Commercial Insurance
General Liability
Covers the everyday risk of your business causing bodily injury or property damage to someone else, plus the cost of defending those claims.
What it is
General liability is the foundation of most commercial insurance programs. It responds when your business is blamed for hurting someone or damaging their property, and it pays to defend you even when a claim is groundless. For most Western New York businesses, it is also the coverage a landlord, client, or general contractor will demand to see on a certificate before they will work with you.
What General Liability covers
- Bodily injury to a customer or visitor, like a slip and fall on your premises
- Damage your business causes to someone else's property
- Legal defense costs, settlements, and judgments when you are sued
- Personal and advertising injury claims, such as libel or slander in your ads
- Medical payments for minor injuries to others, regardless of fault
Industries we write general liability for
FAQ
General Liability: common questions
Is general liability required in New York?
The state does not require it for most businesses, but landlords, clients, and contracts almost always do. Many WNY leases and job sites will not let you start without a certificate of insurance.
What is not covered by general liability?
It does not cover your own property, your employees' injuries (that is workers' compensation), professional mistakes (that is errors and omissions), or damage to a customer's vehicle in your care. We layer those in as needed.
How much does it cost?
It depends on your industry, size, and revenue, so we shop it across our carriers and bring you real numbers. The fastest way to find out is a short consultation.
Independent advantage
We shop it. You decide.
We place general liability across many top markets, including a new appointment with The Hartford, so you get the right fit instead of one company's price.