General liability solutions
for complex commercial risks

Commercial general liability (CGL) insurance protects a business against covered third-party claims involving bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury, along with certain products and completed operations exposures. It generally responds to claims brought by people outside the business — customers, visitors, or other third parties — subject to the policy's terms, limits, and exclusions. Greenwood General places CGL wholesale for retail agents and brokers across a broad range of commercial classes.

A CGL policy generally covers third-party bodily injury and property damage arising from premises and operations, products and completed operations, and personal and advertising injury such as libel, slander, or certain advertising offenses. It typically pays covered damages the insured is legally obligated to pay, plus defense costs, subject to limits and exclusions. What actually applies depends on the policy form, endorsements, class, and market.

Premises and operations liability is the core of a CGL policy. Premises liability responds to third-party bodily injury or property damage arising from the condition of the insured's premises — a slip-and-fall in a store, for example. Operations liability responds to injury or damage arising from the insured's ongoing work, whether at its own location or a job site. Together they address the everyday exposures most commercial accounts face.

Products and completed operations coverage responds to third-party claims arising from products the business sells, distributes, or manufactures, and from work after it has been completed. For a contractor, completed operations covers claims tied to finished work; for a manufacturer or distributor, products coverage responds to claims tied to a product after it leaves the insured's control. It is a critical component for contractors, manufacturers, and food businesses.

It can. Completed operations coverage under a CGL policy is designed to respond to bodily injury or property damage arising from a contractor's finished work, subject to the policy terms and any exclusions. Because these claims often surface after a project ends, completed operations is essential for contractors — but coverage for a given claim depends on the form, endorsements, and how the work is classified.

It depends. Coverage related to subcontracted work is governed by the policy's terms, exclusions, and any subcontractor warranties or requirements — such as requiring subs to carry their own coverage and provide certificates of insurance. Many programs expect written contracts and subcontractor controls, and some limit or exclude certain subcontracted operations. Disclose the subcontracted work and controls in the submission so underwriting can confirm how it is treated.

An occurrence form responds to covered claims arising from events that happen during the policy period, regardless of when the claim is reported. A claims-made form responds to claims first made during the policy period, subject to any retroactive date and reporting provisions. Occurrence forms are common for general liability, but claims-made options may be available depending on the class and market. The two handle claim timing differently, so continuity matters when switching forms.

Generally, no. CGL is built for bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury — not financial harm caused by alleged professional errors or omissions. Accounts with a professional services exposure typically need a separate professional liability policy. Flag any professional exposure so the account can be structured with the right coverage.

Generally, no. Standard CGL forms carry pollution exclusions that remove most losses arising from the release of contaminants. Businesses with pollution exposure — environmental contractors, for example — usually need a dedicated contractors pollution or environmental policy. Greenwood also writes contractors pollution liability, so both placements can run through one wholesale relationship.

No. Employee injuries are addressed by workers compensation and employers liability, not commercial general liability. CGL responds to third-party claims, while injuries to the insured's own employees fall outside its scope. Accounts with payroll need a separate workers compensation program to cover employee injury exposures.

No. Liability for owned automobiles is covered by a commercial auto policy, not CGL. A hired and non-owned auto endorsement may be available on some general liability policies to address certain hired or non-owned vehicle exposures, but it is not a substitute for commercial auto coverage on owned vehicles.

Owners and Contractors Protective (OCP) liability is a separate policy that protects an owner or general contractor against liability arising from the operations of a specifically designated contractor on a particular project, plus their own supervisory acts. It is project-specific and distinct from the contractor's own CGL. OCP may be available depending on the project, the contractor, and the market.

Liquor liability is a separate coverage, not automatically part of CGL, and it is distinct from host liquor coverage. Businesses that manufacture, sell, serve, or furnish alcohol generally need dedicated liquor liability, which may be supported for qualifying risks depending on the state, class, and market. Disclose alcohol sales and operations in the submission so underwriting can confirm what is available.

Common commercial general liability limits are often $1 million per occurrence and $2 million general aggregate, frequently with a separate $2 million products-completed operations aggregate — but the right limits vary by account, contract requirements, class, and market. Per-location or per-project aggregate endorsements and higher limits through excess liability may be available for qualifying risks. Requested limits should reflect the account's contracts and exposures.

Yes. Monoline commercial general liability is available, and package options that combine general liability with property or other coverages may also be available where eligible. Whether monoline or package is the better fit depends on the account, the classes involved, and the market. Both structures are subject to underwriting.

Underwriting generally wants completed ACORD applications (125, 126, and applicable supplementals), a full description of operations, and exposure information such as gross sales, payroll, subcontractor costs, square footage, units, or receipts by operation. Add contractor or premises detail where relevant, products and completed operations information, five years of currently valued loss runs with narratives for larger claims, and the requested limits, form, endorsements, and effective date. Submit a risk to get started.