General Liability Insurance for Startups
Commercial General Liability (CGL) protects your startup from third-party claims of bodily injury, property damage, and advertising injury — the foundation every business needs before signing a lease, closing a deal, or hiring a contractor.
What does general liability actually cover?
CGL is the bedrock policy for any business. It responds to the most common third-party claims your startup will face.
Bodily Injury
Covers medical expenses, legal defense, and settlements when a third party is physically injured on your premises or due to your business operations.
Property Damage
Covers damage your business causes to someone else's property — whether at your office, a client site, or a conference venue.
Personal & Advertising Injury
Covers claims of libel, slander, copyright infringement in advertising, wrongful eviction, and invasion of privacy.
Products-Completed Operations
Covers bodily injury or property damage caused by your product or completed work — even after delivery to the customer.
Medical Payments (Med Pay)
Pays medical expenses for third-party injuries at your premises regardless of fault — up to a per-person limit, without requiring a lawsuit.
Contractual Liability
Covers liability you assume under a contract — such as lease agreements, vendor contracts, or service agreements that require indemnification.
Why startups need general liability coverage
Even if your product is purely digital, your business interacts with the physical world. Landlords, clients, investors, and contractors all expect proof of CGL coverage before they'll work with you.
Lease requirements
Most landlords require a Certificate of Insurance with CGL coverage before signing an office lease.
Client contracts
Enterprise buyers and government contracts require proof of general liability — often $1M per occurrence.
Event & conference presence
Conference venues, trade shows, and coworking spaces require CGL coverage for exhibitors and members.
Common risk triggers for general liability
The office lease
Your landlord requires a Certificate of Insurance with $1M CGL limits before you can move in.
The enterprise RFP
A Fortune 500 prospect requires proof of general liability insurance as part of their vendor approval process.
The contractor visit
A contractor injures themselves in your office and files a bodily injury claim against your company.
The trade show
A conference attendee trips over your booth equipment. The venue holds your company liable for medical costs.
CGL as Part of Our Startup Packages
Pre-Seed & Seed
Core protection for you and your product
What's included
- General third-party claims (CGL)
- Protects you and leadership decisions (D&O)
- Protects you if your tech fails or causes a claim (Tech E&O)
- Protects you if data is exposed or systems are breached (Cyber)
Series A
Protect you, your board, and help you close bigger deals
What's included
- Protects you and leadership decisions (D&O)
- Protects you if your tech fails or causes a claim (Tech E&O)
- Protects you for general third-party claims (CGL)
- Protects you for marketing/content claims (Media)
- Protects you from employee-related claims (EPLI)
- Protects you if data is exposed or systems are breached (Cyber)
Growth Stage
Protection for leadership risk, transactions, and scale
What's included
- Everything in Series A, with stage appropriate limits
- Protects you for benefit plan responsibilities (Fiduciary)
What CGL pairs with
Directors & officers
Covers claims related to management decisions and corporate governance.
Technology errors & omissions
Covers professional liability arising from technology products or services.
Cyber
Covers hacking, ransomware, and data privacy claims.
Employment practices
Covers workplace and employment-related legal claims.
General Liability Claims Scenarios
Real-world examples of CGL claims that startups face.
The Client Visit Incident
An investor visits your office, trips over exposed cables, and requires emergency care. CGL responds to the bodily injury claim and defense costs.
The Office Slip-and-Fall
A delivery driver slips on a wet floor in your office and breaks their wrist. CGL covers their medical expenses and your legal defense if they sue.
The Advertising Injury Claim
A competitor alleges that your marketing materials plagiarize their tagline. CGL's personal and advertising injury coverage handles the defense.
Explore our services
AI insurance
Stay ahead with AI liability coverage, model risk protection, and IP defense.
Fintech
Explore the crossroads of fintech with focused insights on money transfer, regulation, and digital asset security.
Marketplace
Insurance for Marketplaces & Platforms. Safeguard your platform and users while navigating the gig economy's risks.
Health-tech
HIPAA-compliant insurance to protect your business against data breaches and regulatory fines.
SaaS
Scale confidently with coverage tailored for software companies, from E&O to cyber liability.
How much does CGL cost for startups?
General liability is one of the most affordable policies. Pricing depends on your revenue, headcount, and industry.
$400–$800
Pre-Seed / Seed
$1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate
$800–$2,000
Series A
$1M–$2M per occurrence / $2M–$4M aggregate
$2,000–$5,000+
Growth Stage
$2M+ per occurrence / $4M+ aggregate with umbrella
Quotes in under 10 minutes. No broker calls required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Insurance for SaaS companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is commercial general liability (CGL) insurance?
- CGL is a foundational business insurance policy that covers third-party claims of bodily injury, property damage, and personal/advertising injury. It protects your startup when someone outside your company is harmed or their property is damaged due to your business operations. Standard CGL policies provide $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate limits.
- Do tech startups need general liability insurance?
- Yes. Even fully remote, software-only startups need CGL. Landlords require it for office leases, enterprise clients require it in vendor contracts, and coworking spaces require it for membership. A single slip-and-fall claim can cost $20,000 to $50,000 in medical expenses and legal fees. Most investor term sheets and enterprise MSAs also require proof of CGL coverage.
- What is the difference between general liability and professional liability?
- General liability (CGL) covers physical and tangible harm — bodily injury, property damage, and advertising injury. Professional liability (E&O) covers financial harm caused by your professional services or products, like a software bug that costs a client revenue. CGL responds to a visitor slipping in your office; E&O responds to a client losing money because your software malfunctioned. Most startups need both policies.
- How much does general liability insurance cost for a startup?
- For pre-seed and seed startups, CGL typically costs $400 to $800 per year for $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate limits. Series A companies pay $800 to $2,000 per year, and growth-stage startups pay $2,000 to $5,000+ depending on revenue, headcount, and industry risk factors. Corgi provides instant CGL quotes in under 10 minutes.
- What claims does general liability insurance cover?
- CGL covers three main categories: (1) bodily injury — a visitor is hurt at your office or event, (2) property damage — your business operations damage someone else's property, and (3) personal and advertising injury — claims of libel, slander, copyright infringement in your advertising, or wrongful eviction. It also covers products-completed operations, meaning bodily injury or property damage caused by your product after delivery.
Explore other coverage types: All Coverage, AI, SaaS, Fintech, Health-Tech, Marketplaces | All Startup Insurance