Operating a business, almost regardless of what industry it’s in, often comes with a variety of common risks. General liability insurance helps protect Massachusetts businesses from a host of potential perils.
General liability insurance is a form of commercial liability insurance that normally protects businesses from certain lawsuits that third parties file. If a business is named in a covered suit, a general liability policy will frequently pay the legal expenses, settlements and judgements associated with the suit.
In order to protect against a range of potential risks, general liability policies typically have several coverages within them. The exact list of coverages can vary, but it often includes the following three:
Product liability protection, which may cover damage and/or injuries caused by a business’ products, is sometimes included in general liability policies. Not all policies have this coverage, however, and those that do frequently offer only a limited amount of product liability protection.
Therefore, businesses that need a substantial amount of product liability coverage may want to supplement their general liability policy with a separate product liability policy. Insurance agents who specialize in commercial policies can usually help with both types of policies.
While certain third-party injuries are normally covered by general liability policies, on-the-job injuries sustained by employees normally are not. Employees who suffer work-related injuries, even if those injuries arise from common accidents, usually fall under the domain of workers compensation instead.
Again, insurance agents who specialize in commercial insurance normally are able to assist businesses with their workers compensation needs.
Because general liability policies cover a range of common risks, this is a commercial insurance that’s useful to many different businesses in Massachusetts. In fact, most businesses can benefit from having a general liability policy.
Being such a useful insurance, general liability policies are widely available both as stand-alone policies and as part of package policies. Both business owners policies and commercial package policies, which are two types of package policies, typically contain some form of general liability coverage.
“Comprehensive general liability coverage” is an older term for what is now known simply as “general liability coverage.” Most general liability policies today provide coverages similar to what comprehensive general liability policies used to offer, although policies have been updated as technology and data have advanced.
The terminology change was primarily made to reflect the actual protections that these policies provide. General liability policies offer broad protection against a variety of common issues, but they don’t normally offer coverage that’s truly comprehensive. That’s why there are other commercial insurance policies.
Since general liability coverage is available through several different types of policies, accurately comparing quotes for the coverage is an involved process. It requires assessing a business’ risk exposure, determining the business’ insurance needs, requesting multiple policies that meet those needs, and comparing the coverages and premiums of those policies.
For help with this process, contact the general liability insurance specialists at Haberman Insurance Group. Our independent agents have helped many Massachusetts businesses, and they know the nuances of general liability policies. They’d be happy to help you find the best policy for your business.
