General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance protects you against unintentional damages you might cause in the normal operation of your business on a client’s property.

General liability insurance coverage can provide your business with protection against a claim resulting from damage to property, accidents, and bodily injury. This insurance policy helps protect you and your business when third parties (usually customers or vendors) are injured on your commercial property.

General liability insurance coverage can protect against claims of personal or advertising injury. These can include claims of stolen ideas, invasion of privacy, libel, slander, and copyright infringement related to advertising.

If your business accidentally manufactures a product that has a defect that injures someone, your policy could help cover costs arising from that claim. This part of general liability insurance – known more specifically as product liability insurance – can typically be added to a GL policy if the carrier offers it for small business owners who make and sell products, especially in e-commerce stores.

In some cases, general liability insurance can help cover the cost of replacing or repairing your business tools and equipment if they’re lost or stolen. This is known as contents coverage, and it can usually be added to your general liability policy.

Let’s take a look at an example of how a general liability insurance policy works in action.

A plumber is doing light repairs on pipes in a client’s remodeled bathroom. However, he doesn’t secure the caps as tightly as he should have, which causes considerable water damage in the new bathroom.

The plumber’s general liability insurance policy covers the $7,500 cost of repairing the water damage. The only out-of-pocket expense the plumber has to pay is the policy deductible.

Without this protection, the plumber would have had to pay the entire $7,500 out of pocket, plus any legal fees if the customer decided to sue for more damages.

Essentially, general liability insurance makes it possible for your business to survive business-related accidents or lawsuits.

Commercial liability insurance is not required by federal law, but most cities and states have their own legal requirements for business owners who work with the public. For example, if you’re a contractor and you’re applying for a license, most states will require you to provide proof of general liability coverage for your contractor business before you can get licensed.

Regardless of your state’s requirements around general liability insurance, it’s a good idea to take out this policy. Most customers won’t work with you unless you have it, and some vendors won’t allow you on their property without proof of coverage.

Commercial general liability insurance is critical for businesses that deal with the public. It gives you the peace of mind you need to focus on your business, plus, it can make customers more confident about working with you.

Accidents happen, even when you try to do everything right. General liability insurance means that if the worst happens, you and your family won’t be held financially responsible for any resulting lawsuits, medical costs, and property damage.

Typically, your general liability insurance costs are income- tax-deductible. That’s because the IRS considers your policy premium as part of your business costs, which are deductible. However, you should get advice from a tax preparer or an accountant if you’d like to learn more about deducting your insurance premiums from your business’s taxes.

General liability cost is largely determined by the type of work you do, the kinds of risks you’re exposed to, and the number of employees you have on your payroll (see next section for more details).

Some other factors can include where your business is located, how many years of experience you have, the financial stability of your operation, and how your business is formulated- for example LLC general liability insurance quotes may differ from those for another business type, such as a sole proprietorship.

Here at Simply Business, we specialize in helping small business owners find general liability insurance that’s as affordable as it is comprehensive. We can help you find and select GL policies for as low as $20.83 per month, meaning you don’t need to break the bank to get coverage for your business.*

To see how much you could pay for general liability insurance coverage, just answer a few questions on our quote form to get your general liability quotes so you can start comparing policies from the nation’s top insurers. Once you find one you like, you can select it and buy 100% online or over your phone.

The number of employees you have in your company can play a role in how much you pay for your small business liability insurance.

Think about it this way: The more employees you have, the greater the likelihood that they may cause damage in your office or on a customer’s property.

Even the best small business owner can’t control risks that come with having employees on the job. Your employee may accidentally damage a customer’s property or say something about a client that results in legal action. These common scenarios happen a lot more than you think, and without general liability protection, you could end up leaving your business and your family vulnerable.