General Liability Insurance for Chicago Businesses

General liability, also called commercial general liability or CGL, addresses covered claims that your business injured someone or damaged their property. It also provides a defense for claims falling within its defense obligation, including allegations that turn out to be unfounded.

Longmeadow Insurance places general liability for businesses across Chicago and the North Shore. Because we are independent, we compare terms and pricing across multiple carriers rather than selling one company’s form.

What It Covers

• Bodily injury to customers, vendors, or visitors on your premises or arising from your operations
• Property damage your business causes to someone else’s property
• Products and completed operations, covering claims that arise after a job is finished or a product is sold
• Personal and advertising injury, including libel, slander, and copyright claims in advertising
• Defense costs, generally paid in addition to your limit

What It Does Not Cover

General liability is narrower than most owners assume. It excludes injuries to your own employees, which is what workers compensation is for. It excludes damage to your own building and contents, which is commercial property coverage. It excludes claims arising from professional advice, which needs errors and omissions coverage. It excludes data breaches, which is cyber liability. And it excludes vehicles, which need commercial auto.

Limits and Structure

The standard structure is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. Landlords, general contractors, and municipalities frequently require those limits in a contract, and many now ask for higher.

An aggregate caps payment for the claims assigned to it during the policy period. General liability commonly has separate general and products/completed-operations aggregates. Review both limits and any commercial umbrella when comparing the protection available after several claims.

Certificates and Additional Insureds

If you work for other businesses, you will be asked for a certificate of insurance naming the client as an additional insured, often with a waiver of subrogation and primary and non-contributory wording. These are not formalities. The specific endorsement forms on your policy determine whether the wording your contract requires is actually there.

We read the insurance requirements in your contracts before placing coverage, so the certificate you hand over matches what you signed.

Common Questions

How much does general liability cost in Illinois?

Premium is driven by your industry classification, revenue, payroll, and claims history. A consultant working from an office and a roofing contractor are underwritten very differently. For a $1 million policy, most small businesses pay between several hundred and a few thousand dollars a year.

Should I buy a BOP instead?

A business owner policy bundles general liability with commercial property and often business interruption, usually at a lower combined price. Most small and mid-size businesses that qualify should take the BOP. Businesses outside the eligibility guidelines need a package policy built from separate parts.

Are my subcontractors covered under my policy?

Your general liability can cover your business’s liability arising from subcontracted work, depending on the policy’s subcontractor provisions. That does not replace the subcontractor’s own insurance. Collect their certificates and required endorsements, and check how subcontracted labor will be treated at audit.

Related Coverage

• Commercial property insurance
• Workers compensation insurance
• Cyber liability insurance
• Industry programs we write
• Insurance requirements for Illinois small businesses
• How subcontractors affect your coverage and costs

Get a General Liability Quote

Send us your current policy and any contracts with insurance requirements. Call 847.242.1040 or request a quote online.

Which Carriers We Place General Liability With

Longmeadow Insurance is an appointed Erie Insurance agent, and Erie is one of the carriers we quote most often for general liability in Illinois, particularly for restaurants, retail, contractors, auto service, and professional offices.

We are independent, so Erie is one market among several. Your industry classification, revenue, payroll, prior losses, and the limits your contracts require all determine which carrier offers the best combination of price and policy language. We quote across the markets available to us and show you the comparison.