How Often Do Small Businesses Buy General Liability Insurance?

General Liability Insurance is one of the most common insurance policies that businesses buy. This is because it helps cover the costs of the most common types of liability claims others make against businesses, like bodily injury and property damage. These types of claims have the potential to be very costly. Without General liability insurance, most business owners would have to pay the cost of these claims with their own business and personal assets. Without insurance, faced with having to pay a significant liability claim, few businesses can survive. Learn more about how to get General Liability Insurance .

What Are Some Of The Common General Liability Insurance Claims?

Common General liability Insurance claims include: Bodily injury or property damage claims that your business may have caused someone bodily harm or damaged someone's personal property Reputational harm claims of malicious prosecution, slander, libel, wrongful eviction, violation of the right of privacy, and more Advertising errors claims of copyright infringement in your advertisements Learn more about how to get General Liability Insurance and what it covers today.

How Do I Get General Liability Insurance?

The Hartford's small business insurance team can help you find the right coverage for your business. Get a general liability insurance quote by calling 855-829-1683 to speak with one of our specialists today. Or you can easily get a business insurance quote online.

How To Get General Liability Insurance

How To Get Liability Insurance for a Business

Are you wondering how to get general liability insurance? If so, we can help. We’re an insurance company that’s helped small business owners get the coverage they need for over 200 years. Get a general liability quote today and learn how we can help.

General liability coverage isn’t usually required by law, but it’s important to have so you’re not stuck paying the cost of claims for bodily injury or property damage filed against your business. Without it, you’ll have to pay the entire expense out of pocket. We can help you learn how to get liability insurance for a small business to help you run a successful company. We can also help you get a certificate of insurance. Many clients and customers require this before they’ll work with you.

What Is General Liability Insurance and What Does It Cover?

General liability insurance coverage helps protect your business from claims of:

Bodily injury or property damage that your business may have caused
Reputational harm, also known as personal injury claims, like malicious prosecution, wrongful eviction and more
Advertising injuries, like violation of the right of privacy or libel

General liability coverage is also known as commercial general liability insurance or business liability insurance. It’s one of the most common policies that businesses buy.

Without coverage, most businesses can’t survive a significant general liability insurance claim. That’s because you’d have to pay for expenses out of pocket, which puts your business and personal assets at financial risk.

A Step-By-Step Guide on How To Obtain General Liability Insurance

Buying small business insurance can be daunting, but we make it easy. We offer a broad array of coverages that you can tailor to meet your business’ needs. Plus, we made our online quoting platform simple to use. In just a few minutes, you can research coverages online, get an insurance quote and buy the protection your business needs.

To help get the liability insurance you need, follow our five-step guide. You’ll learn what information you need before getting a quote, plus tips to help you get the right coverage for your business.

Step 1: Get the Required Information and Documents

It’s helpful to gather the necessary information before you start the quoting process. If you’re wondering, “What do I need to get liability insurance?” you’re not alone. Some of the information you may need to provide includes:

The number of employees working for your business
Estimated business revenue for the upcoming year
Basic contact information
Information on what work your business does and its risks
Your business’ location
Details about your business premises
Documentation on how long you’ve owned your business

Step 2: Find an Agent or Broker That Specializes in Commercial Insurance or Contact the Insurance Company Directly

If you’re asking yourself, “Where can I get liability insurance?” you have a few options. You can work with an insurance agent or directly with an insurance company. Most insurers have specialists that can help you get the right coverages for your business. They’ll likely ask you questions about your business, such as:

How many employees you have
Where your business is located
The type of work your business does

Businesses with more complex risks can work with an insurance company or broker. A broker works with a buyer to find the right types of coverage for their needs. They also suggest limits for policies and which insurer to buy from. If your company buys from a broker, you’ll also pay for their services.

Step 3: Review Your Business Characteristics and Determine Your Insurance Needs

A business insurance plan doesn’t include the same coverages for every company. That’s because each business has unique needs.

It’s not uncommon for two businesses to have several similar key coverages, but others that differ and address specific risks. For example, your business and a nearby company may both have:

But because your business provides a professional service to customers, you may also need professional liability insurance, also known as errors and omissions insurance. Or you may need to get a commercial auto insurance policy because you and your employees use your cars for business.

If you need advice on how you can help protect your business from the different risks it faces, we can help. Our specialists are available to talk with you about the insurance options you can get and how you can tailor your coverage to meet your business’ specific needs.

Step 4: Evaluate Options and Choose the Right General Liability Policy for Your Business

There are several variables to consider when you’re choosing the right general liability policy for your business. Cost is important and different factors can affect how much you’ll pay for insurance, such as:

Coverage amounts, because higher limits can increase your premium
How you pay your premium, since paying upfront can result in a discount
Bundling insurance coverages, which can help you save on rates

Be sure not to only focus on cost, because picking an insurance quote based on a low price may not give your business enough coverage. That’s why it’s important to go through each quote and review the coverage amounts and limits so you don’t put your business at financial risk. For example, if you have a significant liability claim and it exceeds your policy limit, your business will have to pay the difference out of pocket.

It’s also a good idea to check each insurance company’s claims rating. It’s important you trust them and can have a good experience. The last thing you want when you’re dealing with a small business emergency is to be put on hold for hours or deal with bad customer service. Make sure the insurer you choose has excellent customer service and claims service experience ratings.

Step 5: Relax Knowing You Have the Protection of a Commercial General Liability Policy

Liability claims aren’t as uncommon as you may think. Unexpected injuries or damage can occur frequently. In fact, falls are one of the top three leading causes of preventable injury-related deaths.¹

Accidents that result in bodily injuries can be very expensive. The average cost for this kind of claim is $30,000.² Not many small businesses can manage a cost like this without it significantly impacting their business.

With the right general liability policy and a certificate of liability insurance proving you have coverage, you can be confident knowing you’ve taken the necessary steps to protect your business from these types of claims.

How Much Does General Liability Insurance Cost?

Our customers paid an average of $88 a month for general liability insurance.³ But there’s not one specific answer to how much general liability insurance costs for everyone. That’s because general liability insurance costs depends on factors like the:

Location of your business
Amount of coverage in your policy
Industry that your business works in
Claims history you have

Since every business is unique, insurance rates vary because these factors affect each company differently. The best way to find out your business’ specific general liability insurance cost is to get quotes from multiple insurance companies and compare them for the best value. To get started, get a quote from us today.

How To Get Liability Insurance Quotes

We’re an insurance company with over 200 years of experience. Our specialists can work with you to get the liability insurance coverages your business needs. Get a quote today and find out how our insurance offerings can help you run a successful business.

Last Updated: June 13, 2022

¹ National Safety Council: Injury Facts, “Top 10 Preventable Injuries”

² Based on an analysis of five years of claims data (2010-2014) from more than 1 million Hartford Business Owner’s policies.

³ Premium amounts presented are based on monthly premium paid by The Hartford’s Small Business customers between 1/1/21 and 12/31/21 for 12-month policies. Premium is derived from a number of factors specific to your business and may vary.