South Dakota Business Insurance

General liability insurance, known as Commercial General Liability (CGL), protects your business from another person or business’s claims of bodily injury, associated medical costs, and damage to property. Some examples of what could be covered are below:

• Bodily injury: A bookkeeper rented office space on the second floor of an antique house that had been renovated as office space. A client who was leaving the bookkeeper’s office fell down the stairs when a handrail gave way, suffering injuries that required treatment at the emergency room. The client sued for his injuries. General liability insurance could protect bookkeepers against third-party claims of bodily injury, associated medical costs and property damage.
• Slander: A recruiter made disparaging and untrue remarks about a candidate to the marketing director of a client company. The candidate turned out to be related to an executive at the client company, and the conversation got back to the candidate, who sued the recruiter for slander. General liability insurance could protect recruiters against third-party claims of slander, property damage, bodily injury and associated medical costs.
• Make-up spill: A make-up artist went to a bride’s family home to do the bridal party’s make-up before the wedding. She spilled makeup remover on an expensive carpet, staining it. The bride’s parents sued for the cost to clean the carpet. General liability insurance could protect beauticians and cosmetologists against third party claims of property damage, bodily injury and related medical costs.

Learn more about general liability insurance costs for your business. 

Professional liability insurance, also known as errors and omissions insurance (E&O insurance), covers another person’s claims against businesses that provide professional and personal services. Some examples of what could be covered include:

• Negligence: A massage therapist performs a deep tissue massage on a client who had noted shoulder pain prior to the treatment. While performing a shoulder stretch on the massage chair, the patient winces and asks the therapist to stop. A day later the client accuses the therapist of causing a torn ligament in his shoulder, requiring surgery. Professional liability insurance could protect massage therapists against claims of negligence and will appoint an attorney to defend them, if needed, even if they haven’t made a mistake.
• Loss of personal information: A beautician accidentally misplaced a file with sensitive client information. Although it was an accident, the information was compromised and the client sued the cosmetologist. Professional liability insurance could protect beauticians and cosmetologists against claims of negligence and loss of personally identifiable information.

Learn more about professional liability insurance.