General Liability Insurance
General Liability Insurance Tennessee – Protect Your TN Business from Lawsuits
No matter how careful you are, accidents happen—and when they do, general liability insurance can protect your Tennessee business from devastating lawsuits. Whether you're operating a storefront in Morristown, managing a contracting crew in Jefferson City, or seeing clients from your home office, general liability coverage is the foundation of a strong business insurance plan.
Everyday Risks Deserve Serious Protection
General liability insurance covers claims of bodily injury, property damage, and personal or advertising injury that your business may be held responsible for. If a customer slips in your store, a client’s property gets damaged during a job, or your business is sued for a social media post gone wrong, GL insurance helps cover legal fees, settlements, and medical costs—so one mishap doesn’t derail everything you’ve worked for.
What General Liability Insurance Covers
Here are some of the real-world scenarios that general liability insurance can help with:
- Third-Party Bodily Injury – Covers medical costs and legal fees if someone is injured on your premises or by your business operations (e.g., a client trips in your entryway).
- Third-Party Property Damage – If your work or employees damage someone else's property (e.g., breaking a customer’s window while installing a unit), this covers repairs and liability.
- Completed Operations – Contractors: if your completed work later causes damage or injury, this helps with the legal and financial fallout.
- Product Liability – If a product you sell or make causes harm, this coverage responds.
- Personal & Advertising Injury – Covers issues like libel, slander, and copyright infringement, especially relevant in today’s digital marketing world.
Even small accidents can lead to big legal costs. GL insurance gives your business a safety net when you need it most.
Who Needs General Liability Coverage? (Spoiler: Almost Everyone)
If your business interacts with the public, sells a product, offers a service, or even rents office space, general liability insurance is likely a must-have. It’s especially important for:
- Contractors & subcontractors
- Retail shops & boutiques
- Restaurants & food service businesses
- Offices & professional services
- Home-based businesses
- Startups & LLCs
Many commercial landlords and client contracts require a Certificate of Insurance. We can issue proof of coverage quickly so you don’t miss out on opportunities.
Coverage Limits & What They Mean for You
Most Tennessee small businesses opt for coverage limits of $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate, which balances affordability and protection. Higher-risk industries or larger operations may need more. If you’re unsure, we’ll walk you through the numbers and recommend limits that make sense for your exposure and budget.
General liability insurance is one of the most cost-effective policies available—and one of the most frequently claimed. That makes it essential for risk management and long-term stability.
Bundle or Standalone? We’ll Help You Decide
General liability can stand alone or be bundled as part of a
Business Owners Policy (BOP) for qualifying businesses. If you also need commercial property coverage or business interruption protection, we may recommend a BOP for greater value. We can also tie your GL policy into a broader commercial insurance strategy—adding
umbrella coverage for extra liability limits or pairing with
workers’ comp and
professional liability as needed.
Local Support When It Matters Most
We don’t just sell a policy and disappear. At Queener Insurance, we help you manage risk, meet contract and lease requirements, and respond quickly when a Certificate of Insurance or claim situation arises. Our team serves businesses throughout Morristown, Jefferson City, Bean Station, and beyond—helping you navigate insurance with the personal service only a local agency can offer.
Start Your General Liability Quote Today
Ready to protect your business? All we need to get started is a quick overview of your operations and estimated annual revenue. We’ll tailor your quote to your business and walk you through coverage, exclusions, and optional upgrades. If you’re just getting started, we’re happy to explain the basics—this is often the first policy a new business needs, and we’re here to make it easy.
Is general liability insurance required by law in Tennessee?
Generally, the state doesn’t mandate GL insurance for all businesses (unlike auto insurance for vehicles, for example). However, certain industries or contracts will effectively require it. For instance, if you’re a contractor, many client contracts or job sites will require you to show a Certificate of Insurance for GL. Also, if you want to rent commercial space, landlords usually require it. Even when not required, it’s highly recommended to carry it because of the risk of lawsuits.
What is personal and advertising injury on a GL policy?
This part of GL covers things like libel, slander, or copyright/trademark infringement in your advertising. For example, if you accidentally use an image you didn’t have rights to in a Facebook ad and get sued, or if a competitor claims your advertisement defamed them – the GL policy could cover legal costs. It’s a coverage part that many don’t think about, but it can be very important in the age of social media marketing.
Does general liability cover my employees if they get hurt?
No, injuries to employees are covered under workers’ compensation, not GL. General liability is for non-employees (customers, vendors, the general public). If an employee slips and falls, that’s a workers’ comp claim. If a customer slips and falls, that’s general liability. We can help you secure both GL and workers’ comp to fully protect your business.
I’m a contractor; does GL cover damage to my work after I’m done?
General liability has a component called completed operations which can cover you if work you already finished causes an injury or damage later. For example, you install a light fixture and later it falls and injures someone – that’s completed operations. However, GL typically won’t pay to redo faulty work itself (that’s considered a warranty issue, not liability). It would cover the damage that faulty work causes. We recommend contractors carry GL with sufficient completed operations coverage, and possibly a bond or professional liability if design is involved.
How do I know if my coverage limit is enough?
We’ll help evaluate based on your business type, assets, and risk factors. $1 million per occurrence is a common baseline for small businesses. If your business is higher risk (say heavy construction) or you have significant assets to protect, we might suggest higher limits or an umbrella policy on top. Ultimately, consider worst-case scenarios – for example, could a claim against you exceed $1M? If yes, then higher coverage is worth it. We aim to balance protection with cost so you’re adequately covered without overpaying.
