General liability insurance for Washington businesses

Commercial general liability (CGL) insurance pays for bodily injury and property damage your business causes to others, plus personal and advertising injury, and covers the cost of defending you in a lawsuit. Landlords, general contractors, clients and event venues commonly require it before you can sign a lease, start a job or set up a booth.

What general liability covers

• A customer slips on a wet floor in your store
• Your employee damages a client’s property while working on site
• A product you sell or install causes injury or damage
• A competitor claims your advertising infringed on their slogan
• Legal defense costs, even if the claim has no merit

Limits and contract requirements

Most policies are written with $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. Contracts often add requirements such as additional insured status, primary and non-contributory wording, waiver of subrogation and per-project aggregates. We read the contract and endorse the policy to match, then issue certificates quickly so you do not lose the job.

What general liability does not cover

Injuries to your own employees (workers compensation and stop-gap), professional mistakes (professional liability), vehicle accidents (commercial auto) and damage to your own property (commercial property).