General Liability

General Liability Information

The Basics of General Liability Insurance

In the course of doing business, you interact with employees, contractors, clients, vendors, and others. Any one of them could claim that your business caused them injury or loss and take legal action against you. Whether you need to defend yourself against claims of property damage, bodily injury, libel, slander, or something else, your General Liability Insurance policy could provide coverage for you.

Why is General Liability Insurance Important?

In simple terms, a Commercial General Liability Insurance policy protects your business by providing the financial resources necessary to keep it operational when unexpected events happen. Some of the risks that your business could face include:

• Bodily injury or property damage– Helps protect against certain claims alleging financial loss due to property damage or bodily injury arising out of your business operations or products.
• Reputational harm– Helps protect your business against certain claims of false arrest, malicious prosecution, libel, slander, wrongful eviction, violation of the right of privacy and more.
• Advertising errors– Helps protect your business against certain claims if others allege you infringed on their copyrights when advertising goods, products, or services in your advertisement.
• Medical payments– Helps protect against certain claims for medical costs if someone is injured on the business premises and needs medical treatment.
• Damage to premises rented to you– Helps protect your business against certain claims for damage to premises rented to you due to fire, lightning or explosion.

What to Discuss With Your Agent

Before buying General Liability Insurance, be prepared to discuss the following with your independent insurance agent:

• The type of business you operate, and the specific risks that are present in your industry.
• The amount of revenue you generate per year.
• The specific insurance requirements/certificates you need to produce for the people you work with.
• The amount of employee headcount/payroll you will have per year.
• The procedure for filing a claim.
• The insurance provider’s reputation for customer service and ability to pay claims.
• The responsiveness of the Insurance Agency staff when it comes to generating certificates, processing policy changes, and offering advise.