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What Is General Liability Insurance?
General liability insurance helps protect your small business from 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. General liability insurance (GLI) can be called many different things, like business liability insurance, commercial general liability insurance, commercial liability insurance or comprehensive general liability (CGL). These general liability policies offer a critical safety net for small businesses that might face liability claims.
What Does General Liability Insurance Cover?
For small businesses, general liability insurance helps provide coverage for claims of:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Reputational harm
- Advertising injury
- Damage to property rented to you
These are some of the most common types of liability for a business. We can help protect your company. Get a general liability insurance quote for your small business today.
How Much Does General Liability Insurance Cost?
On average, general liability insurance from The Hartford costs about $810 a year.** Just remember that general liability insurance costs are different for everyone, because every business is unique. Factors that can determine these costs include:
- Type of business
- Revenue
- Number of employees
- Location
- Policy details, like coverage limits and deductibles
Who Needs General Liability Insurance for Business?
Did you know that four out of 10 small business owners are likely to experience a property or general liability claim in the next 10 years?2 Claims range from unexpected incidents, like a burglary, to unforeseen accidents, such as a customer getting injured after slipping and falling.
Many types of industries commonly need General Liability Insurance coverage to help protect their business, including:
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is General Liability 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
What Does a General Liability Policy Not Cover?
General liability insurance covers a wide variety of incidents but doesn’t cover every kind of claim. While it can help with expenses related to bodily injury or third-party property damage, you may need different types of coverage to give you more protection for your specific small business. A general liability insurance policy won’t cover commercial auto accidents, employee injuries or illnesses, damage to your business property, professional mistakes or errors, purposeful wrongdoings or illegal acts, or any claims that cost more than your liability limits. It also won’t cover claims related to data breaches or lost income if your business can’t open because of covered property damage.
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 combines commercial property and business income with your general liability coverage. 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 can put your business’ finances and your personal assets at risk.
It's important to understand your state’s general liability insurance laws. 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 to protect you and your company.
What Types of Events Can General Liability Insurance Help Pay For?
General liability insurance is one of the most essential types of business insurance. It can help pay for:
- A customer or client slipping and falling in your business, requiring medical treatment
- Your employee accidentally damaging a customer’s wall while working in their home
- 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 against 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
Get a General Liability Insurance Quote Made for Your Small Business
Not all insurance companies are the same. It’s important to work with one that you can trust. We have over 200 years of experience helping small business owners protect their companies with coverages like general liability insurance.
Whether you’re looking for a quote, trying to understand general liability class codes or you need help filing a claim, The Hartford is here to help.
To learn more, start a free quote or get your general liability insurance online. Liability for a business extends into protections like commercial property insurance and commercial auto insurance. We can help you there as well.
What Our General Liability Insurance Customers Are Saying:
“I was extremely satisfied with the quote and general liability policy that I obtained for my small business. I would recommend The Hartford without reservation.”
Kevin
“I've had my business general liability insurance through The Hartford for years. It's a good product at a fair price and customer service has always been responsive to any requests or questions.”
Linda
“Excellent response time. Less than 2 hours after completing the online form to request a quote for business General Liability insurance, I had someone from The Hartford calling to set it up.”
Rolando
“Quick, responsive and accurate service … The Hartford did a great job as our advocate in our media claim resolution.”
Charles
“Our claims representative discussed the situation with us calmly and carefully and then worked with the claimant to get the claim resolved.”
Glen
“The experience Hartford's team provided us took a lot of stress away as they navigated the whole process from beginning to end.”
Mimi
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Last Updated: April 11, 2025
2 The information outlined in this release is based on an analysis of five years of claims data (2010-2014) from more than one million of The Hartford Business Owner’s policies.
3 Internal Revenue Service (IRS), “Publication 535 (2023), Business Expenses.
** 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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