Commercial general liability (CGL) is a type of insurance policy that provides coverage to a business for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage caused by the business’ operations, products, or injury that occurs on the business’ premises. Commercial general liability is considered comprehensive business insurance, though it does not cover all risks a business may face.

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Commercial general liability policies have different levels of coverage. A policy may include premises coverage, which protects the business from claims that occur at the business’ physical location during regular business operations. It may also include coverage for bodily injury and property damage that is the result of finished products. Excess liability coverage can be purchased in order to cover claims that exceed the limit of the CGL policy. Some commercial general liability policies may have exclusions to what actions are covered. For example, a policy may not cover the costs associated with a product recall.

When purchasing commercial general liability insurance, it is important for the business to differentiate between a claims-made policy and an occurrence policy. A claims-made policy provides coverage over a specific time period and covers claims made during that time period, even if the claim event occurred at a different time. An occurrence policy is different in that it covers claims provided that the claim event occurred during a specified time period and does not cover claims stemming from claim events that occurred before the policy came into effect.