General Liability Insurance

General liability policies have different levels of coverage. A policy may include premises coverage, which protects the business from claims that occur at the business’ physical location during regular business operations. It may also include coverage for bodily injury and property damage that is the result of finished products. Excess liability coverage can be purchased in order to cover claims that exceed the limit of the GL policy. Some commercial general liability policies may have exclusions to what actions are covered. For example, a policy may not cover the costs associated with a product recall, that would be a specific policy called Product Liability Insurance.

When purchasing general liability insurance, it is important for the business to differentiate between a claims-made policy and an occurrence policy. A claims-made policy provides coverage over a specific time period and covers claims made during that time period, even if the claim event occurred at a different time. An occurrence policy is different in that it covers claims provided that the claim event occurred during a specified time period and does not cover claims stemming from claim events that occurred before the policy came into effect. 

In addition to general liability policies, businesses may also purchase policies that provide coverage for other business risks. For example, the business may purchase employment practices liability coverage to protect itself from claims associated with sexual harassment, wrongful termination and discrimination. It may also purchase insurance to cover errors and omissions made in financial reporting statements, as well as coverage for damages, resulting from the actions of its directors and officers.