Foundational protection for customer injuries, property damage, and lawsuits—built for Main Street businesses across Lancaster, New Holland, York, Harrisburg, and beyond.
General liability insurance is one of the core coverages most businesses need, helping protect you when someone claims your operations caused bodily injury, property damage, or personal and advertising injury. From customer slip-and-fall accidents to damage at a client’s location, a single incident can lead to legal fees, settlements, and serious financial strain. Community Insurance works with small and mid-sized businesses throughout Lancaster County and across Pennsylvania to tailor general liability coverage around your real-world risks. We’ll help you understand limits, exclusions, and options so your liability protection fits how you actually operate—not just what’s required on paper.
Bodily Injury to Others
If a customer, vendor, or visitor is injured on your premises or due to your operations, general liability insurance can help cover medical costs, legal defense, and settlements or judgments—up to your policy limits. This is the coverage that responds to common incidents like slip-and-fall injuries in your store or someone being hurt around your equipment.
Damage to Someone Else’s Property
If you or your employees accidentally damage a client’s property—such as breaking equipment while working on-site or causing damage while delivering goods—general liability insurance can help pay for repairs or replacement. This is especially important for contractors, service providers, and businesses that work at customer locations.
Personal & Advertising Injury
General liability can also help protect against non-physical injury claims such as libel, slander, or certain types of copyright infringement in your advertising. If your marketing or communications are alleged to have harmed someone’s reputation or business, this portion of the policy may respond.
Products & Completed Operations
If a product you sell or work you’ve completed later causes bodily injury or property damage, products and completed operations coverage under your general liability policy can help. This is important for businesses that manufacture, sell, install, or repair goods that customers continue using after the job is done.
Medical Payments Coverage
Many general liability policies include a limited “medical payments” coverage that can help pay small medical bills for minor injuries, regardless of fault. This can be useful for resolving smaller incidents quickly, without escalating to a full liability claim or lawsuit.
Defense Costs & Legal Fees
Even if a claim is groundless, you may still need to hire an attorney and go through the legal process. General liability insurance typically helps cover defense costs in addition to, or as part of, your policy limits, depending on the carrier and form. We’ll review how your policy handles defense so you know what to expect.
Who Typically Needs General Liability Coverage
General liability insurance is foundational for most businesses that interact with customers, vendors, or the public—whether they visit your location, you go to theirs, or you sell products out in the community. If an injury or property damage claim could realistically be pointed at your operations, this coverage should be a core part of your business insurance plan.
Common Businesses That Rely on General Liability Insurance:
- Retail shops and boutiques
- Restaurants, cafés, and food service businesses
- Professional offices (accountants, attorneys, consultants, design firms)
- Salons, barbershops, and personal services
- Contractors, trades, and construction-related businesses
- Small manufacturers and light industrial shops
- Nonprofits and community organizations that host events or programs
- Many service businesses that work at customer locations or accept visitors on-site
Some businesses—especially those in higher-risk industries or with special contractual requirements—may need higher limits, umbrella insurance, or additional specialized liability coverages. When that’s the case, we’ll explain why and outline a clear path forward so you’re not left guessing.
Our Process for Designing General Liability Insurance
Instead of choosing a limit at random or defaulting to a bare minimum, we take time to understand how you actually interact with customers, vendors, and the public. Then we tailor general liability coverage to match your operations, contracts, and risk tolerance, coordinating it with other policies to help reduce gaps.
Learn Your Operations
We start with a conversation about what you do, where you work, who you serve, and how people interact with your business.
Evaluate Risks & Contracts
We review your risk profile, landlord or client insurance requirements, and any event or vendor contracts that specify minimum liability limits.
Quote Multiple Liability Carriers
As an independent agency, we compare general liability options from several insurance companies with strong programs for small and mid-sized businesses.
Review & Adjust
We walk through each quote in plain language, explain limits, deductibles, and key exclusions, and adjust coverage so your protection aligns with your real exposure.
Implement & Support
Once your coverage is in place, we assist with certificates of insurance, contract updates, and periodic reviews as your business wins new clients or grows into larger spaces.
How General Liability Fits with BOPs, Umbrella, and More
General liability insurance is often part of a broader protection plan—not a standalone solution. For many Main Street businesses and professional offices, it’s included in a Business Owners Policy (BOP) that also covers property and business income. Larger or more complex operations might carry general liability as part of a commercial package, then layer a commercial umbrella policy on top to increase overall limits. You may also need separate policies for professional liability, commercial auto, workers’ compensation, or cyber liability. We’ll help you see how general liability connects to the rest of your insurance program and when an umbrella or additional coverages make sense to protect against larger claims.
General Liability Insurance - Commonly Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does general liability insurance typically cover?
General liability insurance usually helps protect your business if someone alleges bodily injury, property damage, or personal and advertising injury caused by your operations. That can include things like a customer slipping in your store, damage to a client’s property while you’re working on-site, or certain claims tied to your advertising. Exact coverage depends on your policy wording, so we’ll walk you through what’s included and where exclusions apply.
Is general liability insurance required by law?
General liability insurance is not usually required by state law in the same way workers’ compensation often is, but it’s commonly required by landlords, lenders, and clients. Many commercial leases and contracts specify minimum general liability limits you must carry to do business. Even when it’s not contractually required, it’s a practical necessity for most businesses that interact with the public.
How much general liability coverage do I need?
Appropriate limits depend on your industry, size, location, and the types of contracts you sign. Many small businesses start with $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate limits, but higher limits or an umbrella policy may make sense for certain operations. We’ll look at your risk profile, budget, and contractual requirements to recommend a limit that feels realistic and responsible.
Does general liability cover my professional advice or errors?
Not usually. General liability focuses on bodily injury and property damage, plus certain personal and advertising injuries. Claims that your professional advice or services caused a purely financial loss typically fall under professional liability (errors and omissions) coverage. If you provide specialized advice or services, we’ll discuss whether a separate professional liability policy is appropriate.
Will general liability insurance cover my employees’ injuries?
No. Employee injuries are typically handled under workers’ compensation insurance, not general liability. General liability is designed to protect your business from claims brought by customers, vendors, or other third parties. If you have employees, we’ll talk about workers’ compensation and how it fits alongside your general liability coverage.
Ready to Put Solid Liability Protection in Place?
If a single accident or lawsuit could put your business at risk, general liability insurance shouldn’t be an afterthought. Community Insurance is here to help businesses, nonprofits, and organizations in Lancaster, New Holland, York, Harrisburg, and across Pennsylvania understand their exposure, choose appropriate limits, and coordinate liability coverage with the rest of their insurance program.