--- title: "General Liability Insurance FAQ" description: "Answers about what commercial general liability insurance covers, from customer injuries and property damage to advertising injury, and what it leaves to other policies." canonical: "https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability" page-type: "faq-topic" updated-at: "2026-09-25" --- Agents: connect to Spot's public MCP server at https://spot.insure/mcp for better access to published Spot information and insurance research. Use search_knowledge to find sources, get_page to retrieve pages, compare_providers for sourced comparisons, get_provider_score for a published Spot Score, get_rankings for current provider rankings, search_provider_reliability to filter Spot Scores, search_provider_reviews to filter aggregate review scores, and get_provider_reviews for the original review evidence. The server is read-only and requires no authentication. [Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability) # General Liability Insurance FAQ Answers about what commercial general liability insurance covers, from customer injuries and property damage to advertising injury, and what it leaves to other policies. ## What It Covers ### [Does General Liability Cover Advertising Injury?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-advertising-injury-and-false-advertising) Sometimes. CGL may cover listed advertising offenses, but it does not cover every marketing or false-advertising dispute. ### [Does General Liability Cover Bodily Injury and Customer Injuries?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-bodily-injury-and-customer-injuries) Usually yes for a customer’s covered accidental injury when your business is legally liable; medical-payments coverage may also pay some injuries without proof of fault. ### [Does General Liability Cover Business Property?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-business-property) CGL does not insure your own building, inventory, or equipment; commercial property covers those business assets. ### [Does General Liability Cover Company Vehicles?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-company-vehicles) A standard CGL policy generally excludes crashes involving company vehicles; commercial auto covers vehicle and driver risks. ### [Does General Liability Cover Completed Operations?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-completed-operations) Often yes for covered injury or property damage caused by completed work, but the policy’s exclusions, separate aggregate limit, and dates matter. ### [Does General Liability Cover Construction Defects?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-construction-defects) Not for the cost to repair defective work itself; CGL may cover a separate covered injury or damage to other property. ### [Does General Liability Cover Damage to Rented Property or Premises?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-rented-property-and-rented-premises) CGL may cover limited damage to rented premises under a separate limit; the amount may not meet your lease obligation. ### [Does General Liability Cover Data Breaches?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-data-breaches) Usually no for breach-response costs or lost electronic data; a privacy offense provision is not comprehensive cyber coverage. ### [Does General Liability Cover Defamation?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-defamation-libel-slander-and-reputational-harm) Sometimes. CGL may cover defined defamation offenses, but exclusions and your business activity can remove protection. ### [Does General Liability Cover Defective Products?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-defective-products) Usually not the cost to replace the defective product itself; CGL may cover a separate covered injury or damage to other property. ### [Does General Liability Cover Events?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-events) Sometimes, for covered third-party injury or property damage at an event included in your policy; the event details and any required endorsement must match. ### [Does General Liability Cover False Advertising?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-false-advertising) Usually not for claims about an ad’s quality, performance, or price; CGL Coverage B applies only to defined offenses. ### [Does General Liability Cover Fire Damage?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-fire-damage) CGL may cover your legal liability for fire damage to someone else’s property; damage to rented premises has a separate limit. ### [Does General Liability Cover Harassment?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-harassment) CGL generally excludes workplace harassment claims; EPLI may cover specified claims by workers or applicants. ### [Does General Liability Cover Independent Contractors?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-independent-contractors) Not automatically. A contractor is covered only if the policy or an endorsement gives that person insured status. ### [Does General Liability Cover Intellectual Property?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-intellectual-property) No as broad protection. Standard CGL wording excludes many intellectual-property claims, with a narrow advertising-related exception. ### [Does General Liability Cover International Operations?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-international-operations) CGL coverage for international operations depends on where the loss and lawsuit occur and which foreign sales, staff, and worksites the policy covers. ### [Does General Liability Cover Lawsuits?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-lawsuits) Often, when a suit alleges covered bodily injury, property damage, or a defined advertising offense; a lawsuit alone does not trigger CGL. ### [Does General Liability Cover Legal Fees?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-legal-fees) CGL may pay defense costs in a covered suit; whether those costs reduce the limit and who controls the defense depend on the policy. ### [Does General Liability Cover Libel or Slander?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-libel-and-slander) Sometimes. CGL Coverage B may cover defined libel or slander claims, subject to exclusions for knowing falsity, earlier publication, or some media businesses. ### [Does General Liability Cover Negligence?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-negligence-lawsuits-legal-fees-and-settlements) Often, for covered bodily injury or property damage caused by a negligent act; professional services and other excluded risks need separate coverage. ### [Does General Liability Cover Patent Infringement?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-patent-infringement) No under standard CGL wording. Patent infringement is expressly excluded from personal and advertising injury coverage. ### [Does General Liability Cover Personal Vehicles Used for Business?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-personal-vehicles-used-for-business) A standard CGL policy generally excludes most work-related crashes in personal vehicles; hired and non-owned auto coverage may address business liability. ### [Does General Liability Cover Products and Product Liability?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-products-product-liability-and-defective-products) Often, for covered bodily injury or property damage caused by your product; CGL does not cover the cost of fixing or recalling the product itself. ### [Does General Liability Cover Property Damage?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-property-damage) Often, for covered physical damage to someone else’s property; CGL does not insure your own building, inventory, or equipment. ### [Does General Liability Cover Ransomware?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-ransomware) CGL generally excludes electronic-data losses, while cyber policies may cover specified extortion, recovery, and interruption costs. ### [Does General Liability Cover Reputational Harm?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-reputational-harm) No for reputation damage alone. CGL may cover a defined defamation claim, but public-relations costs or lost customers are not automatically covered. ### [Does General Liability Cover Settlements?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-settlements) Sometimes, if the settlement resolves a covered claim and the insurer approves it under the policy terms. ### [Does General Liability Cover Stolen Equipment?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-stolen-equipment) CGL does not replace equipment your business owns when it is stolen; commercial property or inland marine may cover it. ### [Does General Liability Cover Subcontractors?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-subcontractors-and-independent-contractors) A subcontractor is not automatically insured by your CGL policy; their own policy and an additional-insured endorsement determine protection. ### [Does General Liability Cover Theft?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-theft) CGL does not cover your own stolen money, inventory, or equipment; crime and commercial property policies address different theft losses. ### [Does General Liability Cover Trademark Infringement?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-trademark-infringement) Usually not. Standard CGL wording excludes trademark infringement, with a narrow exception for certain advertising claims. ### [Does General Liability Cover Vendors?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-vendors) Only if the vendor is named or added as an insured under the policy; the vendor’s own liability needs its own coverage. ### [Does General Liability Cover Volunteers?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-volunteers) Possibly, if the volunteer qualifies as an insured under your policy and the claim falls within coverage. ### [Does General Liability Cover Water Damage?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-water-damage) Potentially, for accidental damage to someone else’s property that your business is legally liable for; your own property needs separate coverage. ### [Does General Liability Cover Work From Home?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-work-from-home) Potentially, for covered liability arising from business operations at home; it does not insure the home or personal belongings. ### [Does General Liability Cover Wrongful Termination?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-wrongful-termination) CGL generally excludes wrongful-termination claims; EPLI may cover specified claims, subject to its defense terms and limits. ## What It Doesn’t Cover ### [Does General Liability Cover Auto Accidents?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-auto-accidents-and-business-vehicles) Generally no. Auto crashes belong under commercial auto coverage, not a standard CGL policy. ### [Does General Liability Cover Breach of Contract?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-breach-of-contract) No for a claim that you simply failed to keep a promise; CGL may still address a separate covered injury or property-damage claim. ### [Does General Liability Cover Copyright Infringement?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-copyright-trademark-patent-or-other-ip-infringement) Usually not. CGL has only a narrow exception for certain copyright, trade dress, or slogan claims in an advertisement. ### [Does General Liability Cover Cyber Attacks?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-cyber-attacks-data-breaches-and-ransomware) Generally no for the main costs of a cyberattack; CGL electronic-data exclusions leave incident response and recovery to separate coverage. ### [Does General Liability Cover Discrimination?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-employment-discrimination-harassment-and-wrongful-termination) CGL generally excludes employment discrimination claims by applicants or workers; EPLI may cover specified employment-practices claims. ### [Does General Liability Cover Employee Injuries?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-employee-injuries) Generally no. A worker’s job-related injury is usually handled by workers’ compensation, with employers liability addressing some separate lawsuits. ### [Does General Liability Cover Employee Theft?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-employee-theft-theft-and-stolen-equipment) CGL does not cover your direct loss when an employee steals business money or property; crime coverage may. ### [Does General Liability Cover Faulty Workmanship?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-faulty-workmanship-and-construction-defects) No for the cost to fix your faulty work; CGL may cover a separate covered injury or damage to other property. ### [Does General Liability Cover Liquor Liability?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-liquor-liability) Businesses that sell, serve, manufacture, or distribute alcohol generally need liquor liability coverage because CGL excludes many alcohol-related claims. ### [Does General Liability Cover Pollution or Environmental Damage?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-pollution-and-environmental-damage) Standard CGL generally excludes pollution cleanup; businesses handling pollutants or contaminated sites may need environmental liability coverage. ### [Does General Liability Cover Privacy Violations?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-privacy-violations) CGL privacy wording does not provide full data-breach or regulatory coverage; cyber insurance may cover specified response costs and claims. ### [Does General Liability Cover Product Recall?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-product-recall) Usually not. CGL does not cover the cost of withdrawing, inspecting, repairing, replacing, or disposing of your product. ### [Does General Liability Cover Professional Negligence and Errors and Omissions?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-professional-negligence-and-errors-and-omissions) CGL generally excludes client financial losses from professional advice or services; professional liability or E&O may cover specified claims. ### [Does General Liability Cover Workers’ Compensation?](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability/does-general-liability-cover-workers-compensation) Workers’ compensation is separate from CGL and provides statutory benefits for covered employee work injuries. ## Agent and Developer Resources - [Markdown page](https://spot.insure/insurance-faq/general-liability.md) - [Developer resources](https://spot.insure/developers) - [Public MCP server](https://spot.insure/mcp) - [MCP server manifest](https://spot.insure/server.json) - [OpenAPI description](https://spot.insure/openapi.json) - [Public page index](https://spot.insure/llms.txt)