General Liability
What it protects against: Accident and injuries that occur on company property or the property of a customer. It also protects against product liabilities.
How it works: Commercial General Liability (CGL) includes payments to an injured person or to an owner of property that is damaged. These can cover medical expenses and the cost of defending lawsuits, including legal settlements or investigations. Insurance may also provide the means to post bonds during a legal proceeding, or pay judgments. A CGL policy also covers libel, slander, copyright infringement and other personal and advertising injuries.
Who needs it: Most, if not all, companies
Errors & Omissions
What it protects against: Claims by customers that a company made mistakes or failed to perform contractual work. It should include coverage of the cost of legal defense. It is also know as professional liability insurance.
How it works: It insures mistakes made by a company’s owners, employees and contractors. It is similar to a doctor’s medical malpractice insurance.
Who needs it: Anyone who advises, recommends, consults or designs solutions should consider this coverage.
Information provided by: Bests Review The Guide to Understanding Business Insurance Products (2007-2008)
So What is the Difference?:
The key difference between the above two mentioned business insurance coverages is that General Liability only pays claims that have resulted in bodily injury or property damage (meaning damage to property not owned or leased by the business). It will not cover a financial loss that is a result of errors or alleged errors done by the business or the omission of work that the business was contractual obligated to do. That is where Errors & Omissions Insurance steps in and pays for the cost to defend the business as well as any settlements that a court requires them to pay for their error or omission of work.
