General Liability Insurance

Even with careful planning and the best precautions, accidents and injuries can still happen on the job. Say, for example, one of your clients trips and falls over a bag you left on the floor. Or maybe an accident occurs while on a client’s premises. If your client is injured and if you’re legally liable, our commercial general liability insurance for business can cover claims by third parties for their bodily injury.

If you meet with customers or vendors face to face, you need general liability insurance coverage. Whether you do your work in an office or storefront, or at your client’s location, general liability insurance coverage can protect you from these types of claims and lawsuits.

If an accident occurs and someone other than you or an employee is injured, your Hiscox business general liability insurance policy may cover associated medical expenses for each injured person, up to $5,000 per person. This coverage applies even if the accident is not your fault.

Bodily injury can occur on the job in many different industries including carpentry, HVAC contracting, construction, and electrical work. For example, a client could trip and fall over your ladder, resulting in a broken bone. Injuries could also occur in therapy professions that offer massages, such as when a client leans on the headrest of a massage table, causing it to snap off and the client to fall to the ground. Or a Zumba instructor could place their gym bag on the ground before class, and a student trips over it and strains a muscle.

In all of these hypothetical situations, a small business could be sued for the medical expenses even if they are not at fault for the injuries. Medical expenses can easily add up to thousands of dollars, even for injuries that appear to be minor. Protect yourself and your business with a commercial general liability insurance policy.

Property damage, whether caused by you or one of your employees, can create huge expenses that you may be responsible for. We offer coverage for damage to the property of another person or business as part of our commercial general liability insurance for small business. Note that covered claims are for damages to someone else’s property, and not for your own property.

If you have your own business property you want to protect, consider a Business Owner's Policy.

General liability insurance coverage is useful in situations like these:

• A building inspector accidentally knocks over an artisan glass window pane while making their way back to the truck. If the piece shatters and the client demands reimbursement plus delivery costs, it is important for the building inspector's company to have coverage for the claim.
• A personal trainer is conducting an at-home workout session for a client and accidentally knocks over a laptop while teaching a new routine. Third-party property damage coverage may protect the personal trainer from a claim by the laptop’s owner for their property damage.

When an accident occurs, it can be difficult to determine the estimated cost of another person’s property to assess the financial damage that may result. This is why it’s wise to protect yourself and your business with a general small business liability insurance policy.

If you run a construction business, for example, and have employees who are out to lunch and talking about one of your clients in a false and unflattering way, you could be sued for slander. At Hiscox, we may cover the subsequent claim, up to your commercial general liability policy's limits of liability, and pay for an attorney to defend you, if needed. Whether you personally commit the act of libel or slander or your employee does, your business could suffer significant financial loss from having to defend or pay for a claim that arises out of the situation if you don’t have general liability insurance for business.

Our general liability insurance for business provides protection against the unintentional use of a third party's idea if it was used as part of your advertising. We may also protect you if your advertisement or marketing materials infringe upon a third party’s copyright or trade slogan.

Property damage can occur in many forms, including to electronic data as well as physical property. For consultants and technology service providers, we added electronic data liability to our list of what’s covered under a commercial general liability insurance policy.

For example, suppose an IT professional damages a computer server while working for a client. The client’s electronic data is damaged and cannot be recovered, prompting the client to sue the IT professional for their electronic data loss. In this instance, we may cover any damages up to the IT professional's limits of liability. As part of our general liability insurance, we offer $25,000 in electronic data liability coverage for these professions, in addition to coverage for damages for premises rented and a separate personal/advertising injury limit.

In some cases, electronic data can be just as valuable or even more so than office furniture, supplies, and infrastructure in a business environment. Choosing Hiscox for your consulting and technology insurance needs will allow us to protect you against electronic data liability claims.

Legal fees can easily soar into the thousands of dollars if you don’t have a plan in place for your defense. If you are sued for a general liability claim, we will appoint a lawyer if necessary, even if the lawsuit is groundless.

We will cover defense costs on your behalf without reducing your limit of liability. If you’re running a small business, you can’t afford to not have general liability insurance to pay for high legal fees in connection with legitimate or frivolous claims made against you or your business.

At Hiscox, our general liability insurance coverage extends not just to actions of your full-time employees, but to part-time staff, leased and temporary workers, and volunteers as well. Here are some potentially covered examples:

• An employee of a real estate brokerage firm accidentally drives a stake through a water line while putting up a For Sale sign and causes serious damage to a homeowner’s lawn.
• A yoga instructor who works for a yoga studio is teaching a class where a student loses his balance, falls into a mirror, and is injured.
• After having a few drinks at the bar, a computer programmer’s assistant accidentally spreads untrue rumors about an executive at a client company.

In all of these examples, your business could be sued due to the actions of your staff, regardless of whether they are full- or part-time employees, leased or temporary workers, or volunteers. We can help you stay protected with general liability insurance for small business.

If a claim is filed against your business, there are many expenses that can follow, and many that you may not know to expect. As small business insurance experts, we are well aware of all of the hidden expenses and extra fees that commonly come along with defending you and your business against claims, and we’re ready to put our expertise to work for your benefit. This includes:

• If one of your clients, a business, or another third-party files a claim against you, we may cover legal defense costs if incurred.
• We may also cover up to $250 per day for the loss of your earnings and pay for reasonable expenses you incur as a result of assisting us in the investigation of the claim against you.
• We may also provide interest on damage awards as part of our general liability insurance policies.

These are examples of hidden costs that may arise and add up if you’re not working with an insurance company that understands the toll that claims and lawsuits take on business owners. Whether you work in IT, marketing, therapy, health, fitness, contracting, beauty, engineering, or another vertical, we are here for you.

Hiscox covers business liability claims that are brought in the United States, its territories, and Canada. In some instances, the incident that resulted in the claim may have occurred anywhere in the world.

This is important to professionals whose home is in the United States, its territories, or Canada but need to work in various places as a normal course of business, such as architects, engineers, and management consultants. Health professionals, such as acupuncturists, acupressurists, and massage therapists may also benefit from worldwide insurance coverage in the event they need to travel for retreats, expos, or for individual client requests. Event planners, public relations professionals, and promoters who consistently travel abroad for clients can also benefit from our worldwide insurance coverage. Although we may insure for claims that arise from actions worldwide, the claim must be brought in the United States, Canada, or US Territories. We can accommodate the commercial general liability insurance needs of a multitude of professions spanning all verticals. If you have any questions about our geographical coverage or the requirements to file a claim, please contact us. We’d be happy to tell you about our coverage for business professionals and how to make the most of your small business general liability insurance coverage.

This information is provided to assist you in understanding the coverage we offer and does not modify the terms and conditions of any Insurance policy, nor does it imply that any claim is covered. Coverage is subject to underwriting, terms, conditions, and limits of the policy.

General liability insurance covers claims that someone else (other than an employee) makes against you. It does not cover claims for damage to your own property or that of an employee, or medical costs related to your own or an employee’s bodily injury.

Your policy doesn’t cover damage to or theft of your own business property. To cover your property, consider a business owner’s policy which includes general liability coverage plus business property coverage.

Your policy doesn’t cover claims of professional negligence, errors, or omissions. These types of claims can be covered by professional liability insurance, which you should consider if you offer advice to clients.

Your policy doesn’t cover automobile liability or injuries arising out of driving for either personal or business reasons. Instead, you should consider commercial auto insurance or hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) coverage.

General liability insurance does not protect you against claims that you mishandled personally identifiable information. Cyber security insurance covers this and more.

We won’t cover claims for bodily injury, medical costs or lost wages due to an employee becoming ill or getting injured on the job. For these types of claims, consider workers compensation insurance, which is required in most states.

Commercial general liability (CGL), also known as general liability insurance, is a business insurance policy that provides coverage for personal injury, bodily injury and property damage to third parties sustained as a result of business operations, products or services. It also covers injuries that occur on the business's property. While considered to be a comprehensive insurance policy, it does not cover 100% of the risks that a business may encounter during its lifespan. Many companies choose to purchase additional insurance, such as that which protects against errors and omissions or cyber security incidents.

It is a common misconception that general business liability insurance covers theft of one’s own business property. Liability insurance typically covers only third-party losses for which your business may bear some form of responsibility. Since theft is considered a first party loss, general liability coverage does not extend to the theft of your own business property.

We currently offer our insurance products in all states except Alaska.

Not in your state? Even if we don’t currently offer our products direct and online in your state, we can still help. We have access to insurance broker specialists across the U.S. who may be able to assist you. Contact one of our licensed advisors at 1-866-283-7545 (Monday – Friday, 7am – 10pm ET) today.

There are several factors that can influence the cost of a general liability insurance premium, many of which relate to the likelihood that a claim might be made. These factors include business size, location and industry, as well as things like revenue and what coverage you’ve opted to include or not to include in your policy. Insurance premiums also depend on the type of work your business conducts. Check the price for a general liability insurance policy for your business by completing a quote.

In order to operate legally, there are a few types of insurance coverage that businesses must have, including vehicle insurance (for businesses with company vehicles) and, in most states, workers’ compensation insurance. However, it is not required by law that a business purchase general liability insurance. That said, general liability is highly recommended for all businesses. Should litigation occur, attorney fees and court costs can be shockingly high—general liability insurance can cover your business against these and other financial burdens.

An additional insured is any additional person or company that is added to the business’s general liability insurance policy. An additional insured is protected by the policy as long as they are performing services for the policyholder. They are named on the certificate of insurance and must be different from the policyholder. While individuals are often named as an additional insured, groups may also qualify for this title. The additional insured's coverage is usually not as extensive as that of the policyholder. However, significant protection such as defense coverage and coverage for third-party lawsuits usually applies to additionally insured entities.

Yes. We know many clients will ask you to have a minimum level of general liability insurance coverage before they’ll even begin a business relationship with you. Typically, they’ll want to have proof you have $1 million of general liability in place. That may mean you need it now. We can do that.

The first step is to get a quote. Hiscox can provide this for you direct and online, or you can call one of our licensed advisors at 1-866-283-7545 (Monday – Friday, 7am – 10pm ET). Once the fast, easy application process is completed, your policy will be issued via email. You’ll receive your certificate of insurance in the welcome documents, which you can then email to your client as proof of insurance.

Several. Hiscox offers a range of payment options, including debit and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard and American Express). You may choose to pay the premium annually, semi-annually, quarterly or monthly (with no additional fees).

We offer a wide range of general liability limits ranging from $300,000 to $2,000,000. Clients often ask for a minimum of $1 million of coverage, but this can vary depending on the size of the organization and project you are working on. If you need more coverage or you’re not sure what limit is right for your business, call one of our licensed advisors at 1-866-283-7545 (Monday – Friday, 7am – 10pm ET). We’ll help guide you according to your specific business needs.

There is no deductible with our general liability insurance policy. Covered claims are paid in full up to the limits of your policy. You can quickly get a general liability insurance quote online or by calling one of our licensed advisors at 1-866-283-7545 (Monday – Friday, 7am – 10pm ET).

It doesn’t matter what time or day it is; you can report a claim online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Or, you can call us at 1-866-283-7545 (Monday – Friday, 7am – 10pm ET). We’ll assign a dedicated claims representative to you. If necessary, we’ll appoint a lawyer on your behalf.

Visit our small business insurance claims page for more information.