Commercial garages can be full of a number of hazards. They are often filled with moving vehicles, expensive equipment, a surplus of employees and potentially dangerous tools. Even the safest garages will occasionally have accidents, and that’s why it’s essential to make sure that your business is covered.

That’s where garage general liability (GGL) coverage comes in. GGL can basically be thought of as a combination of a commercial general liability policy and a business auto policy that’s designed to cover the typical operations of commercial garages. However, as with most insurance policies, there are some important exclusions and distinctions you should understand as you elect your coverage.

Garage General Liability: An Overview

Garage general liability is designed to cover losses that could occur in the day-to-day operations of your garage. A standard GGL policy breaks down coverage liabilities into two distinct classes:

• Garage operations other than covered autos.

  This section includes coverage liability for property damage to the garage itself, as well as bodily injury to owners, their employees and their customers.

• Operation of autos.

  This refers to aspects of coverage analogous to many business auto policies. Specifically, a GGL policy will cover vehicles owned by the business, vehicles being held for sale or any other vehicles owned by someone else and being used in business operations. For example, this would include damages incurred if a business’s manager is driving a demo vehicle and causes an accident, or if the company’s parts driver gets in an accident while making a delivery.

Exclusions

It’s important to note that a GGL policy will have some exclusions. The most important of which is the “care, custody or control” exclusion. This means that personal property left in the care, custody or control of the garage - including, significantly, customers’ vehicles - will not be covered by the GGL policy.

If a customer’s care is damaged while in your company’s care, or if it causes damage while in your company’s care, your GGL could leave you exposed. However, a separate coverage commonly sold along with a GGL policy - garage keepers coverage - is designed specifically to provide coverage for that exposure.

Keeping you Covered

Your partners at RISE Insurance are here to help you find the appropriate coverages for your business. To learn more about your GGL coverage options contact RISE Insurance at 423-541-1111 or chad@riseins.com for a free policy review to make sure you are properly covered.

You can request a quote at https://www.riseins.com/personal-insurance-quote-request