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COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE

Protection for Your Business. Peace of Mind for What’s Ahead.

Commercial General Liability Insurance helps protect your business from certain claims involving bodily injury, property damage, and personal or advertising injury.

General Liability Coverages

Commercial general liability insurance helps protect your business from common third-party claims involving bodily injury, property damage, and certain personal or advertising injuries. Coverage may also help with eligible legal defense costs. Common CGL protections include:

CORE COVERAGE

Bodily Injury & Property Damage

Helps protect against certain third-party injury and property damage claims

General liability coverage may help if your business is legally responsible for injuring someone or damaging another person's property. It may also help with eligible legal defense costs, settlements, or judgments.

See an example
EXAMPLE: A customer slips inside your business and is injured. Bodily injury liability coverage may help with eligible medical costs, legal expenses, or damages if your business is found responsible.
CORE COVERAGE

Personal & Advertising Injury

Helps protect against certain claims involving your advertising or business conduct

Personal and advertising injury coverage may help protect your business from certain claims involving offenses such as libel, slander, copyright infringement in advertising, or other covered personal and advertising injuries.

See an example
EXAMPLE: Another business alleges that an advertisement you published improperly used protected material. If the claim falls within your policy's coverage, personal and advertising injury insurance may help with eligible defense costs or damages.
CORE COVERAGE

Medical Payments

May help pay certain medical expenses for injured non-employees

Medical payments coverage may help pay reasonable medical expenses when a customer or other non-employee is injured on your premises or as a result of your business operations, subject to applicable policy limits.

See an example
EXAMPLE: A visitor trips at your business and needs minor medical treatment. Medical payments coverage may help pay eligible medical expenses up to the applicable limit, depending on the circumstances and policy terms.
CORE COVERAGE

Products-Completed Operations

Helps protect against certain claims involving products or completed work

Products-completed operations coverage may help protect your business from certain bodily injury or property damage claims arising after a product has been sold or work has been completed.

See an example
EXAMPLE: After your business completes a job, the customer alleges that the work caused covered property damage. Products-completed operations coverage may help with eligible defense costs or damages if the claim is covered.
CORE COVERAGE

Damage to Premises Rented to You

Helps protect against certain damage to rented business premises

This coverage may help when your business is legally responsible for certain covered damage to a building or space it rents. Coverage is subject to specific policy conditions, causes of loss, and limits.

See an example
EXAMPLE: A covered fire damages office space your business rents and your business is legally responsible for the damage. This coverage may help pay eligible costs up to the applicable policy limit.
Important: General liability insurance generally does not cover employee injuries, commercial auto accidents, professional errors, or every type of business property loss. Separate coverage may be needed for these exposures.

Commercial general liability insurance coverage, eligibility, limits, deductibles, exclusions, and benefits vary by business, insurance carrier, location, and policy.

Commercial General Liability Insurance FAQs

Find answers to common commercial general liability insurance questions.

What does Commercial General Liability Insurance cover?

Commercial General Liability Insurance may help cover certain third-party bodily injury, property damage and personal or advertising injury claims. It can also help with legal defense costs for covered claims, subject to the policy terms, conditions and exclusions.

Who needs Commercial General Liability Insurance?

Many businesses can benefit from Commercial General Liability Insurance, including contractors, retailers, offices, restaurants, service businesses and other companies that interact with customers, clients, vendors or the public.

Is Commercial General Liability Insurance required in New York?

Commercial General Liability Insurance is not generally required by New York law for every business, but landlords, clients, lenders, contracts or licensing requirements may require it. Even when it is not required, it can help protect your business from covered liability claims.

How much does Commercial General Liability Insurance cost?

Commercial General Liability Insurance costs can vary based on your industry, business size, location, payroll, revenue, claims history, coverage limits and other risk factors. Comparing quotes can help you find coverage that fits your business and budget.

Does Commercial General Liability Insurance cover my employees?

Commercial General Liability Insurance does not replace workers' compensation insurance for employee injuries. However, it may help protect your business if an employee's work leads to a covered third-party bodily injury or property damage claim.

What is the difference between general liability and professional liability insurance?

General liability insurance typically helps cover certain third-party bodily injury, property damage and advertising injury claims. Professional liability insurance is designed for claims involving professional errors, negligence or failure to perform services as expected.

Does Commercial General Liability Insurance cover products and completed operations?

Many Commercial General Liability policies include products and completed operations coverage, which may help protect your business if a product you sell or completed work you perform causes a covered injury or property damage claim.

Can I add an additional insured to my general liability policy?

In many cases, yes. Businesses often add landlords, property owners, clients or other parties as additional insureds when required by contract. Availability and requirements can vary by insurer and policy.