You’re busy growing your business and liability insurance may be the last thing on your mind. You shouldn’t have to worry about a lawsuit all the time – the right general liability insurance policy will protect you, so you can afford to focus all your attention on your core compentency.

Get the proper general liability policy for your business.

GL insurance is often required by state law, industry regulations, or the customers and clients you work with. It shifts liability to your insurer and away from you and your business, protecting you from being held financially responsible for damage caused to another person’s property, body, or reputation.

Whether you are a brick-and-mortar business, or provide goods/services on site, a general liability policy is crucial.

It’s important to know that there are some things it does not cover, like auto exposures or workers’ comp. Hence why this coverage is usually packaged with other lines of insurance to create a comprehensive plan with no gaps. Working with a MartinoWest expert is the best way to make sure your GL policy covers your business properly.

General liability insurance, also known as commercial general liability (CGL), covers the risks that affect almost every business, no matter what your industry. It is the most common insurance for small businesses and self-employed professionals, and it’s typically the first policy purchased by new businesses.

Your general liability policy provides financial protection if you are held responsible for some of the most common accidents that can occur at a business, such as a customer injury or damages to someone’s property. It also provides coverage if you are forced to defend an accusation of libel or slander.

What is covered under a General Liability policy?

• You damage a third party’s property
• Third party bodily injury
• Advertising Injury
• Product liability claims
• Reputational Harm

For example, if a customer trips over a tool box or a ladder while you’re doing electrical or carpentry work, you could be blamed for the injury. If the person sues, you could end up paying for medical and legal expenses. In this example, General Liability insurance would cover:

• Attorney’s fees
• Court-ordered judgments
• Settlements
• Medical bills
• Funeral expenses in fatal incidents

When should you consider getting a General Liabilty Policy?

Interact with clients face to face– If you happen to visit a client’s place of work or clients visit you then there is always the possibility someone could get hurt.

Have access to customer’s property-If your customer’s property is damaged at your location or job site, general liability insurance would cover the cost to re

Use advertising to market your company-If you accidentally use wording that is under copyright or trademark while promoting your company, general liability could cover you in the event of a claim.

Require coverage in order to be considered for a project-When bidding on contracts this coverage could be a condition of the contract award.