Bodily Injury Liability

What Is Bodily Injury (in Liability Insurance)?

Bodily injury insurance is coverage that pays when someone gets physically hurt because of your business.

In liability insurance, bodily injury is when other people (customers, visitors, bystanders —- not you or your employees) get injured or sick
In workers compensation insurance, bodily injury means work-related harm to your employees, including injuries, sickness, disease, and even death

Even one accident — a client slipping on your stairs, or a box falling and hitting a stocker in your store — can leave you responsible for:

Medical bills
Ongoing treatment or physical therapy
Lost wages if they can’t work

You’re careful, but accidents happen. Bodily injury liability insurance is a safety net so that hospital bills and lawsuits don’t drain your finances or close your doors for good.

What Insurance Is Needed for Bodily Injury Liability Coverage?

Two main types of insurance cover injuries for small businesses:

General Liability Insurance: covers physical harm to third parties (like customers and passersby) caused by your business.
Workers Compensation Insurance: covers your employees if they’re hurt or sick on the job, including hospital bills, lost wages, or even funeral costs.

Shortcut to remember: General Liability covers the public. Workers Comp covers your team.

Neither insurance covers the business owner, though. If that’s you, you would need your own health insurance to help pay your work-related medical bills.

Common Examples of Bodily Injury Claims

Claim	General Liability	Workers Comp
Slips & Falls	A visitor slips on a wet floor at your cleaning client’s office and fractures their wrist.	A bartender trips on a rug during their shift and sprains their ankle.
Strains & Overexertion	Your personal training client pulls a hamstring on a weight machine while you step away to take a call.	One of your catering employees injures his back while lifting heavy cases.
Falling Objects & Equipment	A heavy box falls and hits a customer in your beauty supply shop.	A landscaper working for your lawn care service crushes his foot while loading a mower into a trailer.
Illness or Disease	A food truck customer with a severe nut allergy has an allergic reaction after receiving the wrong order.	A janitor in your cleaning company develops respiratory problems from long-term chemical exposure.
Industry-Specific Risks	A student faints from heat exhaustion during your hot yoga class and injures themselves.	A pet groomer at your salon is bitten by a client’s dog and needs stitches.

Do All Small Businesses Need Bodily Injury Liability Insurance?

Yes, all small businesses need at least general liability insurance — even if you’re a solo operator. Why? Because injury claims (and personal injury lawsuits) are common and costly. A single medical claim can easily reach tens of thousands of dollars.

You might also be required to carry at least one form of bodily injury insurance.

Most employers are legally required to carry workers comp
Many landlords, clients, employers, or event organizers require general liability insurance before they’ll sign a lease, approve a contract, or issue a permit

The truth: Everyone knows injuries happen, but they’re more frequent than you think, and they cost more than you’d guess. Coverage makes sure an accident doesn’t get between you and pursuing your passion.

Bodily Injury vs Personal and Advertising Injury: What’s the Difference?

Category	Bodily Injury	Personal & Advertising Injury
What It Covers	Physical harm, sickness, or disease caused to someone else	Non-physical harm from claims like libel, slander, copyright issues, or false advertising
Examples	A customer slips on a wet floor you just cleaned and breaks their arm	A competitor says your ad contains false statements that damage their business
Type of Harm	Physical	Reputational, emotional, or economic
Typical Policy Section	General Liability – Bodily Injury Coverage	General Liability – Personal & Advertising Injury Coverage

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