General Liability Insurance Quotes

General (Commercial) Liability Insurance protects the assets of your business when it is sued for doing (or not doing) something that results in a customer’s bodily injury or property damage. Coverage usually applies to accidents on your business premises and/or at a customer’s location.

Most General Liability policies also cover personal injury (libel and slander) and advertising injury (misrepresentation of your products or services).

What General Liability Insurance Is Not

General Liability Insurance is not the same thing as Errors and Omissions (E&O) or Professional Liability Insurance. E&O Insurance covers claims related to the exercise of professional judgment involved in delivering a product or service. Suppose you own a shoe store. If a customer hurts a foot by tripping on your stairs, you’re covered by General Liability insurance. If you recommend a pair of shoes that causes injury to your customer’s foot, you’re covered by E&O insurance.

In most cases, General Liability insurance does not cover punitive damages that are assessed for negligence or willful misconduct. Some businesses purchase Commercial Umbrella Liability coverage to guard against such claims.

Sometimes General Liability insurance is part of a comprehensive Business Owners Policy (BOP), but coverage amounts are typically low and some businesses opt to secure additional General Liability Insurance.

Things To Think About

The amount of General Liability insurance you need depends on your perceived risk: how likely you are to be sued, and what it would cost you if there ever is a claim. How much do you stand to lose?

If you live in a state that has a history of rewarding large amounts of damage to plaintiffs, you might want to consider additional General Liability coverage.

Check to see if your General Liability policy also covers the cost to settle claims. Legal fees can sometimes be as high, or higher, than the claim itself.

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