A Guide to General Liability Insurance in Baton Rouge

As a business owner in Baton Rouge, you’re probably no stranger to things that can go wrong. After all, you face an enormous amount of risk not only from running your day-to-day operations, but from natural disasters like hurricanes and flooding.

Are you confident that your business is adequately covered in case of any mishaps? Without the proper coverage, you could be leaving your business vulnerable to heavy financial losses and potentially something that could shut it down. In fact, according to FEMA, 40-60 percent of businesses never reopen after a disaster.

With those grim statistics, don’t you want to make sure you’re fully prepared for anything?

Why does your business in Baton Rouge need general liability insurance?

A commercial general liability insurance policy is important because in the event you experience a loss, the policy will cover the cost of your legal defense and any damages you are found liable for — up to the limits of your policy, of course. Liability lawsuits happen frequently and can have a negative effect on your business, so a general liability policy is one of the most important insurance products you can carry.

What does a general liability policy cover?

Coverage A: Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability

Your business in Baton Rouge is legally liable for any bodily injury or property damage that may occur to someone else on the premises of your business or from business operations. Mental and emotional injury also falls under bodily injury even without physical proof of injury.

Injuries involving employees are not specifically covered under this policy and can be addressed with a workers’ compensation and employment practices liability policy.

If you are unsure of the level of coverage needed, reach out to your local Baton Rouge independent insurance agent to help you assess the level of risk you face.

Coverage B: Personal and Advertising Injury

Certain offenses can leave you open to a lawsuit. The following are offenses covered under this policy:

• Slander
• Libel
• Defamation
• Copyright infringement
• Malicious prosecution
• Invasion of privacy

While businesses generally try to avoid these issues, unfortunately they are often committed accidentally or unintentionally.

Coverage C: Medical Payments

When an injury is sustained on the insured’s premises by a non-employee of the business, this coverage provides limited medical payments for the injuries without legal action being taken. Smaller medical claims can often be settled without litigation and reasonable expenses like ambulance trips and medical/surgical interventions are covered.

How to get general liability coverage

A commercial general liability policy can be purchased for your Louisiana business either alone or under a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) which includes other types of coverage like commercial property insurance.

If you feel your general liability coverage isn’t adequate under your BOP, you can opt to purchase a commercial excess umbrella policy. Your local independent insurance agent can work with you to decide the level of coverage you truly need. There are many considerations when it comes to how much insurance a business should carry.

Additional liability coverages worth considering

Directors and Officers Liability

This type of liability coverage protects your company from wrongful acts or alleged wrongful acts committed by directors and officers while in their positions. These acts could include misleading statements, omissions, or breach of duty.

Liquor Liability

If you run a business that manufactures, sells, or serves alcohol in Baton Rouge, then you most likely will need this coverage. Your regular general liability policy does not protect you against any alcohol-related claims. If a patron of your business becomes intoxicated and is injured or injures someone else, this policy will protect you

Takeaway

You’ve worked tirelessly to build your business in Louisiana. Don’t risk a serious financial loss from not carrying enough insurance. A general liability policy protects you from a wide range of potential catastrophes, so make sure you have adequate policy limits. Contact your local independent agent for a risk-analysis session.