s personally owned multiple disc CD player. This CD player is permanently installed in the dash opening formerly housing the radio. Would the BAP respond to the loss of the CD player even though the player is owned by the employee?
Ohio Subscriber
The physical damage coverage under the BAP is for covered autos and their equipment. There is no definition of equipment on the policy, so giving the insured the benefit of any reasonable doubt, a loss due to a stolen or damaged camper body would be covered. There is no requirement in the BAP provisions that the equipment be in or on or upon the covered auto for coverage to take hold. If it can be shown that the stolen or damaged item is equipment for the covered auto, the BAP provides coverage for that loss.
As for the CD player, a loss to that item is also covered. Since the insuring agreement applies to the covered auto and its equipment, there is coverage for the CD player since it was the equipment of the auto; this is regardless of the owner of the player. The coverage for physical damage under the BAP follows the auto and not the person.
The exclusion about CDs on the BAP has the exception for CDs permanently installed in the covered auto at the time of loss, and that is how you describe the situation here. So, the auto policy will cover the fire loss to the CD player.
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