Human and Social Services Business Insurance
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General liability insurance for human and social services organizations

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General liability insurance

General liability insurance covers common business risks like customer injury, customer property damage, and advertising injury. It protects your small business from the high costs of lawsuits and helps you qualify for leases and contracts.

General liability protects against common risks

From after-school youth programs to foster care centers, human and social services organizations work to make the world a better place. However, constant interaction with the community opens your business to liability. General liability insurance safeguards against lawsuits filed by visitors, clients, and other individuals outside your organization.

This policy offers liability coverage related to:

  • Client and visitor injuries
  • Client and visitor property damage
  • Slander, libel, and copyright infringement

Bundle policies to save money and increase your protection

If you run a small social services organization, you might be able to combine general liability insurance with commercial property insurance in a business owner’s policy. A BOP often costs less than purchasing each policy separately.

Small, low-risk businesses usually qualify for a BOP. That could include a daycare center run out of a home or a senior center that offers crafts and board games.

Talk to a licensed Insureon agent to find out if your organization is eligible.

Add professional liability insurance for protection against client lawsuits

Professional liability insurance, also called errors and omissions insurance or malpractice insurance, provides important protection for human and social services professionals. They can often bundle it with their general liability insurance or BOP.

Professional liability insurance covers the costs of client lawsuits over alleged mistakes or negligence. For example, a nursing home is sued for neglect of a resident, or a foster care center might miss critical information in a background check. This policy would pay for the cost of hiring an attorney and any resulting settlement or judgment.

Get general liability insurance quotes for social services professionals

What coverage can general liability provide for human and social services organizations?

General liability insurance can help cover the costs of accidents that result in an injury or property damage to third parties. It also covers lawsuits related to defamation and other advertising injuries.

Client or visitor injury

If a student is injured during an after-school dodgeball program, or a client trips over a rug at your senior center, you could be held liable. Without proper coverage, you might have to pay for medical expenses and a costly legal defense if a lawsuit is filed.

General liability insurance pays for:

  • Medical costs
  • Attorney’s fees
  • Settlements
  • Court-ordered judgments

It’s important to note that general liability insurance does not cover injuries suffered by employees. For that, you’ll need to carry workers’ compensation insurance.

Client or visitor property damage

When engaging with the community, your organization could be held responsible for damage to a visitor or client’s personal property. For example, a visitor's smart phone could be damaged or a worker could knock over a lamp on a home visit.

General liability insurance can cover:

  • Repair of a damaged item
  • Replacement of a destroyed or lost item
  • Legal fees from a property damage lawsuit

Slander, libel, and copyright infringement

When advertising your services, there’s always the risk of mimicking another organization’s slogan or logo – or offending a competitor on social media. Accidental advertising injuries are covered by general liability insurance. This includes:

  • Defamation, both libel (written) and slander (spoken)
  • Copyright or brand infringement

If you use any promotional materials to attract clients to your business, you should definitely consider this protection.

Other policies for human and social services professionals to consider

While general liability insurance covers many common risks, it does not provide absolute protection. Employee injuries or damage to business property can occur at any organization. Other human and social services insurance policies to consider include:

Business owner's policy: A BOP bundles general liability insurance with commercial property insurance at a lower rate than if the policies were purchased separately.

Professional liability insurance: Also known as errors and omissions insurance, this policy can help cover legal expenses if an organization is sued for a mistake or negligence.

Directors and officers insurance: D&O insurance protects board members and officers against legal expenses if they are sued for mismanagement of funds or poor decisions.

Workers’ compensation insurance: Required in nearly every state for human and social services organizations with employees, workers’ comp can cover medical costs for work-related injuries to employees and possibly volunteers.

Get free quotes and buy a policy online with Insureon

Are you ready to safeguard your organization with general liability insurance? Complete Insureon’s easy online application today. Once you find the right policy, you can begin coverage in less than 24 hours.

Updated: May 3, 2022
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