Best General Liability Insurance in Georgia

Business liability claims can be costly. One major insurer, The Hartford, reports that claims due to reputational harm average $50,000, while customer injury or property damage claims average $30,000. Cases that go to court can increase loss amounts dramatically. 

Finding the best liability insurance is an essential first step in protecting your Georgia business against the most common types of liability risks.

Best General Liability Insurance in Georgia Near You:

• Best Overall for General Liability Insurance: The Hartford
• Best for Tailored Coverage: Simply Business
• Best for Small Businesses: Hiscox
• Best for Self-Employed Professionals: Travelers
• Best for Comparison Shopping: Progressive
• Best for Same-Day Coverage: BiBERK

Best General Liability Insurance Options in Georgia

A general liability policy, also called GL insurance, provides a steady foundation to help fortify your business and offers an affordable way to plan for the unexpected. We gathered the best general liability options in Georgia to help streamline your search. Read on to see our top picks and to learn how GL insurance can protect your Georgia business.

Best Overall for General Liability Insurance: The Hartford

Top financial ratings and a 200-year history of service are just 2 reasons to consider The Hartford for general liability insurance. The Hartford estimates that 40% of small businesses will have a general liability claim in the next 10 years. The company offers general liability coverage as a standalone policy or as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP). Other common coverages allow you to customize your insurance package to meet the unique needs of your Georgia business.

The Hartford can be a powerful ally if your business has a claim — it’s been named World's Most Ethical Company 11 times by Ethisphere and boasts a 4.8 out of 5-star ratings for customer claim experience.

The Hartford offers fast online quotes and you can purchase some types of coverage online. In other cases, you’ll work with one of The Hartford’s experienced agents to review business coverage.

Best for Tailored Coverage: Simply Business

Simply Business offers a comprehensive suite of business insurance that specializes in making it easy to insure your business. Whether you’re looking for construction workers' insurance or insurance for your startup, Simply Business helps you find the right coverage at the right price. 

Tell Simply Business a little bit about your business and you'll get almost-instantaneous affordable quotes from top insurance providers. You can look into workers’ comp insurance, liability plans, business owner’s policies, commercial auto and more that will cover everyone on your team, and you can get covered in accordance with Georgia law without overspending. 

Building your business is hard enough. Let Simply Business make it easier. Get a quote from Simply Business today.

Best for Small Businesses: Hiscox

Business insurance coverage doesn’t always follow the same structure as other insurance types, so it can be comforting to work with a company that specializes in business insurance. Hiscox built its business serving the business community, amassing a war chest of 5-star reviews from satisfied customers. 

Leveraging its over 100 years of experience, Hiscox makes business insurance easy to buy and affordable. For example, the company estimates the cost of a general liability policy with a $1 million per occurrence limit at under $30 monthly for a business consultant. 

Flexible payment options allow monthly premium payments without additional fees so you can better manage your cash flow.

Get a quote to compare and find out how much you can save.

Best for Self-Employed Professionals: Travelers

Travelers, one of the largest commercial insurance providers in the nation, offers a full lineup of business insurance policies. This allows you to build upon the core coverage of your general liability insurance. 

A commercial general liability policy through Travelers helps protect your business against losses due to slip-and-fall accidents, libel or slander claims, and copyright infringement in advertisements. Your policy also helps cover legal defense costs in most cases. 

With a wide network of independent agents, you can count on experienced guidance if you need to customize your Travelers policies or adjust coverage as your business grows. Travelers also offers business umbrella policies that allow you to expand liability coverage limits without breaking your budget.

Best for Comparison Shopping: Progressive

Although better known for affordable auto insurance, Progressive also offers a powerful way to shop for general liability insurance. Progressive’s unique online platform lets you compare rates from up to 4 carriers. Completing a quote takes just minutes. 

General liability insurance through Progressive helps protect your Georgia business against common risks such as bodily injury or property damage, personal or advertising injury and more.

In many cases, general liability insurance is just one type of coverage a business needs. Progressive offers direct coverage for commercial auto and coverage for other business insurance types through a respected partner network. If you need a hand, phone agents can help match your business with the right coverage 6 days per week. 

Best for Same-Day Coverage: BiBERK

Part of the Berkshire Hathaway insurance family, BiBERK focuses squarely on the needs of small businesses. Boasting instant coverage paired with low rates, BiBERK deserves a place on your shopping list. 

Protect your Georgia business with a general liability policy or bundle general liability coverage with commercial property insurance by purchasing a BOP through BiBERK. 

BiBERK advertises savings of up to 20%. With fast coverage, low rates, and instant coverage, it pays to get a quote from BiBERK for your business insurance.

Cost of General Liability Insurance in Georgia

Hiscox, one of the leading providers featured in our roundup, found that general liability insurance often costs less than $30 per month and that 95% of small business owners pay less than $50 monthly for this base coverage. However, rates can vary based on industry type, safety measures and your claims history. Coverage limits also play a role, but higher limits often cost less per dollar of coverage. For example, doubling your coverage limit probably won’t double your premiums.

Bundling your coverage offers a way to reduce the overall cost of small business insurance by purchasing more than 1 type of coverage from the same insurer. A BOP is a perfect example because the policy combines GL insurance with commercial property insurance. The cost of this single policy is often only slightly higher than a GL policy alone. Many insurers also offer additional discounts if you bundle commercial auto insurance with other policy types, such as a BOP. 

Insurance rating works by evaluating a series of factors, most of which can either increase or decrease rates. This means that you’re often getting discounts that may not be obvious. However, many business insurance providers also offer specific discounts such as safety-related discounts, loyalty discounts or discounts for membership in certain trade groups. Be sure to ask which discounts are available for your Georgia business.

What Does General Liability Insurance Cover?

General liability insurance doesn’t cover everything, but it can protect your business against losses due to many types of liability risk. Among the most common of these covered risks is bodily injury to others, such as slip-and-fall accidents. For example, if a customer or visitor is injured in your place of business, your policy can pay for medical costs associated with the accident — up to your policy limit.

Here are the primary risks covered by general liability insurance in most cases.

In Coverage A, you’ll find coverage for:

• Bodily injury liability: For more serious injuries, your policy can provide a substantial amount of coverage. Many general liability policies start at $1 million dollars in coverage per occurrence with options to increase coverage to higher limits.
• Property damage liability: In some cases, the actions of your business might cause damage to the property of others. Your GL policy can help prevent costly out-of-pocket payments to the injured parties.

Coverage B on your policy focuses on special types of risks, such as:

• Libel and slander: Although similar, libel refers to written words and slander refers to spoken words. But in either case, the words chosen by a business or its employees can sometimes cause harm to others.
• False Arrest: Most common for businesses that provide security or have loss prevention staff, false arrest liability refers to detaining someone based on a groundless accusation that they’ve committed a crime. Unsurprisingly, some people who are falsely accused sue the business. This coverage can help protect your business.
• Copyright infringement: With so many copyrights out there, it's easy to step on someone’s toes unwittingly. Fortunately, your GL policy can help if an infringement causes damage to others. Your policy can also help with many intellectual property infringement claims.
• Malicious prosecution: This unique coverage parallels libel and slander coverage but applies in situations where your company’s court actions allegedly injure another company financially. For example, if you sue another business and the other business countersues for false accusations, your GL policy can help.
• Wrongful eviction, entry, or invasion of privacy: Especially important for businesses that lease property, coverage for wrongful eviction or entry is included with a standard GL policy.

Coverage C offers a no-fault no-hassle coverage for injuries to others:

• Medical payments to others: Similar to a homeowners policy, a commercial general liability policy offers a way to pay for less serious injuries to others. This special coverage provides a way to avoid costly lawsuits and delays that may be unfair to the person injured.

In many cases, your GL coverage also covers your court costs and legal defense expenses for covered risks.

However, general liability is just 1 type of business insurance for Georgia businesses. You may also need coverage for your business property, for example.

Many businesses with employees need workers’ comp insurance as well. This coverage is key to remain in compliance with state law but also needed because general liability insurance coverage may not apply to work-related injuries.

For businesses that perform a service or offer advice, professional liability insurance can help protect your business against additional risks not covered by a GL policy.

Choose the Best General Liability Business Insurance in Georgia

General liability insurance in Georgia coverages are often similar from 1 insurer to the next, but not all policies are created equal. Get quotes from a few insurers to compare rates and also review coverage limits and exclusions. Claims satisfaction ratings and financial strength may also be factors when choosing. 

The lowest-priced policy may not always be the best choice for your Georgia business. Fortunately, shopping for GL insurance and comparing coverage is easier than ever before.