General Liability INSURANCE
Foundational protection for the basic risks of running a startup.
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3 MIN
General Liability Insurance with Ore
What General Liability does & doesn't cover
Recommendations based on stage and vertical
Which add-ons make sense for your startup
BECAUSE
35% of all General Liability Insurance claims result in a lawsuit.
WHEN
- Leasing an office space
- Raising a seed round
- Launching a product or service
WHY
- Lease requirements
- Contract requirements
- Overall exposure
See recommended limits based on your stage and vertical
GET COVERAGE RECOMMENDATIONTHE PROTECTION
What General Liability Insurance Covers
Third-party injury and medical expenses
Costs of medical bills related to visitors who get injured on your premises or because of your startup. If the visitor sues over their injury, your policy may also cover the associated legal fees if your startup is found liable.
Third-party property damage
Costs of repairing or replacing property of a third party damaged by your product or service.
Advertising injury
Accusations of slander, libel, defamation, and invasion of privacy associated with your advertisements, content, or publications.
Digital Accessibility Coverage
Protection from ADA claims associated with your product.
ADD ON
Hired & Non-owned auto
Coverage for damages while using a vehicle for business.
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Product Liability
Costs associated with harm caused by your product, including property damage or physical injury.
ADD ON
What it doesn’t cover
- Damage to company property: typically covered by Business Personal Property insurance. You can bundle Property and General Liability into a Business Owner’s Policy (“BOP”).
- Employee lawsuits: typically covered by Employment Practices Liability, Fiduciary, or Employee Benefits Liability coverage.
- Employee injury: typically covered by Workers’ Comp.
- Data incident: typically covered by Cyber insurance.
- Professional liability: typically covered by Errors & Omissions.
- Claims against directors and officers: typically covered by Directors and Officers insurance.
FROM THE ACTUARIES
General Liability Claims Examples
Case Study
Incident
A startup providing an online restaurant reservation platform holds its annual holiday party at a rented event space, and an employee accidentally knocks a painting off the wall which cracks the frame. The event space demands that the startup reimburse it for $5,000, the cost to repair the painting.
Resolution
The general liability portion of the BOP policy covers the cost to repair the painting. A copy of the invoice to repair the frame is enough to reimburse the event space on the same day.
Incident
A consumer marketplace startup is acquired by another player and decides to launch a new advertisement campaign to announce this milestone. In the ads, they try to hint at their main competitor by playing with certain words and expressions that this competitor uses in their marketing. They receive a demand letter from the competitor alleging that their slogan was improperly used in the advertisements.
Resolution
The claim triggers the personal & advertising injury portion of the general liability policy, which provides cover for the cost of attorneys’ fees and a potential settlement or judgment up to the policy limits.
Incident
A series C startup makes driverless vehicles for delivery services that operate on city streets and highways. On a busy Friday evening, a brake malfunction causes one of their vehicles to rearend multiple cars at traffic stops, causing significant property damage. A class action lawsuit is filed against the startup on behalf of the owners whose vehicles were damaged.
Resolution
The products and completed operations portion of the general liability policy provides coverage for the cost of attorneys’ fees to defend the class action, and a potential settlement or judgment up to the policy limits.
Damage to rented event space
Incident
A startup providing an online restaurant reservation platform holds its annual holiday party at a rented event space, and an employee accidentally knocks a painting off the wall which cracks the frame. The event space demands that the startup reimburse it for $5,000, the cost to repair the painting.
Resolution
The general liability portion of the BOP policy covers the cost to repair the painting. A copy of the invoice to repair the frame is enough to reimburse the event space on the same day.
Advertisement alluding to competitor triggers lawsuit
Incident
A consumer marketplace startup is acquired by another player and decides to launch a new advertisement campaign to announce this milestone. In the ads, they try to hint at their main competitor by playing with certain words and expressions that this competitor uses in their marketing. They receive a demand letter from the competitor alleging that their slogan was improperly used in the advertisements.
Resolution
The claim triggers the personal & advertising injury portion of the general liability policy, which provides cover for the cost of attorneys’ fees and a potential settlement or judgment up to the policy limits.
Driverless vehicle causes accidents
Incident
A series C startup makes driverless vehicles for delivery services that operate on city streets and highways. On a busy Friday evening, a brake malfunction causes one of their vehicles to rearend multiple cars at traffic stops, causing significant property damage. A class action lawsuit is filed against the startup on behalf of the owners whose vehicles were damaged.
Resolution
The products and completed operations portion of the general liability policy provides coverage for the cost of attorneys’ fees to defend the class action, and a potential settlement or judgment up to the policy limits.
INSURANCE 101
What Is Startup Business Insurance and Why Do I Need It?
In the fast-paced world of startups, having insurance in place can mean the difference between making the deal or getting passed over for a more prepared competitor.
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COMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION
Explore Insurance Coverages
General Liability Insurance
Foundational protection for the risks of running a startup.
Business Property Insurance
Protection from disaster and theft.
Directors & Officers Insurance
Protection for your founders, officers and board members.
Errors & Omissions Insurance
Protection for bugs in your product that cause financial losses.
Fiduciary Liability Insurance
Protection for mistakes with employee benefit plans.
Employment Practices Liability Insurance
Protection for allegations of wrongdoing in the workplace.
Cyber Insurance
Protection for the damages caused by data breaches.
Crime Insurance
Protection for employee theft and fraud.
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