Certificate of Insurance - What is it, and why do I need it?
As a Dallas small business owner, General Liability Insurance protects you if there is an injury or an accident in your workplace caused by one of your employees.
A certificate of liability insurance (COI) also known as an ACORD is a document that compiles the terms and conditions of your insurance policy: your policy number, activation, coverage limits, expiration date, events and people covered, etc.
It condenses all the key information contained in an insurance policy (which is typically several pages long) into a single sheet of paper.
General Liability Insurance Coverage
This is known as Commercial insurance and helps to protect you if you are sued for claims within the coverage of your insurance policy.
There are three types of liability insurances, and the type of insurance you decide on depends on the details of your business.
- General liability insurance is also known as Commercial General Liability (CGL) and covers the cost of investigating claims and defending against third-party lawsuits. It pays court costs, attorney fees, settlements, witness fees, and court-ordered judgments. The policy may also cover an injured party's immediate medical expenses and the cost of replacing or repairing their damaged property.
- Professional liability insurance sometimes called errors and omissions insurance, or E&O insurance protects you in the event a client is harmed from advice or a service that you provide for which you are held legally liable.
- Business Owners Policy, also known as (BOP) is a combination of business property insurance and general liability.
Why do I need a certificate of insurance?
Your certificate of insurance lets your potential client know for sure whether you have business insurance. Many individuals and companies that hire contractors need to know that they won’t be held liable for any injuries, or damages, and therefore require that you have insurance.
Start your Dallas general liability insurance quote with the Thumann Agency.
How is this certificate issued?
The General Liability insurance certificate will be issued along with your policy.
How quickly can I get a certificate of insurance?
When you purchase small business insurance from the Thumann Agency, a certificate of insurance is included in the documents you receive upon purchasing your policy.
Depending on the complexity of the business, policies can be issued within less than 48 hours or take up to two weeks. If you already have a business policy and simply need a new certificate, we can issue those within a couple of hours.
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