Commercial General Liability (CGL)
What Is Commercial General Liability Insurance?
Commercial general liability (CGL) insurance is a standard coverage that protects you against liability claims for bodily injury and property damage caused by your business.
This policy is:
- The most common type of business insurance
- Required before adding coverages like professional liability, inland marine, etc.
- Often needed to rent a venue, land a contract, etc.
What Does Commercial General Liability Insurance Cover?
Like any insurance policy, commercial general liability has claims it will cover and claims it will not. It’s important to understand what is and isn’t covered by your policy to avoid any unfortunate surprises.
Commercial General Liability: What’s Covered vs. Not Covered
| Covered ✅ | Not Covered ❌ |
|---|---|
|
Third-party slip-and-fall injuries at your business |
Employee injuries (requires workers comp) |
|
Damage you accidentally cause to someone else’s property in the course of work |
Damage to your own business property (requires inland marine) |
|
Legal defense costs for covered claims |
Professional mistakes or bad advice (requires professional liability) |
|
Advertising injury (e.g., copyright infringement in your ads) |
Intentional damage or illegal acts |
|
Third-party medical expenses |
Product recalls or warranties (requires product liability) |
|
Liability for your accidents at off-site jobs |
Auto accidents while driving for business (requires commercial auto) |
Do All Small Businesses Need Commercial General Liability Insurance?
Yes! Third-party claims can happen to any business, no matter the size — including yours.
Why Do I Need Proof of CGL Coverage?
You may be asked to provide proof of general liability coverage by a venue, client, business partner, landlord, or event organizer because they want to make sure you’re financially prepared if an accident occurs.
This proof of coverage is known as a Certificate of Insurance (COI) and is a document that summarizes your CGL policy.
Is It Easy to Get Commercial General Liability Coverage?
Yes — it takes 10 minutes or less to get a CGL policy from Insurance Canopy, and you can do it in just four steps:
- Start your application
- Fill in required information about your business
- Select any additional coverages you need
- Get your free quote and pay
Apply now and get your CGL policy today!
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