General Liability Insurance
General liability insurance is an important product for all business owners across Ontario. It protects you against a variety of financial risks that arise due to damage or injury due to your company’s services, products, or property.
You might hear liability insurance referred to as contractor’s insurance or commercial general liability insurance. These products are here to ensure your business is not held financially accountable for the general risks of everyday business life.
At Ron Johnston Insurance, we partner with companies across the province of Ontario. Working side by side, we build customized policies that work for your company’s individual needs. No two businesses are identical, and that’s why we choose to create bespoke plans with standard and extended liability insurance options.
Why Buy General Liability Insurance with Ron Johnston?
For more than four decades, Ron Johnston Insurance has served the people of Ontario in a broad range of liability insurance services.
Being a local business, our team of experienced brokers know we aren’t just serving clients, but friends and neighbours. We strive to provide the greatest level of protection on all general liability insurance policies while meeting your budget needs with every quote.
When you work with Ron Johnston Insurance for your general liability insurance, you work with a team who believes in:
- Above and Beyond – Our brokers work around the clock to find the best deals for our clients. We aren’t satisfied until we know all your needs have been met, and you have peace of mind about your commercial liability.
- Express Claims – We offer express claims on our contractor insurance for accessibility and convenience.
- Customer Satisfaction – Your satisfaction is important to us. Our business is protecting you and your business. If you aren’t satisfied, we aren’t doing our job right.
What Does General Liability Insurance Cover?
A liability is any risk which puts your company in a position of fault where you could be held financially accountable for damage or injury. Within the realm of professional liability products, there are several to consider. General liability insurance, as the title suggests, acts as a blanket coverage for foundation level liability risks which could be encountered by businesses across numerous industries.
General liability insurance falls under two main categories; these are:
Damage Liability
Damage liability occurs when you or your company is found at fault for damaging the property of another individual or company. For example, if you run a successful construction company, and during a remodel, debris damages your client’s car, damage liability insurance helps cover costs of repairs, so this cost doesn’t come out of your company account.
Damage liability can be applied to damage which occurs during working hours, or afterwards. For example, if your auto body shop improperly clear coats a vehicle and it rusts months after being painted at your shop, you could be held accountable for poor craftsmanship. In this instance, the damage occurred long after your service, but you are still liable because the job was completed at your shop. Damage liability coverage pays for any legal fees or repair costs associated with this, and other incidents.
Injury Liability
Injury liability claims can be complicated, because there is often a legal aspect on top of damage costs. When somebody is injured on site at your business, or by materials purchased through your business, or during a service offered by your business, you can be held accountable.
Injury liability insurance cases get serious because of the implications of negligence. Whether a slip and fall incident, food poisoning, or an injury caused by on-site equipment, you are liable for injuries to:
- Staff
- Delivery people
- Clients
- Service personnel (cleaning, repairs, pest control, etc.)
Injury general liability insurance issues get costly because there is more than the physical injury at stake. If somebody is hurt on your property, or by your property, you can be sued to cover:
- Medical costs – While many medical fees are covered by Canadian health protection, some costs are left to third-party insurance providers. Your liability insurance keeps you from paying exorbitant medical fees if someone is injured on your property.
- Wage loss – If an employee is hurt at work, your worker’s compensation protection may cover wage loss. However, if a delivery person is injured tripping over a carpet in your lobby, you may be accountable to pay for wages lost during their healing process.
- Pain and suffering – physical and mental anguish caused by an injury can also be held against you in a liability suit. Your general liability insurance covers these costs as well.
Frequently Asked Questions About General Liability Insurance
At Ron Johnston, we strive to ensure our clients are informed about every product before settling on the right policy. Here, we’ve included some of our most frequently asked CGL insurance questions.
Contractors are one of the top job titles seeking general liability insurance as it protects you from damage to property or injuries to people during services. It also protects you from financial implications if one of your jobs leads to damage later.
This is dependent on the size of your business, your industry, common perils in your field, and other details. Your broker can help you determine the right amount of coverage for your business. Many clients go with a $1-million-dollar contractor insurance or liability insurance policy to ensure they are covered no matter the situation or cost.
Call us! Ron Johnston Insurance has brokers available at all hours to ensure our customers are never without help. If you need to file a CGL insurance claim, we’re here for you.
Still have questions about commercial general liability insurance? Our experienced team of brokers here at Ron Johnston Insurance can help. Our brokers work with businesses across Ontario, and understand what risks are associated with running a company. We invite you to contact us at 1-705-325-6200 to learn more.
I really enjoy dealing with my broker at Ron Johnston insurance. Neil McKendrey has helped so much, with all of my commercial insurance needs for running my business! I would highly recommend dealing with RJI for their great quality of service!
Their whole staff is great, and Chris is a lifesaver. Strongly recommend them!
Ron insurance we're really professional people and help me out greatly with my policy