Introduction To General Liability Insurance

By Steve Bruns


General liability insurance is a necessity for all businesses, no matter what their size or activity. The core of it is that the risk to the business from liabilities of all kinds is transferred to the insurer. Considering the litigious state of affairs that exists these days, the only way to not set foot in a courtroom is to throw the ball to the insurer.

Apart from the risks of the insured causing intentional damage and willfully breaking the law, almost all kinds of liability can be covered under this type of policy. The insurer then has the right and duty to pay for the claims, but also for the legal defense against claims related to covered liabilities. These legal costs are separate from specified claim limits in the contract.

The coverage extends to public liabilities associated with bodily harm suffered by customers, members of the public, vendors and contractors while on the business premises. It also includes property damage to these third-parties. Another type of claim that can be covered is product liability.

Under this type of claim, a customer or impacted third-party may file a lawsuit claiming that a defective product, misleading marketing practices or deceptive labeling caused them pain, suffering or loss. Each of these policy types can be purchased individually. It can also be bought as part of the umbrella coverage offered by general liability insurance.

Another type of insured who needs this cover is a home owner. The same concerns apply, such as bodily harm or damage to property for a third-party or visitor that is caused within the premises of the insured. Again, this can be bought separately or as a part of a homeowners' insurance policy which includes cover for risks from other aspects related to the property.

These liabilities may occasionally be shared with developers and contractors. This is one reason why no contractor can get work without providing evidence of significant coverage for liabilities associated with the project. Given the huge sums involved, it's not uncommon to see multi-million dollar claims filed for damage caused by code violations, substandard material and shoddy construction.

Breach of contract, personal injury, wrongful death, property damage and other claims can be filed against everyone from the contractor to the developer, architect, suppliers and manufacturers. The home owner may be sued for negligence and code violations. Assuming all the parties in these complicated cases are insured for such liabilities, it is just a matter of the insurers' lawyers sitting down to come up with a settlement.

A business today could trip over a new lawsuit every other day. It may be their fault through negligence or product defects, or it could just be a case of pure bad luck. But the fact is that no matter what happens when the jury comes out, no business can afford to pay for such litigation or settle the claims out of pocket. The only way to survive is to get general liability insurance quotes and ensure it contains complete coverage for all possible risks.




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