Louisiana Business Insurance

Louisiana’s small businesses are critical to the state’s economy, as they employ about 903,000 people, more than half of the labor force.¹

Choosing the right professional insurance is an important part of any successful business plan. Business insurance in Louisiana helps protect against events like:

• Accusations of injury and property damage
• Professional negligence claims
• Employee injuries
• Accident damages in company-owned vehicles

Next Insurance helps more than 1,000 types of small businesses and self-employed workers quickly get the coverage they need online at the best price. We specialize in small business insurance, so we can easily help you find a custom insurance package that is right for you.

Continue reading to find out about the most important types of business insurance in Louisiana or start a free instant quote to review options for your business.

We offer a quick and simple way for you to get business insurance quotes online, purchase coverage and share your certificate of insurance. The entire process typically takes just a few minutes.

Our team of licensed, U.S.-based advisors can help you if you have any questions.

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Business insurance in Louisiana often consists of some combination of:

• General liability insurance to help pay for damages from accusations of injuring a person who doesn’t work for you or damaging someone’s property.
• Professional liability insurance, which protects against claims of work negligence by helping to pay for damages and covering attorney fees, court costs and settlements if someone files a lawsuit.
• Workers’ compensation insurance, a type of coverage that is mandatory in most states and helps injured employees cover crucial expenses.
• Commercial auto insurance, which helps cover medical expenses and property damage if you or an employee has an accident in a business-owned vehicle.

General Liability insurance

General liability insurance in Louisiana is one of the most important forms of small business coverage because it helps protect your business from accusations of injury and property damage. 

This coverage helps your company pay for expenses if someone says that your company’s actions caused injury or destroyed property. General liability insurance also assists with lawsuit costs if you are sued for damages, and many commercial landlords require that tenants carry this protection.

Here’s an example of how general liability insurance in Louisiana could help a small business:

A homeowner in New Orleans’ Garden District claims that an employee of a plumbing company damaged a hardwood floor while repairing a sink. General liability insurance in Louisiana helps the plumbing business reimburse the client to replace the floor up to the policy’s limits.

If you own a cleaning or construction company, business insurance in Louisiana might include tools and equipment coverage, which helps repair or replace work gear that is damaged, lost or stolen.

Professional Liability (E&O) insurance 

Allegations of work mistakes, missed deadlines and incomplete projects can disrupt normal business operations. 

Professional liability coverage, which is also known as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, helps your business deal with these sorts of claims, including some lawsuit costs.

For example, a client says that a self-employed IT consultant in Baton Rouge failed to properly configure a network, which caused a work delay that led to lost revenue. The client’s legal team threatens a lawsuit to recover the financial damages.

E&O coverage would help the consultant pay to settle the claim out of court. It would also help cover attorney fees, court costs and any settlements if the case ended up in front of a judge.

Workers’ Compensation insurance

With a few exceptions, Louisiana requires businesses with employees to carry workers’ comp coverage.²

If an employee gets hurt on the job, workers’ compensation insurance in Louisiana helps the injured person cover medical expenses and recoup a portion of lost wages. A company risks a potential lawsuit if it fails to provide workers’ comp insurance in accordance with state law.

For instance, a worker at a Shreveport-based welding firm is hurt by a falling object at a job site and requires an ambulance and an overnight hospital stay. Workers’ comp coverage helps the employee cover these medical expenses, as well as some lost wages during recovery.

Commercial Auto insurance

State law mandates all drivers in Louisiana to carry auto insurance that covers a minimum of $30,000 in damages.³ 

Personal auto insurance is unlikely to help pay for business-related accidents, which is why Next recommends that many business insurance bundles in Louisiana include commercial auto coverage. If someone at your company has an accident in a company-owned vehicle, commercial auto insurance will help cover injuries and property damage costs up to the policy limits.

For example, an employee of a pressure washing business in Lake Charles has an accident while commuting to a job in a company-owned truck and injures another driver. Commercial auto insurance helps the roofing business pay for the other driver’s medical bills and damages to the vehicles.

Small business owners might sometimes ask employees to drive their own vehicles for work or rent them. A commercial auto coverage upgrade called hired and non-owned auto insurance helps pay for accident damages in vehicles that aren’t titled to your business.

Recent Next data puts the median monthly cost of small business insurance in Louisiana at $55.

Expect insurance costs to vary based on:

Your industry’s regular risk factors. Businesses that routinely encounter greater chances of injury or property damage will pay more for coverage. Construction companies based in Louisiana pay a median of $79 per month for insurance, while fitness businesses spend $15.

Your coverage types and policy limits. Purchasing the minimum insurance coverage will probably save you a few dollars each month, but if you have to file a claim, don’t be surprised if you have to pay more out of pocket.

The number of people you employ. By Louisiana law, you’ll most likely have to purchase workers’ comp insurance if you have employees, but costs will increase as you hire more people. Businesses that plan to expand staff should include projected numbers when requesting an insurance quote. 

Start a quote with Next Insurance today to explore coverage options for your business in just a few minutes.

More resources for Louisiana small businesses and self-employed workers

Check out these links if you would like to learn more about starting a business in Louisiana:

• Louisiana Small Business Association
• Louisiana Economic Development’s small business webpage
• Louisiana Small Business Development Center
• Louisiana Department of Insurance

Article sources: 

1. U.S. Small Business Administration
2. Louisiana Workforce Commission
3. Louisiana Department of Insurance