4-B COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY Flashcards
Commercial General Liability Insurance (CGL)
protects business from a wide variety of financial hazards associated with normal business operations.
CGL covers liability for:
● Bodily injury/ property damage resulting from a business premises and its
operations
● Damage to a premises used or rented by the insured
● Products and completed operations
● Acts of others: employees, agents, contractors acting on behalf of business
● Contracted responsibilities: insured agreed to take on liability
● Personal and advertising injury: injury other than bodily injury resulting from
actions of the insured
Two forms of CGL policies:
● Occurrence: triggered by occurrence or accident
● Claims-made: triggered by claim
Trigger:
what initiates coverage
Occurrence Form:
● Triggered by when the actual injury or damage occurred
● Covers events that happened during policy period, no matter when claim is
made
Occurrence Example
If an occurrence form CGL has a policy period from January 1st, 2008 to January 1st, 2009, then the policy will cover any accident that occurred between those two dates. Even if a claim is made on May 30, 2013 for an accident that occurred during 2008, an occurrence triggered CGL will still protect the insured. This is true, even if the insured no longer has the policy in force.
Claims-Made
● Triggered by when the claim is filed
● Covers any claim filed during the policy period, no matter when the damage or
injury occurred
● Insurers can price premiums to reflect current risks of lawsuit awards
Retroactive Date:
insurers will specify a retroactive date which says how far back an occurrence will be covered.
Claims-Made Example
If a claims-made CGL has a policy period from January 1, 2008 to January 1, 2009, it will cover any claim filed between those two dates.
So if an accident occurred sometime in 2006, and the injured party files a claim on July 1st, 2008, the claims-made CGL would be triggered, because the claim was filed during the policy period.
Claims-Made & Reported:
● Insured must report claim or possibility of a claim within the policy period
Pure Claims-Made:
● Insured must inform insurer of a claim as quickly as possible (not necessarily within the policy period)
Occurrence vs. Claims-Made: Example
- Sally injures her knee when her GoFit exercise machine breaks, but it seems to
heal. - Two years later, her knee collapses and requires surgery; her doctor says the
earlier injury caused it. - Sally files a claim against GoFit.
If GoFit had an occurrence policy at the time the original accident occurred, it would cover the claim.
If GoFit had a claims-made policy, and a retroactive date before the day of the original injury, it would cover the claim.
If the accident had happened before the retroactive date, it would not.
Pros & Cons
Occurrence Form:
● Lower risk for businesses
● Higher risk for insurer
● Higher premiums
Pros & Cons
Claims-made form:
● Higher risk for businesses
● Lower risk for insurer
Claims-made coverage can be extended by ____, or tail cover.
tails
Difference between Tails and Occurrence Form:
● Occurrence coverage lasts forever for damage or injury during the policy period. Tails last only for a relatively short period.
● Tails require premiums from the insured as long as the policy is extended.
Two kinds of tails:
Basic Extended
● Supplemental Extended
Basic Extended Reporting Period:
● Automatically applies to every cancelled or expired claims-made policy
● Extends coverage for occurrences 60 days past policy period
● Extends window for making a claim for 5 years past policy period
Supplemental Extended Reporting Period:
● Extends coverage for occurrences 60 days past policy period
● Extends window for making a claim forever
● Insured must request coverage and pay the premium within 60 days of the
policy period
Example
If the insured causes someone an injury 45 days after his claims-made CGL policy expires, the basic extended reporting period means the insurer will cover it, as long as the third party files the claim within five years of the injury. The Supplemental Extended Reporting Period, or “supplemental tail,” covers occurrences during the same 60-day period as the basic tail, but it does not have the 5-year limit on when a claim may be filed. Once added, this coverage extends forever and cannot be cancelled by the insurer or the insured. The insured must request this extended coverage and pay the additional premium within 60 days of the policy’s expiration.
4 Elements of a CGL Policy
- Declarations Page/Definitions
- Insuring agreements/Coverage Forms
- Conditions Page
- Exclusions
CGL Declarations Page lists:
● Named insured
● Address of every premises the insured owns, rents, or occupies
● Policy period
● Policy premium
● Limits of insurance
● Retroactive date (if policy is a claims-made form)
_____ page specifies who is covered.
Declarations
CGL will usually cover:
● Executives ● Partners ● Employees ● Managers ● Volunteers ● Agents ● Representatives ...but only if they are engaged in business activities of the insured.
CGL does not cover “autos”:
● Vehicles designed for travel on public roads
● These require a Business Auto Policy
CGL does cover “mobile equipment”:
● Designed for use principally off public roads
● Primary purpose is the machinery attached, not transportation
● Examples include bulldozers and forklifts
If a small truck is used exclusively within warehouse or factory premises, it may qualify as mobile equipment.
“Your Product”:
what the insured makes, sells, handles, distributes
“Your Work”:
operations done by insured, includes:
● Parts, materials, and equipment used in work
● Warranties and instructions (or the lack thereof)
“Advertisement”:
Anything shown or said to the public to attract new customers
“Occurrence”:
an sudden accident, or the repeated exposure to something that
causes injury or damage
“Impaired property”:
items damaged by defects in insured’s product or work
● Example - stereo destroyed by defective CD
● Includes unfinished contracts or agreements
“Leased Worker”:
worker hired through a labor leasing firm
“Temporary Worker”:
temporary fill-ins and seasonal workers
“Volunteer Worker”:
donates labor without compensation from insured
“Employee”:
works for insured under contract
● Includes leased workers
● Does not include temporary workers
CGL Coverage Forms: A, B, & C
- CoverageA-
a. Bodily Injury and Property Damage
b. Premises and Operations Liability
c. Products and Completed Operations Liability
d. Contractual Liability for Insured Contracts - Coverage B - Personal and Advertising Injury Liability
- Coverage C - Medical Payments to Others
- Damage to Premises Rented By You
Coverage A
Protects the insured from liability for bodily injury and property damage.
Coverage A
Covers 3 Kinds of Hazard:
● Premises and Operations
● Products and Completed Operations
● Contractual Liability for Insured Contracts
Premises and Operations
Premises liability covers bodily injury and property damage on:
● Premises owned, rented, or leased by insured.
● Ways immediately adjoining, i.e. sidewalks, etc.