Commercial insurance protects your business from claims of bodily injury, medical costs and property damage. General Liability coverage protects your business in the event of an accident or injury occurring on your property leading to a suit filed against you.
A Certificate of Liability Insurance serves as proof that your business has insurance coverage. The certificate is a single sheet paper summarizing your insurance coverage and limits of your policy. Your business may need a certificate of insurance when signing a contract, working as a contractor or leasing property or equipment. When companies or individuals request a certificate of liability it is to ensure they are not liable for damages, injuries or substandard work. Your agent or insurer can give you a copy if a certificate is needed to fulfill a contract requirement.
A Certificate of Liability Includes:
A standard certificate of liability contains separate sections for General Liability, Commercial Auto, Umbrella Liability and Worker’s Comp. Always keep a copy of your full insurance policy with you as the certificate does not grant any insurance benefits on its own.
- Insured’s name and mailing address
- Insurance agent’s name and mailing address
- Name of each insurer and assigned identification number
- Brief description of insured’s policies and limits provided by each of coverage
- States
- Description of operations performed by insured
- Name and address of certificate holder(s)
- Statement outlining insurer’s obligation
A certificate of insurance, along with your policy is issued when you purchase insurance for your business. An individual or company added to your certificate of insurance does not give them any legal rights, it only ensures them a policy exists. Adding an additional insured to the certificate states another individual besides the policyholder has coverage under the policy. An additional insured receives coverage benefits if the work you completed leads to an injury or property claim against them.
Notice of Cancellation
As the named insured, you are the only one who receives notification that the policy has cancelled. If the policy is canceled mid-term notification will be delivered to you only unless you have specified for any additional insured to be notified as well.
State Law
State law prohibits the use of any certificate of liability that includes false or misleading information; if such information appears the certificate is not valid.
And as always our agents are available to answer any of your questions regarding a certificate of liability.