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What Is General Liability Insurance?
General liability insurance (GLI) helps protect your small business from third-party claims that it caused bodily injuries or property damage to others. Without general liability coverage, you’d have to pay for these claims out of pocket. GLI is also known as:
- Business liability insurance
- Commercial general liability
- Commercial liability insurance
- Comprehensive general liability (CGL)
What Does General Liability Insurance Cover?
For small businesses, GLI helps provide coverage for claims that can happen during normal operations or off-site. General liability can help cover:
Bodily Injuries
If a customer slips, trips or falls in your business, you could be held liable for their injuries and medical expenses.
Property Damage
If an employee’s mistake damages someone else’s property, like breaking a client’s windows while working at their home, GLI can help pay to repair or replace the windows.
Libel and Slander
General liability can help cover legal costs if your business is sued for personal injury that isn’t physical, like libel or slander.
Advertising Injury
If a competitor sues you because they believe your advertisement is making false claims, a GLI policy can help cover legal fees and settlement costs.
Legal Fees, Judgments or Settlements
If your business is sued by a customer or third-party, GLI coverage can help pay for your legal fees, judgements and settlement costs, up to your policy’s coverage limits.
Copyright Infringement
If your business is sued for using copyrighted material such as photos, music or other content in your advertising, GLI can help cover the legal costs, judgements or settlements.
Reputational Harm
General liability insurance can help pay for claims of reputational harm if your business is sued for non-physical injuries like libel, slander, malicious prosecution or other actions that allegedly harm another party’s reputation.
General Liability Coverage Examples
Examples of general liability insurance coverages include:
- Product liability coverage to help protect your business from claims that a product you made or sold caused bodily injury or property damage to someone else’s belongings.1 We offer product liability insurance as a part of your general liability insurance policy.
- Product recall insurance to help protect you from the financial impacts of a product recall. Product recall insurance is an endorsement you can add to your business insurance policy.
- Contractual liability coverage to help cover claims related to contract issues.
What Costs Does General Liability Insurance Cover?
General liability insurance helps cover:
- Costs for property damage claims against your business
- Medical expenses if a customer gets injured at your business
- Administrative costs to handle covered claims
- Court costs, judgments and settlements for covered claims
Bundle It All With a BOP
While you can get general liability insurance as a stand-alone policy, the easiest way to get it is with a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP). A BOP bundles commercial property and business income insurance with your general liability coverage.
How Much Does General Liability Insurance Cost?
On average, general liability insurance from The Hartford costs about $810 a year.** Keep in mind that general liability insurance costs vary because every business is unique. Factors that can determine your price include:
- Type of business
- Revenue
- Number of employees
- Location
- Policy details, like coverage limits and deductibles
The best way to find out your business liability insurance cost is to get a quote.
Who Needs General Liability Insurance?
Business owners across many types of industries commonly need general liability insurance coverage to help protect their business. While every business faces their own specific risks, you never know when a claim or lawsuit could happen. This important coverage may not be required by law, but you might need it if you work with clients or contract agreements. For example, these industries could benefit from having this coverage:
Architects may accidentally damage client property while visiting a jobsite or client offices. Also, a contract or client may require you to have this coverage.
Engineering projects often involve clients, vendors or the public. If someone is injured while visiting your project site and sues your business, GLI can help.
GLI helps protect your business if a wedding guest trips over one of your flash stands and hurts themselves or if you accidentally damage a client’s home while taking family portraits.
Salons have wet floors, cords, hair clippings and hot tools that could create hazards. If a customer is injured at your salon, they could hold your business liable for their injuries – even if it wasn’t your fault.
While gym waivers can help, they don’t fully eliminate the risk of being held liable for a customer’s injury or damaged property. GL insurance provides an extra layer of financial protection.
Interior designers work directly with their clients’ property. Even a small mistake, like scratching a hardwood floor or damaging a valuable item, could lead to a costly claim and reputational harm.
Get a General Liability Insurance Quote Made for Your Small Business
We have over 200 years of experience helping small business owners protect their companies with insurance coverage they can trust and expertise they can count on.
Whether you’re looking for coverage, trying to understand general liability class codes or need help filing a claim, The Hartford is here to help.
To learn more, start a free a quote today.
What Our General Liability Insurance Customers Are Saying:
“I can rest easy knowing that The Hartford excels in what they do and have my back for any future instances that may occur.”
Michael, from Remlap, Alabama
“We had the best experience with The Hartford! We own a business, and they took care of our client quick with no long run around time! Super pleased with their service.”
Laura, from Pelham, Alabama
“The Hartford made the claim process so easy and smooth. The customer service was outstanding.”
Thomas, from Scottsdale, Arizona
“Very competitive rates and their claim process is super smooth in the even[t] you need to file one!”
Charles, from Forth Worth, Texas
“The Hartford team is wonderful. Super empathetic and responsive. Took care of me and my claim to make me whole again.”
Shahab, from Stafford, Texas
“The claims rep made the process easy for me, with me only needing to call when asked.”
Michael, from Camp Springs, Maryland
Frequently Asked Questions About General Liability Coverage
Why Is General Liability Insurance Needed?
Liability insurance coverage helps protect you from costly general liability claims that can happen during normal business situations, such as:
- You or your employees representing a client
- Meeting with clients face to face
- Working on or with another person’s property
- Using third-party locations for business activities
- Advertising your business
You may also need this coverage if your clients request it. Many clients want to confirm you have general liability coverage before they sign a contract with your business. You can prove you have coverage with a certificate of liability insurance.
How Much Coverage Does a Typical General Liability Policy Provide?
Your general business liability insurance can help pay for claims up to your coverage limits. This is sometimes referred to as your per-occurrence limit and your general aggregate limit.
- Per-occurrence limit is the maximum amount of money an insurance company will pay for any one claim. For example, let’s say you have a GLI policy with a $1 million per-occurrence limit and a $2 million general aggregate limit. If you file a claim valued at $1.1 million, your insurance would pay the $1 million because of the occurrence, and your business would likely pay the remaining $100,000. The amount left in your policy period then decreases from $2 million to $1 million.
- General aggregate limit, sometimes called the “aggregate limit of liability,” is the maximum amount of money your insurance company will pay out for claims during a policy period. So, if you have a $1 million aggregate limit on your general liability insurance policy, your insurance will pay for claims up to the maximum amount of $1 million during that specific policy term.
What Does General Liability Insurance Not Cover?
While general liability insurance coverage can help with claims related to bodily injury or third-party property damage, you may need different types of coverage to better protect your specific small business. A GLI policy won’t cover:
- Commercial auto accidents that you or your employees cause while driving for work
- Employee injuries or illnesses due to their work
- Damage to your own business property
- Mistakes or errors in the professional services given to customers
- Claims that cost more than your liability limits
- Illegal acts or wrongdoing
Can I Bundle General Liability With Other Types of Insurance?
The easiest way to get general liability insurance is to purchase a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) that bundles commercial property and business income with general liability insurance. Bundling coverages like these into one policy is convenient, and you can add extra coverages like professional liability, commercial auto, data breach or workers’ compensation. There are still certain policies you may need to buy separately, so speak to an insurance agent today.
Is General Liability Business Insurance Required by Law?
State laws don’t usually require business owners to carry general liability insurance, but it’s still a good idea to have it. If a customer sues your business and you don’t have general liability coverage in your policy, it could put your business’ finances and your personal assets at risk.
It's important to understand your state laws for insurance requirements. Work with a local insurance agency or our dedicated small business insurance team to help you choose the right business liability insurance for you. We’ll discuss your business needs and provide tailored coverage options to help protect you and your company.
What Types of Events Can General Liability Insurance Help Pay For?
GLI is one of the most essential types of business insurance. It can help pay for:
- Medical treatment for a customer who slipped and fell at your business
- Repairs to a customer’s wall that your employee accidentally damaged
- Defense costs from lawsuits against your business
- Judgments and settlements from a customer or client’s lawsuit
Do You Need Business Liability Insurance for an LLC?
Although it’s not required by state law for LLCs to carry business liability insurance, it’s a good idea to protect your company from everyday risks. Liability insurance for business owners can provide peace of mind and financial protection when unforeseen incidents occur. Without it, you’d have to pay out of pocket for costly claims made against your business. Talk to an insurance agent or get an online quote today and see how we can help protect your LLC.
What Information Do I Need To Get a General Liability Quote?
When you’re ready to get a general liability quote, you’ll want to have the right information handy, including the:
- Registered name and address of your business
- Year you established your business
- Number of locations you have
- Number of employees you have
- History of liability losses in the last three years, including damage to property, accidents and injuries
- General liability limit or coverage amount you are planning to buy
Other Business Coverages
We offer insurance coverages for companies of all sizes – large and small.
Last Updated: February 26, 2026
1 Product liability insurance coverage may not be available to all classes.
** Costs, premiums, and coverages mentioned are estimates and are not guaranteed. Actual cost, premium, and coverage are determined at the time of quote or issue and are specific to an individual risk. Premiums are based on information provided to The Hartford, including, but not limited to, underwriting and rating criteria. All examples included on this website or in an advertisement are intended for informational purposes only and are not an offer or a guarantee of premium or coverage. Coverage and products described are subject to the terms and conditions found in the policy contract. Any educational information provided about available coverages does not modify the policy language or imply that any claim is covered. Products are not available in all states or for all businesses.
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