General liability insurance for professional services businesses

Whether you’re a lawyer or a notary public, your work requires regular interaction with clients. That means more risk of everything from a slip-and-fall accident to a dropped laptop.

General liability insurance for professional services businesses covers common risks that arise from dealing with the public, such as a client tripping and breaking a wrist at your office.

This policy offers coverage related to:

• Customer injuries
• Customer property damage
• Advertising injuries, such as libel and slander

If you run a small business, you might be able to bundle general liability insurance with commercial property insurance in a business owner’s policy for savings. Professional services businesses that are eligible for BOPs usually:

• Have fewer than 100 employees
• Have a small office or workplace
• Make less than $1 million annually
• Operate in a low-risk industry
• Need less than 12 months of business interruption insurance

You may also be able to bundle professional liability insurance with general liability insurance or a BOP at a discounted rate. Talk to a licensed Insureon agent to maximize your savings and coverage.

If a client or delivery person slips and falls at your travel agency or publishing house, there’s a chance you could be held liable for the injury. If the person takes you to court, you could end up paying for medical expenses and legal costs. General liability insurance covers:

• Medical bills
• Attorney's fees
• Court-ordered judgments
• Funeral expenses in fatal incidents

It’s important to note that this policy does not cover employee injuries. For that, you’ll need workers’ compensation insurance.

General liability insurance safeguards you when customer property is damaged. If one of your tutors accidentally drops a student’s laptop, this type of professional services insurance can help cover the cost of repairing or replacing it.

This policy can also protect you from off-site incidents. For example, if a professional organizer damages a valuable keepsake at a client’s home, the resulting lawsuit would be covered by your general liability insurance.

While advertising your company and its professional services, it’s possible to copy a slogan or provide misinformation about a competitor. Accidental advertising injuries are covered by general liability insurance. This includes:

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

This policy can protect a public speaker accused of slander, or a travel agent who accidentally copied a competitor’s logo. It offers valuable protection to any small business launching an advertising campaign.

While general liability insurance covers many common risks, it does not provide absolute protection. Other professional service insurance policies to consider include:

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

Professional liability insurance: This policy helps cover legal expenses if a business is sued for unsatisfactory work. It's also called errors and omissions insurance (E&O).

Workers’ compensation insurance: Workers’ comp can cover medical costs for work injuries. Most states require it for businesses with employees.

Commercial auto insurance: Business-owned vehicles must be covered by a commercial auto policy, which covers costs if your vehicle is involved in an accident.

Cyber liability insurance: This policy helps businesses survive data breaches and cyberattacks by paying for recovery expenses and other associated costs.

Are you ready to safeguard your professional services business 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.