Liability Insurance

Liability Insurance Policy Information

Liability Insurance. In some situations, a person or business may unwillingly cause a person or party to be injured or damaged. If the affected person claims the damage, the individual or organization may undergo financial loss. For example, a mail carrier may slip on your icy driveway and get injured. He can sue you for pain, suffering, medical expenses and lost income. A customer gets sick from using one of your products and takes your business to court. You accidentally injure someone while driving and wind up in court, paying substantial legal bills.

No one is immune from such occurrences. Without adequate liability insurance coverage, they can cause devastating effects to your business or career.

Liability insurance protects your company from lawsuits with rates as low as $27/mo. Get a fast quote and your certificate of insurance now.

How Much Does Liability Insurance Cost?

The average price of a standard $1,000,000/$2,000,000 Liability Insurance policy for small businesses ranges from $27 to $59 per month based on location, size, payroll, sales and experience.

With court awards and legal fees getting more and more expensive, it is vital for everyone to get liability coverage from a trusted liability insurance provider. The insurer's duty is to defend you and cover legitimate claims posed against you up to a certain limit. All costs including your defense costs and the cost of settling claims are covered, and this provides you with invaluable peace of mind.

Liability insurance protects you against loss if your actions, negligence, or a condition of your property causes injury or death to a person or property belonging to another person is damaged or destroyed. Without liability insurance, you would be on your own if you are found legally responsible for any number of reasons.

Below are the types of liability insurance businesses and professionals need to have:

Workers Compensation Insurance

According to law, employers in are responsible for the safety of their employees whenever they are at work. An employee may get injured while they work, or a former employee becomes ill due to the work they did while on your employment. Such employees may sue you or your organization and claim compensation if they believe that you are responsible. Employers' liability insurance ensures that you are protected from financial loss due to such claims. However, if your employee gets injured due to a motor accident, you may be covered by your motor insurance against any compensation claims. Employee liability insurance is compulsory in for any employees of a business that are not owners, and you can be fined for not having a current insurance policy that complies with state laws.

Public Liability Insurance

Public liability insurance covers an individual, business, a contractor or even a community building from any costs of legal action if they are found responsible for injury or death of a person, or loss or damage of property. It covers you from claims made by members of the public or other businesses against you, but your employees can't sue you. Unlike employers' liability, public liability insurance is not compulsory in most cases.

Nevertheless, businesses in all industries are recommended to have a public liability cover if there is a likelihood of being sued for negligence. In some cases, it is mandatory. For example, licensing authorities may require a business to have it to hold public events. This type of cover does not help you if you are involved in known criminal actions or hazardous activities.

The popularity of public liability insurance is increasing, and it may be included in insurance policies. If you find out that you are covered for public liability in other insurance products, ensure that the amount you are covered is enough.

Product Liability Insurance

According to government statistics, defective and dangerous products cause thousands of injuries annually in the United States. Responsibility for such injury may be distributed among all people who are involved in the product chain. Parties exposed to product liability claims include the manufacturer, importer or distributor, the party who assembles and installs the products, the wholesaler and the retail store from which the customer got the product.

If you manufacture, import, sell or distribute products in, you should have product liability cover from your liability insurance company of choice. It covers you for any damage or injury that may be caused by the use of your products. People who believe that they have been harmed by your product can sue you without having to prove that you were negligent or had the intention to cause harm.

Product liability insurance may also cover for claims made by a customer if they are harmed by the lack of adequate instruction on the use of a product. These claims might even be due to failure to warn on your product label. Therefore, this type of insurance is vital to any business that manufactures or distributes products.

Professional Indemnity

Regardless of how many years of experience you or your firm may have, there is a possibility that one day you or one person in your team will make a mistake. It might be professional negligence, loss of data, unintentional breach of confidentiality or defamation.

Professional indemnities (also know as errors and omissions (E&O) and professional liability) are designed to protect professionals such as doctors, lawyers, chartered accountants, architects, etc... from legal liabilities to pay for any damage caused by their negligence as they perform their professional duties. Someone may sue you if he/she suffers a loss after applying your professional advice or receiving your service. Different types of professional indemnities are designed for different professions. For instance, the medical profession has medical insurance indemnity as a requirement for professional registration or licensing.

With respect to industry bodies regulatory requirements, professional indemnity liability insurance is mandatory especially for professionals such as accountancy, surveying, engineering to name but a few. Also, professionals working on contract terms such as IT consultants, business and management consultants will certainly need PI insurance to get a contract. However, large or small a professional business is, without PI insurance the business is left vulnerable to financial and reputation compromise.

Small Business General Liability Insurance By Industry

Small Business Insurance

Protect your company and employees with insurance coverage. Read informative articles on small business insurance policies - and how they can help shield your company from legal liabilities.

Construction Contractors

Learn about construction contractors insurance, including how much the premium costs and what is covered - and how liability insurance can help protect your construction business from lawsuits.

Contractors and Home Improvement

Learn about contractor's insurance, including what it covers, how much it costs - and how business insurance can help protect your small business from lawsuits.

Commercial Property

Read up on commercial property insurance coverage, including how business property insurance protects your company's building's and/or their contents from damage, destruction, theft and vandalism.

Professional Services

Get informed about professional services insurance, including Professional liability, aka errors and omissions (E&O insurance), that protects your small business against claims that a professional service you provided caused your client financial loss.

Advertising, Marketing and Media

Learn about media liability insurance - a specialized form of professional liability insurance policy that provides protection for legal claims brought by third parties.

Real Estate

Learn about real estate insurance coverages including liability and commercial property policies for realtors, mortgage companies and more.

Retail

Read valuable retail insurance policy information. In a retail business, you need to have the right type of business insurance coverage so that your store, employees, and inventory are protected.

Auto Service and Repair

Read about auto service & repair insurance, which provides protection for damages done to customers vehicle's and other property as well as injuries resulting from the work done.

Health and Beauty

Learn about small business health and beauty insurance coverages that help protect tattoo artists, salons, spas, estheticians, cosmetologists, barbers, hairdressers, nail salons and more from legal liability.

Information Technology and Internet

Learn about IT technology insurance policies that help protect IT businesses, consultants & subcontractors from the unique risks that small tech businesses face when they work.

Food and Drink

Learn about restaurants, bars, liquor stores insurance coverages. See how food service insurance help protect against accidents, oversights and lawsuits resulting from business operations.

Medical and Dental

Discover small business insurance for medical and dental professionals. Medical malpractice insurance is a type of professional liability policy that protects health care professionals from liability causing in bodily injury, medical expenses and property damage.

Manufacturing and Wholesale

Read informative articles on manufacturing and wholesale insurance. Manufacturing and wholesale companies face many risks due to the nature of their business operations.

Education, Colleges, Universities & Schools

Learn about insurance for educators that helps protecting your professional reputation and other legal liabilities arising from your educational services.

Sports and Fitness

Learn about sports & fitness insurance policies and what they cover so that your customers, employees, and equipment are protected.

Children and Pets

Discover what business insurance policies cover for children and pet related small businesses.

Miscellaneous

Find informative articles on miscellaneous businesses including the types of insurance policies and coverage they need, costs and other considerations.

Non-Profit

Find useful articles on business insurance for non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations, charities and associations.

Arts and Recreation

Read up on small business arts and recreation insurance.

Agribusiness

Learn about small business agribusiness insurance - a type of commercial insurance protects farmers against loss of, or damage to crops or livestock.

Small Business Commercial Auto

Learn about commercial auto insurance which includes liability and physical damage protection for vehicles that are used for business purposes.

Small Business General Liability Insurance Information

Additional Resources For Small Business Insurance

Protect your company and employees with the right commercial insurance policies. Read informative articles on small business insurance coverages - and how they can help shield your company from legal liabilities.

Your small business faces many potential disasters including: fire, floods, theft, equipment breakdown, lawsuits from clients or customers and current & former employees. Any many other risks you haven't even thought about.

A small business commercial insurance program should provide protection for both larger and smaller disasters. The obvious things like fire, flood and theft most business owners think about... but what if a hacker infects your computers with a virus - and files containing private customer information like credit card and Social Security numbers are stolen?

Who is going to pay to fix your customers credit rating etc...? Will your insurance pay for the cost? You need to know that.

Your commercial insurance program should cover events that can close down your company, or cause it to lose revenue. Anything less than that is not enough coverage. Commmercial insurance doesn't cover everything, and all policies have exclusions and limits.

You need a written plan that allows you to get your operations back up and running as quick as possible.

Why You Need Liability Insurance

Even if you are not legally obliged to have liability insurance, without it you are at risk of paying thousands if not millions of dollars in compensation and legal fees whenever suit is brought against you in court. This is in addition to the opportunity cost of lost time and resources when you are defending the allegations against you. There are many listed liability insurance companies that can provide you with adequate liability cover for your business and profession. You need it sooner than later so that you can enjoy peace of mind as you focus on providing your customers with the best products and services and growing your business.

Types Of Small Business Insurance - Requirements & Regulations

Perhaps you have the next great idea for a product or service that you know will appeal to your local area. If you've got a business, you've got risks. Unexpected events and lawsuits can wipe out a business quickly, wasting all the time and money you've invested.

Operating a business is challenging enough without having to worry about suffering a significant financial loss due to unforeseen and unplanned circumstances. Small business insurance can protect your company from some of the more common losses experienced by business owners, such as property damage, business interruption, theft, liability, and employee injury.

Purchasing the appropriate commercial insurance coverage can make the difference between going out of business after a loss or recovering with minimal business interruption and financial impairment to your company's operations.

Insurance is so important to proper business function that both federal governments and state governments require companies to carry certain types. Thus, being properly insured also helps you protect your company by protecting it from government fines and penalties.

Small Business Insurance Information

In the business world, there are many risks faced by company's every day. The best way that business owners can protect themselves from these perils is by carrying the right insurance coverage.

The The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization. Through the NAIC, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer review, and coordinate their regulatory oversight.

Commercial insurance is particularly important for small business owners, as they stand to lose a lot more. Should a situation arise - a lawsuit, property damage, theft, etc. - small business owners could end up facing serious financial turmoil.

According to the SBA, having the right insurance plan in place can help you avoid major pitfalls. Your business insurance should offer coverage for all of your assets. It should also include liability and casual coverage.

Types Of Small Business Insurance

Choosing the right type of coverage is absolutely vital. You've got plenty of options. Some you'll need. Some you won't. You should know what's available. Once you look over your options you'll need to conduct a thorough risk assessment. As you evaluate each type of insurance, ask yourself:

What type of business am I running?
What are common risks associated with this industry?
Does this type of insurance cover a situation that could feasibly arise during the normal course of doing business?
Does my state require me to carry this type of insurance?
Does my lender or do any of my investors require me to carry this type of policy?

A licensed insurance agent or broker in your state can help you determine what kinds of coverages are prudent for your business types. If you find one licensed to sell multiple policies from multiple companies (independent agents) that person can often help you get the best insurance rates, too. Following is some information on some of the most common small business insurance policies:

Business Insurance Policy Type	What Is Covered?
General Liability Insurance	What is covered under commercial general liability insurance? It steps in to pay claims when you lose a lawsuit with an injured customer, employee, or vendor. The injury could be physical, or it could be a financial loss based on advertising practices.
Workers Compensation Insurance	What is covered under workers compensation insurance? This type of insurance protects a business and its owner(s) from claims by employees who suffer a work-related injury, illness or disease. Workers comp typically provides the injured employee with benefits to cover medical expenses, a portion of his/her lost wages, rehabilitation costs if applicable, and permanent partial or permanent total disability.
Product Liability Insurance	What is covered under product liability insurance? I pays an injured party's settlement or lawsuit claim arising from a defective product. These are usually caused by design defects, manufacturing defects, or a failure to provide adequate warning or instructions as to how to safely use the product.
Commercial Property Insurance	What is covered under business property insurance? General liability policies don't cover damages to your business property. That's what commercial property insurance is for. It protects all of the physical parts of your business: your building, your inventory, and your equipment, giving you the funds you need to replace them in the event of a disaster. If you work from home, you might consider a Home Based Business Insurance policy instead.
Business Owners Policy (BOP)	What is covered under a business owners policy (BOP)? This is a policy designed for small, low-risk businesses. It simplifies the basic insurance purchase process by combining general liability policies with business income and commercial property insurance.
Commercial Auto Insurance	What is covered under business auto insurance? This type of insurance covers automobiles being used for business purposes. This could include a fleet of business-only vehicles or a single company car. In some cases it might cover your car or your employee's car while they're being used for business. These policies have much higher limits, ensuring you can cover your costs if one of these vehicles gets into an accident.
Commercial Umbrella Policies	What is covered under commercial umbrella insurance? This type of policy is a sort of "gap" insurance. It covers your liability in the event that a court verdict or settlement exceeds your general liability policy limits.
Liquor Liability Insurance	What is covered under liquor liability insurance? It covers bodily injury or property damage caused by an intoxicated person who was served liquor by the policy holder.
Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions)	What is covered under professional liability insurance? This type of business insurance is also known as malpractice oe E&O. It covers the damages that can arise from major mistakes, especially in high-stakes professions where mistakes can be devastating.
Surety Bond	What is covered under surety bonds? Bonding is a contract where one party, the SURETY (who assures the obligee that the principal can perform the task), guarantees the performance of certain obligations of a second party, the PRINCIPAL (the contractor or business who will perform the contractual obligation), to a third party, the OBLIGEE (the project owner who is the recipient of an obligation).

Who Needs General Liability Insurance? - Virtually every business. A single lawsuit or settlement could bankrupt your business five times over. You might also need this policy to win business. Many companies and government agencies won't do business with your company until you can produce proof that you've obtained one of these policies.

Business Insurance Required by Law

If you have any employees most states will require you to carry worker's compensation and unemployment insurance. Some states require you to insure yourself even if you are the only employee working in the business.

Your insurance agent can help you check applicable state laws so you can bring your business into compliance.

Other Types Of Small Business Insurance

There are dozens of other, more specialized forms of small business insurance capable of covering specific problems and risks. These forms of insurance include:

Business Interruption Insurance
Commercial Flood Insurance
Contractor's Insurance
Cyber Liability
Data Breach
Directors and Officers
Employment Practices Liability
Environmental or Pollution Liability
Management Liability
Sexual Misconduct Liability

Whether you need any or all of these policies will depend on the results of your risk assessment. For example, you probably don't need an environmental or pollution policy if you're running an IT company out of a leased office, but you would need data breach and cyber liability policies to fully protect your business.

Additional Resources For Small Business Insurance

Who is going to pay to fix your customers credit rating etc...? Will your insurance pay for the cost? You need to know that.

You need a written plan that allows you to get your operations back up and running as quick as possible.

Liability Insurance

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