BUSINESS INSURANCE FLORIDA

General liability insurance, also known as business liability coverage, is a good idea for many companies in Florida. That’s because it can help pay expenses if your business is held responsible for an injury or property damage involving anyone other than an employee.

Many commercial landlords in Florida will ask that you carry general liability coverage before they offer you a lease. It’s also common for clients to require proof of insurance for this kind of coverage before they’ll sign a contract with your business.

Here’s an example of general liability insurance in action:

An Orlando-based janitorial business uses the wrong cleaning solution at a client’s office and damages the carpet throughout the building. General liability insurance would help pay to replace the carpet, which could help the company avoid a lawsuit.

Florida law requires most businesses with employees to have workers’ compensation insurance.² This type of coverage protects your business and your employees when workers get hurt on the job.

Workers’ comp can help pay for expenses related to workplace injuries, including medical costs and lost wages while employees recover.

For instance, an employee of a retail store in Orlando falls when stocking shelves and suffers a bodily injury, like a broken collarbone or concussion, that requires a hospital visit and time to recover. Workers’ compensation insurance could help pay for their medical needs and cover missed wages while they’re getting better.

Small businesses in Florida with company-owned vehicles need commercial auto insurance. It can help protect your business when accidents happen while driving for business-related purposes.

Personal auto insurance doesn’t cover accidents or damages that happen if you’re on the road for business purposes, even if you’re driving your personal vehicle.

For example, if a real estate agent drives to Miami to host an open house and has a fender bender, commercial auto insurance can help pay for damages to the agent’s car and the other driver’s vehicle. If the accident is serious, commercial auto insurance can also help cover medical bills and lawsuit costs.

Florida commercial property coverage can help protect the essential items you need to run your business. It can help pay to repair or replace your business property, like equipment and inventory, in the case of covered events like fire, water or wind damage.

Here’s an example of how commercial property converge works:

An automotive repair shop in Gulfstream experiences an electrical fire that causes smoke and heat damage in the office, ruining furniture and equipment. Commercial property insurance could help pay to clean up the damage and cover replacing damaged items.

Keep in mind that commercial property insurance can have exclusions, such as for flooding or hurricane damage. Be sure to read your policy documents carefully so you know exactly what your coverage includes.

Even if you’re careful with your business practices, a client could accuse you of making a work mistake or missing a deadline that caused them financial losses.

That’s where professional liability insurance can come into play. Also known as errors and omissions insurance (E&O insurance), it is purchased by small businesses across many different industries, especially professional services.

For example, a client accuses a Pensacola accounting firm of making a tax error that caused them significant monetary losses, and the customer files a lawsuit to recoup the damages. E&O coverage could help the accounting firm cover their attorney bills, even if the court exonerates them.