What's the Difference Between General Liability & Professional Liability?

As business leaders continue to navigate the complexities of risk management, one pivotal aspect of securing your operations that requires a more nuanced understanding is liability insurance. 

Liability insurance isn't a one-size-fits-all solution but comprises a range of coverage options tailored to address specific industries and facets of risk. Specifically, general liability and professional liability insurance play a pivotal role in safeguarding businesses against potential harm.

Understanding the difference between professional and general liability, the specific risks they cover, the industries they safeguard, and the nuanced factors that influence their costs can help determine the best coverage for your business. 

Whether you're seeking to protect your business against bodily injury claims, or from financial ramifications due to professional service errors, here’s what you need to know about general and professional liability insurance. 

What Is General Liability Insurance?

General liability offers broad protections for businesses against a range of potential risks, including bodily injury claims, property damage, medical payments for injuries on business premises, reputational harm from lawsuits, and protection for advertising errors such as copyright infringement in advertisements.

Whether it's a customer slipping on a wet floor, a visitor injured on your premises, or damage caused by your business operations, this insurance can be used to provide financial protection in the event of a wide range of occurrences.

Most businesses require some level of general liability insurance, but the cost of coverage could vary based on industry, location, years of experience, and risk associated.

Coverage includes:

• Bodily Injury Claims - Protects your business if someone gets injured while on your premises.
• Medical Payments - Covers medical expenses for injuries that occur on your business property.
• Property Damage - Addresses damage caused by your business or employees.
• Reputational Harm - Provides coverage for claims of malicious prosecution, libel, slander, wrongful eviction, privacy violations, and more.
• Advertising Errors - Shields your business in the event of a lawsuit related to copyright infringement in your advertisements.

For more information, check out our Guide to Business Insurance Policies!

What Is Professional Liability Insurance?

Professional liability, also known as errors and omissions insurance, is designed to protect businesses from financial damages claimed by clients due to professional service errors. This insurance extends to legal defense costs associated with claims arising from mistakes made during service provision.

There are two primary types of professional liability: claims-made and occurrence. Claims-made requires the policy to be active when both the event and lawsuit occurred, while occurrence ensures coverage for any eligible claim arising from an incident that took place while the policy was in effect.

This is widely used for businesses such as law firms, consultancies, accountants, home inspectors, technology professionals, and more. 

Certain businesses, especially in highly regulated industries like healthcare, may be legally required to have professional liability. Additionally, clients may stipulate this coverage in contracts, making it essential for businesses working with clients to have adequate protection.

The costs associated with professional liability can vary widely due to the diverse range of industries and options available. 

Covered includes:

• Professional Negligence - Safeguards against claims of professional errors or failure to meet established standards of care.
• Failure to Deliver Promised Services - Provides protection when businesses are unable to fulfill contractual commitments or deliver services as explicitly agreed upon.
• Breach of Contract - Covers situations where businesses are accused of violating contractual obligations, offering financial protection and support in navigating complexities associated with contract disputes and legal actions.
• Errors & Omissions - Protects against claims resulting from professional errors, where their actions or oversights may have led to financial losses or harm.
• General Professional Misconduct - Extends coverage to cases of professional misconduct. 

Key Differences & What to Look for in Coverage 

The chief difference is while general liability is designed to address tangible risks, such as bodily injuries and property damage, professional liability insurance extends to more nuanced and abstract risks, like potential errors and omissions of services offered by your business.

When considering coverage, it's crucial to understand the specifics of each insurance type and know what your business requires to ensure comprehensive protection. This can encompass the nature of the risks addressed, the industries and professionals covered, cost factors and more. 

By carefully assessing the unique risks inherent in your industry and tailoring coverage to address these specific challenges, you ensure that your business is not only protected but also well-positioned for sustained success in a dynamic and unpredictable business environment.

Streamline Your Insurance Tracking with bcs

No matter what sort of coverage you’re looking for, you can optimize your insurance tracking with bcs. 

Unlike competitors, bcs provides versatile self-service and full-service compliance solutions, granting access to best-in-class software or premium support from compliance analysts. 

Whether you prefer hands-on tracking or outsourcing to a full-service provider, bcs' integrated solution covers all aspects of third-party management, from automated RFPs to meticulous hiring and onboarding processes. By centralizing vendor processes, bcs empowers you to streamline COI tracking, mitigate risks, and foster secure business partnerships.

bcs, a premier COI tracking solution, offers both full- and self-service options, enabling you to effortlessly hire, onboard, and manage vendors with a few clicks. 

Streamline your insurance tracking process with bcs. Contact us today or schedule a demo to experience the future of streamlined compliance.