General Liability Insurance
Ensure your small business has financial protection from unforeseen claims with general liability insurance.
Have peace of mind knowing your business is covered should you be held responsible for an accident at your business including customer injuries or damages and advertising injuries.
Did you know?
A lawsuit can increase the average claim to more than $75,000 to defend & settle.
Protection Against Common Business Risks
General liability insurance, also known as business liability insurance, helps protect a business from claims arising from bodily injury, property damage, or personal or advertising injury.
Business owners can purchase this coverage as a stand-alone policy or can choose to combine it with property insurance in a standard Business Owners Policy (BOP).
General liability coverage is essential if your business:
- Has a location that is open to the public.
- Visits client’s offices or host clients at your office.
- Works closely with customers or clients.
- Handles client property or equipment.
- Rents or owns commercial property.
- Sells a physical product to customers.
- Is in a partnership or has contracts that require a GL policy before entering into contract.
General liability quotes usually include:
Bodily injuries
Property damages
Advertising injuries
Product liability
Damage to premises rented to you
*Coverages vary by state, offerings, and carriers.
Some employers or clients might require you to carry a certain amount of general liability insurance before you can work for them.
F.A.Q
Make sure your business has liability coverage that matches your level of exposure.
Any business owner who rents commercial property could be required to have coverage as part of their lease.
What is commercial general liability insurance?
It helps protect a business from claims arising from bodily injury, property damage, or personal or advertising injury.
It provides coverage for medical payments as well as helps cover legal fees and settlements if you are sued.
Your GLI policy coverages many situations, but it doesn’t cover everything. Depending on your business, you might need to buy other types of liability insurance.
What does general liability insurance cover?
Most general liability insurance quotes usually include:
- Bodily injuries – This protects against certain claims alleging financial loss due to bodily injury arising out of your business operations or products.
- Property damages – This covers property damage to your client’s property or a third parties’ property.
- Advertising injuries – This protects against claims of stolen ideas, invasion of privacy, libel, slander, and copyright infringement related to advertising.
- Product liability – This protects manufacturers or those who sell products under their own label.
- Damage to premises rented to you – This helps protect your business against certain claims for damage to premises rented to you due to certain types of loss.
- Legal fees and settlements – This helps you pay for attorney fees for a lawsuit, even if you are not at fault for the accident the legal defense fees can add up quickly.
What does general business liability insurance not cover?
- Employee injuries or illnesses resulting from their work (workers’ comp can help with that).
- Commercial auto accidents that you or your employees cause while driving to work (commercial auto insurance can help with that).
- Commercial property damage that you or your employees cause.
- Intentional damage that you or your employee cause.
- Professional errors made by you or your employees (professional liability insurance can help with that).
How can general liability help your business?
Here are some situations where a general liability policy can protect your business:
- Your contractor sets fire. Your contractor accidentally sets fire to a building they are working in, and repair costs will exceed $150,000. Now, you may be liable to pay for the damages and construction costs. With a GLI policy, you would likely have help covering the costs of those damages.
- Sued for copyright infringement on company website. You launch your new company website and include some informative videos which feature copyrighted words or songs. A GLI policy will help protect against accidental copyright infringement.
- Your product causes an allergic reaction. You own a salon selling your own shampoos to your customers. After using the product, a customer had allergic reactions and sues you. A GLI policy would typically cover any legal expenses that result from the accident.
- Employee damages client’s fence. Your employee accidentally backs up his truck into a client’s fence, causing extensive property damage. A GLI would usually cover the cost to repair or replace the fence, along with any other property damage the accident may have caused.
What businesses need general liability insurance coverage?
All businesses have their own unique needs, but you want to make sure your business is protected from the risks you face from normal business operations.
Companies working in the following industries should highly consider investing in general liability insurance:
- Construction or landscaping
- IT and tech companies
- Restaurants, breweries and coffee shops
- Freelancers or consultants
- Real estate agencies
- Marketing or creative agencies
- Small business owners
- Professional services, including accountants, lawyers, doctors and therapists
How much does general liability insurance cost?
Your cost may be affected by the including:
- Location
- Policy coverage limits and terms
- Type of business
- Number of years in business
- Claims history
- Company size
- Number of employees
- Number of clients
- Credit score (depending on your state)
Additional Coverage
Property Insurance
Whether you own your own freestanding building or lease an office protect your business’s physical location & other assets.
Umbrella Insurance
Broaden your business coverage & increase your liability limit on your underlying policies.
Wokers' Comp
Workplace accidents happen. Protect your employees & business from the financial impacts of an injury.
