Commercial General Liability Insurance in Alberta
Protecting your business with commercial general liability insurance has never been easier in Alberta. With Bullfrog, you get instant coverage, rockstar treatment and no bull. Get a quote online and even get insured in less than 5 minutes.
How to Get Commercial General Liability Insurance in Alberta
Bullfrog makes it easy to get commercial general liability insurance in Alberta:
- Enter your profession.
- Provide some contact information.
- Answer a few questions about your business.
- Choose your coverage.
- Review your Alberta commercial general liability insurance quotes.
- Choose your insurance and pay online.
- You’re insured!
We email you your policy documents and certificate of insurance right away. It’s really that fast!
Does my business need commercial general liability insurance?
In Alberta, commercial general liability insurance is not required by law. However, this coverage may be required as part of a contract with your landlord or clients.
This protection is also important if you can’t afford to pay for the costs of a lawsuit out of pocket. The expenses can cripple a business which is why many choose to protect their company financially in Alberta with commercial general liability insurance.
What happens if I don’t have commercial general liability insurance in Alberta?
As this coverage is not required by law in Alberta, you do not have to have it. However, if you have contracts stipulating that you must carry commercial general liability insurance and you do not, there may be penalties for violating that contract.
If you, your employee, or your company is sued for causing physical harm or damage due to an act of negligence, you would have to pay for your legal expenses out of pocket. If you had commercial general liability insurance, you would likely have those costs covered by your policy.
What does commercial general liability insurance cover in Alberta?
In Alberta, commercial general liability insurance covers legal expenses in the event your company is sued for causing bodily harm or property damage due to negligent acts to a third party.
A negligent act is any circumstance where your company or an employee did not exercise due care.
Legal expenses can include your defense costs, such as lawyers and expert witnesses, judgement awards, and settlements.
A third party is anyone not employed by your business, including clients, vendors, or a random person walking down the street.
Why would someone sue my business?
Your business can be sued for many reasons. In this case, someone is likely seeking financial restitution for property damage or an injury. In Alberta, your commercial general liability insurance will cover you if you’re sued for negligent acts causing injury or property damage to a third party whether you’re “guilty” of the accusation or not.
Commercial General Liability Insurance Occurrence Basis
Our commercial general liability insurance policies in Alberta operate on an occurrence basis. What is that? It means that incidents that happen during the policy term (usually a year) are covered, no matter when the claim is presented.
For example, say you’ve been insured with Bullfrog from 2014 until today. Someone sues you for an alleged incident of a negligent act causing them bodily injury in 2015. Because you had an insurance policy with us, you’d be covered.
Alberta Commercial General Liability Insurance Coverage Scenarios
Here are a few scenarios that your business would benefit from having commercial general liability insurance in Alberta:
- Someone walking down the street in front of your storefront slips, falls, and hurts themselves. They sue you for damages resulting from their injuries, holding your business liable as the sidewalk wasn’t shovelled or de-iced.
- A client accuses an employee of having damaged their personal property and sues your business.
- A deliveryman trips over your equipment or merchandise, dropping his packages and getting hurt. You’re sued for negligence causing property damage and bodily injury.
- Someone breaks into your worksite where you’re renovating a home. They injure themselves and sue your business.
- You give an interview to a local news station. A competitor accuses you of causing harm to their reputation in that interview and sues you.
What isn’t covered by commercial general liability insurance in Alberta?
A commercial general liability insurance policy in Alberta does not offer coverage for the following:
- A lawsuit against you for any other reason other than physical damage or bodily injury to a third party caused by negligence (there are other types of insurance that can offer protection for other liabilities)
- Property damage to your company’s possessions (we offer property insurance to help cover property damage to your business)
- Damage or injury caused while operating a motor vehicle (you’d need a commercial auto policy for that)
- Bodily injury to your employees
- Intentional or criminal acts causing property damage or bodily injury
Your policy documents will explicitly outline what is not covered by commercial general liability insurance in Alberta.
How much commercial general liability insurance does my business need?
In Alberta, we offer businesses a few levels of liability insurance protection to choose from:
- $2 million
- $3 million
- $4 million
- $5 million
This is the maximum amount your policy will pay out for claims during a policy term (usually one year).
So, how much commercial general liability insurance does your business actually need in Alberta? That depends on the answers to the following questions:
- How common are lawsuits in your industry?
- How costly are lawsuits in your industry?
- What do your business operations include? Are there any areas of risk that are more likely to cause someone injury or damage their property?
- Where do you operate?
- How much annual revenue does your business generate?
- Who are your customers?
- Do you have worksites?
- How accessible is your business to the public?
- How frequently do third parties (like clients, vendors and the general public) visit your business or workspace?
- How many employees do you have?
- Are you required to carry commercial general liability insurance by any contracts?
As you can see, there are lots of factors that influence the amount of insurance you need. The more likely you are to be sued and the higher the expected cost of a lawsuit, the more coverage you will likely need. If you’re not sure, contact one of our Bullfrog commercial general liability insurance brokers in Alberta. They can help guide you.
How much does commercial general liability insurance cost in Alberta?
Commercial general liability insurance starts at $500 or $1000 per year in Alberta, depending on the insurance company. Keep in mind that this is just the base price – you may be paying more, depending on your industry and individual business.
Here are a few examples:
- An electrician with $2 million commercial general liability insurance coverage in Alberta would likely have a premium between $500 to $1000.
- A remediation specialist with $2 million commercial general liability insurance protection in Alberta would likely pay at least $2500.
- A grocery store with $250,000 in revenue each year in Alberta could pay $1000 for $2 million in commercial general liability insurance coverage.
- A retailer selling ride-on cars for kids could pay $10,000 for $2 million in commercial general liability insurance coverage in Alberta.
It all depends on your business risks! That’s why getting multiple commercial general liability insurance quotes in Alberta is important – you want your coverage for the best price. Bullfrog provides up to 4 quotes from different insurers, so you know you’re getting competitive prices for your insurance.
What affects commercial general liability insurance rates in Alberta?
The following factors affects commercial general liability insurance rates in Alberta:
- Your industry
- Your business operation
- Where you’re located
- Where you operate
- Number of employees you have
- Your annual revenue
- Your insurance history
- Your coverage options
If I have commercial general liability insurance, do I need other types of insurance?
Commercial general liability insurance only covers your business if you’re held liable for causing property damage or bodily injury to a third party due to negligent acts. You may want or require other types of insurance for your business. Bullfrog also offers property coverage, which covers your company’s property if it’s damaged or lost by an insured peril like fire or theft.
The exact coverage you need will depend on your individual business. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our insurance experts.
Who can sue my business for property damage or bodily injury?
In Alberta, anyone can hold your business liable for property damage or bodily injury, including:
- Clients
- Vendors
- Service providers
- Passersby
Commercial general liability insurance can cover you if the cause is negligence.
Get an online commercial general liability insurance quote for Alberta today!
How to get it
Simply fill out our short online questionnaire and we instantly provide you with multiple online insurance quotes based on your needs. All coverage options are standardized between insurance companies so all you have to do is compare insurance quotes based on price!
Get a Quote NowWhy our customers love Bullfrog
Our customers love Bullfrog because we make insurance simple. Do it quickly online yourself or talk to one of our knowledgeable insurance brokers. We’re responsive and professional and our insurance coverage is quality and competitively priced.
Sev Michaels
White Lilac INC. / Alberta
Thank you so much for your assistance, you made the process so painless. I have contacted other brokers before and they made it so complicated. Also, you were far more efficient!
Stephen Hammond
Harassment Solutions INC / BC & AB
Due to a client’s request, and for the first time, I needed Commercial General Liability insurance, but I had no clue where to start. I Googled “CGL” and up came Bullfrog Insurance. Even though my needs were relatively small, due to the client needs, they had to be very specific. Every question I asked was answered by the Bullfrog insurance representative, Raman, who was very helpful. And then when I realized I needed more coverage, she didn’t flinch and let me know she’d get back to me right away. I got great coverage and all of it was done via email. Now I’ll know who to turn to for other small business insurance needs.