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General Liability Insurance in Texas
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BUSINESS INSURANCE
General Liability Insurance in Texas
What is general liability insurance?
Most Texas businesses are exposed to certain common liability risks. Slip-and-fall accidents, defamation claims and other incidents can befall almost any business, regardless of size, location or industry. Should a business ever be sued over a covered incident such as these, general liability insurance might afford important protection.
General liability insurance protects against common risks that many businesses face. In the event of a covered claim, it may help with court costs, attorney fees and/or a settlement.
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What Texas businesses need to carry a general liability policy?
Most businesses in Texas should have general liability, as insurance protects against risks that most businesses face. Small and large businesses in almost every industry can use the coverage.
Moreover, businesses probably ought to purchase coverage irrespective of their legal structure. While limited liability corporations, S corporations and C corporations might give certain legal protections, these tend to be different than what insurance protects against.
What coverages come with general liability policies?
General liability policies can offer several coverages that specify when a policy applies. Some specific coverages include:
- Premises Liability Coverage: Might cover incidents that occur on at a businesses store, facility or other property
- Bodily Injury Coverage: Might cover incidents that cause injuries to third parties (e.g. costumes, vendors or passersby)
- Property Damage Coverage: Might cover incidents that cause damage to third-party property
- Personal Advertising Injury Coverage: Might cover incidents of slander, libel and/or false advertising
Should a business be sued over a covered incident, general liability will usually begin covering legal costs and attorney fees before the lawsuit is adjudicated.
Do general liability policies cover injuries and property damage caused by products?
If a business’s products cause injuries or property damage, the business may be held financially responsible for the harm caused. Businesses that manufacture, sell (wholesale or retail) or transport products can be held responsible in various situations.
Some general liability policies provide limited coverage for product-related claims. Not all do, however, and those that do frequently have relatively low limits for these claims.
Most businesses that have any substantial product concerns would be well-suited to purchase a product liability policy (in addition to general liability).
Do general liability policies cover on-the-job injuries that employees sustain?
General liability policies normally cover basic accidents that result in third-party injuries. These tend to only include when people not employed by a business are injured. Customers, vendors and visitors may be covered by general liability, but employees usually aren’t when they’re working. Neither are business owners in most cases.
Job-related injuries that employees sustain thus normally don’t fall under general liability. Instead, employee injuries are primarily covered by worker compensation, which is a coverage that most businesses with employees need.
Employee injuries might be covered by general liability if the employees are activin as a customer or visitor, and not working. For example, a barista that comes in on their day off for a coffee could slip and injure themselves. The injury in this particular situation may be a general liability claim rather than a workers' compensation claim since the employee wasn’t actually working.
Such situations are complex and relatively uncommon, however, and general liability isn’t a substitute for workers' compensation. An insurance agent who specializes in these two coverages can help business owners parse the nuances of each.
How can Texas businesses purchase general liability insurance?
General liability is available through policies that contain this one coverage, but it’s more often purchased as part of a package policy. Basic accidents usually aren’t the only risk that businesses need protection against.
Both business owners' policies and commercial package policies typically offer general liability as one of their main coverages. Business owners' policies tend to contain basic coverages for small businesses with limited insurance needs. Commercial package policies offer extensive coverage options, for larger businesses and those with particular insurance needs.
If you need help purchasing general liability insurance for a Texas business, contact the independent insurance agents at Nathan Taylor Agency. Our team can help you assess how much general liability coverage your business needs, and then we can show you several general liability policies, business owners' policies and commercial package policies that afford sufficient protection.