Florida Business Liability Insurance Solutions
Small businesses make up 99% of Florida’s economy. The sunshine state is the perfect nest for entrepreneurs to realize their business dreams. Unfortunately, the journey is never without hiccups. Daily, problems that require quick action happen in the workplace. The good news is that general liability insurance takes some of the weight off your back as a small business owner. Having insurance helps you focus on your business operations and leave the rest to your insurance company. This page will help you learn everything about this type of small business insurance.
What Does General Liability Insurance Cover in Florida?
Business liability insurance, also known as commercial general liability insurance, or CGL is a specialized type of Florida business insurance. It protects businesses if they’re sued for claims of bodily injury or property damage to a client or a third party. It also deals with advertising injuries, including libel, slander, and defamation.
Florida General Liability Insurance Claims scenarios
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Bodily Injury: A client gets injured after slipping and falling on a wet floor inside your business premises.
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Property Damage: Your employees accidentally damage the client’s fence while landscaping their garden.
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Advertising Injury: A client or competitor claims your advertisement contains stolen ideas, invasion of privacy, libel, slander, or copyright infringement.
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Why Do Florida Businesses Need General Liability Insurance?
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Protection Against Legal Claims: Covers the medical bills and legal fees for all the scenarios related to bodily injury, property damage, and advertising injury.
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Financial Security: Protects the company’s financial health by covering all the legal fees up to the policy limit.
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Compliance with Client and Partner Requirements: Some clients and partners require you to carry general liability insurance before entering into contractual agreements.
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Reassurance: With CGL, you’re less worried about small accidents and more focused on your business goals.
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Is General Liability Insurance Required by Law in Florida?
No law in Florida mandates carrying general liability coverages. However, it is a requirement for business in some cases, Florida general liability insurance requirements differ from one city or county to another. Here are some cases where it may be legally required:
- Some clients require it before agreeing to sign contracts.
- Contractors may need to carry it to obtain or maintain their licenses.
- Licensing agreements for some professionals, like electricians or HVAC technicians, may include CGL as a requirement.
- Most landlords require small business owners to carry liability insurance as a condition of the leasing agreement.
What Types of Businesses Might Need General Liability in Florida?
Florida General Liability Insurance Requirements
General liability insurance is recommended for most types of businesses, as it protects them from incidents that may happen at any point. Below are examples of businesses that require general liability insurance coverage and others that are recommended to carry it.
Businesses that are required to carry CGL:
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Contractors should carry out a policy with a minimum of $300,000 per occurrence and $1 million aggregate.
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HVAC technicians: Licensed and registered technicians are required to carry a minimum of $100,000.
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Electricians: Must carry a limit of at least $300,000 per occurrence and provide proof of insurance within 30 days of obtaining their license.
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Daycares: Must carry a minimum of $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate coverage.
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Class “B” security agents: must have at least $300,000 in general liability coverage.
Businesses that are recommended to carry CGL:
- Retail and hospitality
- Professional services, like consultants and advisors.
- Real estate agents and brokers.
Although high-risk lines of businesses may require CGL more than others, accidents can happen to anyone. A spilled coffee or a wet floor in an office environment might lead to an expensive lawsuit.
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Common Exclusions and Limitations of General Liability Insurance in Florida
General liability insurance doesn’t protect your business against these risks:
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Professional services: Claims complaining about errors related to quality of service are covered under professional liability insurance.
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Damage to owned property: Property damage is only covered when it’s the customer’s property or a third-party property. Commercial property insurance covers your business property.
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Intentional acts: As a general rule, insurance policies never cover intentional acts.
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Employee injuries: Injuries befalling your employees are covered by workers’ compensation insurance.
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Liquor liability: Businesses that manufacture, sell, or serve alcohol aren’t covered for alcohol-related incidents by general liability insurance. They may need coverage by liquor liability insurance.
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Automobile-related incidents: These are covered by commercial auto insurance.
How Much is General Liability Insurance for a Small Business in Florida?
When it comes to the cost of general liability insurance, small business owners pay an average of $45 per month, while a sole proprietor might pay an average of $30. LLCs with 20 employees or more might pay around $64 per month. The annual general range is between $500 and $2000.
Note that the cost of general liability insurance in Florida differs based on the industry, risk factors, locations, business size, and coverage limits.
Factors Influencing the Cost of General Liability Insurance
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Industry and risk factors: High-risk industries face higher premiums than low-risk sectors.
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Locations: Litigation rates and local regulations affect insurance costs.
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Business size: Big-sized businesses with more employees are exposed to more risks and have more on the line to protect, so they pay higher costs in insurance.
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Coverage limits: Higher limits mean higher monthly premiums.
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Does an LLC Need CGL Insurance in Florida?
Limited liability companies or LLCs are recommended to carry business insurance policies in Florida, even though they have personal liability protection. The reason behind this is that personal liability insurance isn’t sufficient to protect your business. Personal liability protects the owners of an LLC but doesn’t extend to business liabilities. If someone slips on the business’ premises, CGL will cover the costs from the resulting claims, but personal liability carried by LLCs won’t.
How to Get the Cheapest General Liability Insurance for Small Businesses in Florida
Follow these expert tips to get cheap general liability insurance in Florida.
- Bundle CGL with other types of insurance. For example, a business owner’s policy combines both general liability insurance and professional liability insurance under one policy. It’s more cost-effective than combining both policies.
- Increase your deductibles to get a lower premium rate.
- Avoid filing claims for minor incidents that you can pay out-of-pocket; as previous claims increase insurance costs.
- Implement risk management strategies to maintain a safe work environment.
- Shop around from different providers before you settle on an insurance deal.
How to Choose the Right General Liability Insurance Policy for Your Business in Florida
- Assess your coverage needs: Each company has different coverage needs, depending on its size, operations, and risk factors. Set your coverage limits accordingly.
- Understand your coverage components: Read more about CGL and discover how it helps your business.
- Compare quotes from multiple insurance providers: Each insurance company provides a different price for different coverage limits. Also, run a background check to ensure that the company you choose is financially stable.
- Consult with an Insurance professional: Our brokers at Florida Insure would happily help you understand the regulations and recommend the best options.
- Regularly review and update your policy: Consider reviewing your insurance needs annually as your business grows or changes to make sure you have the exact coverage you need.
Tips for Managing and Reducing General Liability Risks in Florida
- Implement risk management strategies to minimize the number of workplace incidents.
- Document all incidents meticulously, without leaving any details.
- Stay informed of Florida legal requirements and seek legal counsel when needed.
- Ensure you have adequate insurance coverage for your business needs.
- Encourage employees to follow safety protocols and report any hazards.
General Liability Insurance Florida FAQs
LLCs need different types of business insurance coverage, like general liability, professional liability, commercial property, and commercial auto insurance. The personal liability insurance they carry only covers the business owners but doesn’t cover business liability, so they need to carry commercial insurance.
On average, small businesses in Florida pay between $42 and $69 per month, or around $500 per year for $1 million in general liability insurance.
Workers’ compensation and commercial auto insurance are both required by law in Florida. General liability insurance is also required for some types of professions, like construction workers, and electricians.
Yes, commercial general liability insurance covers claims of defamation, including slander and libel, under the advertising injury coverage.
Commercial general liability insurance doesn’t cover intentional acts, automobile incidents, employee injuries, liquor liability, damage to owned property, and claims related to professional services.
Many small businesses opt for a coverage limit of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate limits for one policy period.
Although general liability insurance isn’t obligatory in Florida by law, many business owners purchase it to protect their businesses from claims of injury or property damage to others, which happen commonly.
Commercial general liability insurance protects businesses if they’re sued for claims of bodily injury or property damage to a client or a third party, as well as advertising injury.
Yes, like all insurance types, general liability insurance has a deductible, which is the amount paid out of pocket by policyholders in case of a covered event before the insurance company covers the rest of the expenses.
General liability insurance is a type of business liability insurance that covers claims of bodily injury and property damage to clients or third parties. It also covers advertising injury, slander, libel, and defamation.
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