A good general insurance agent is essential to any business. Having insurance often provides for legal representation with the fees paid by the insurer. Since most litigation can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars, making your insurance agency pay is well worth the premiums.

General Liability

Commercial property and workers’ compensation policies can protect your business from most of the liabilities you’re likely to face, however, as your business grows, you may need to arrange separate business liability coverage. In fact, depending on your business, your lessor may require separate or additional liability coverage known as general liability insurance. This is especially true if you run a high-traffic business.

Negligence and Liability

A customer comes into your store and slips on a banana peel that some other customer left on the floor. She breaks her leg and sues you for negligence. The damages total $10,000. Aren’t you lucky that you bought that liability policy? The issues in determining whether you are responsible for negligence are:

• Did you have a duty to make the premises safe?
• Did you breach that duty by committing an act or failing to commit an act that resulted in the premises being unsafe?
• Did your act or omission proximately cause the patron to break her leg and could you have reasonably foreseen that your act or omission would result in injury to the person?
• Was there a resulting measurable damage?

Product Liability

If you intend to sell any product, whether directly or indirectly, you will need product liability insurance. Strict liability doctrines provide that as long as the buyer uses a product in a manner foreseeable to the manufacturer or seller, then both parties can be held liable for damages.

Social Host Liability

If you own a business where alcohol is served, you may want to consider this insurance just in case someone leaves your bar drunk and ends up in an accident.

Employee Benefits

Offering good employee benefits can act as a supplement to your liability insurance by boosting workplace morale. Your employees will be less likely to cut corners that may lead to accidents. They would also be more aware and proactive in preventing accidents from occurring.