It’s a good idea for all small businesses carry Washington State general liability insurance. Insurance companies also call this type of policy commercial general liability insurance and business liability insurance.

General liability is designed to help pay for common types of business claims, including when someone says that your actions caused an injury or property damage. It can also help cover legal costs if you’re sued.

For instance, a customer at an auto body repair shop in Seattle needs medical attention after slipping on a wet floor in the office. General liability insurance could help pay for the customer’s medical bills.

If the customer files a lawsuit that claims that the business owner was responsible for the injury, general liability insurance could help cover attorney costs, court fees and settlements.

Cleaning and construction companies can upgrade their general liability insurance with optional tools and equipment coverage. If business gear is lost, stolen or damaged, this add-on can help pay to replace or repair it.

Washington state requires most companies with employees to carry workers’ compensation insurance. When staff members get hurt on the job, it can help pay for medical expenses and lost wages while they recover.

Here’s how workers’ comp coverage might help protect a small business in Washington:

An employee of a retail store in Spokane falls from a ladder while stocking shelves and requires a hospital visit. Workers’ comp insurance could help the business owner cover the injured employee’s medical expenses, including physical therapy.

Businesses that own vehicles in Washington will want commercial auto insurance. It can help pay for damages if you or an employee has an accident in a company-owned vehicle.

For instance, a worker at an Olympia-based carpet cleaning company is driving the company van back to the office on a rainy night and hits a guardrail. Commercial auto insurance could help pay for damages to the vehicle and towing to the shop.

If your business rents vehicles or asks employees to use their own cars for business, you’ll want an optional add-on called hired and non-owned auto insurance. It can provide coverage for these situations.

Commercial property insurance in Washington state can protect the things you need to run your business, such as equipment, inventory and even your business location if you own the property.

For example, a family style restaurant in Tacoma experiences a sprinkler malfunction in the dining room that ruins the furniture. Commercial property insurance could help pay to clean up the mess and replace the damaged business property.

It’s important to read your policy documents carefully to make sure there aren’t exclusions for your business. Some locations prone to flooding or hurricane damage might have limited coverage.

Professional liability coverage is also known as E&O or errors and omissions insurance. This kind of policy can help protect your business if someone claims that you delivered substandard work, missed deadlines or failed to finish a project.

For example, a client says that a self-employed web developer in Bellevue made a coding error that caused an e-commerce website to crash, resulting in thousands of dollars in lost sales.

Professional liability insurance could help the developer pay to fix the problem or settle out of court. It could also assist with attorney bills, court costs and damages if the client sues.