Does umbrella liability cover general liability?

Asked by: Lelia Stark  |  Last update: January 23, 2026
Score: 4.2/5 (31 votes)

Commercial umbrella insurance Umbrella liability insurance provides an extra layer of protection against bodily injury and/or property damage. Essentially, it picks up where your business auto liability, general liability or other liability coverage stops.

What is not covered by an umbrella policy?

It does not cover damage to our own property or any liability related to your business or profession. The umbrella also typically does not cover exposures that the underlying policies also do not cover.

Does an umbrella policy cover general aggregate?

If you have a general liability insurance policy, you can get umbrella insurance to extend the aggregate limit. So, if a claim exceeds your general liability policy's limits, your umbrella coverage can help pay the difference.

Which item is not covered by general liability insurance?

Key Exclusions in Commercial General Liability Policies

Injuries or damage that the policyholder intentionally caused will not be covered. Similarly, contractual liability arising from assumed contractual obligations is typically excluded.

Does umbrella sit over professional liability?

Umbrella insurance is an option to cover areas that may not be covered by professional liability insurance. Business Umbrella policies are designed to supplement existing business liability insurance policies and cannot be purchased as a stand-alone policy.

General Liability Insurance vs. Umbrella

40 related questions found

Is general liability an umbrella policy?

General liability and umbrella liability are two different insurance products that provide specific protections. In order to make wise decisions about what kinds of insurance you'll need, learn what each policy provides.

Does an umbrella policy cover employer liability?

An Umbrella policy is usually written to cover excess of the CGL, automobile, and employers' liability (part of a workers' compensation policy) policies, but can also include other policies like foreign liability, media liability, aircraft liability and so on.

What is excluded in a general liability policy?

Comprehensive general liability insurance doesn't cover claims related to catastrophic risks. These scenarios include “acts of god” (e.g., earthquakes, floods, and earth movements like mudslides), as well as hostile acts such as damage from wars and riots.

What liabilities are not covered under a commercial general liability policy?

Commercial general liability does not provide protection against intentional damages, or any type of accident involving automobiles, aircraft, or watercraft.

Does general liability cover my employees?

General liability insurance basics

This insurance does not cover work-related injury or damage sustained by your employees but can cover injury and damage to your customers or other third parties caused by your employees in performing their work.

Who does an umbrella policy cover?

A personal umbrella policy helps protect you (the policy owner) as well as the members of your household if you are found liable for a covered incident. This typically includes your spouse, dependents and any other relatives living with you.

What is the difference between general liability and general liability aggregate?

What Is the Difference Between General Liability and General Aggregate? General liability describes the type of insurance policy you have. Your general aggregate is the maximum limit of coverage supplied by your general liability policy within the term.

Does an umbrella sit over damage to rented premises?

The short answer is yes. However, umbrella coverage is not a property-based policy. Its prime use is to cover legal costs if you're sued or forced to pay a settlement.

What are the disadvantages of an umbrella policy?

Cons of Umbrella Insurance

Doesn't Cover All Risks: While umbrella insurance offers extensive protection, it doesn't cover every risk. For example, it may not provide coverage for business-related liabilities unless you purchase a commercial umbrella policy.

What is the rule of thumb for umbrella insurance?

The amount of your umbrella insurance policy should match your entire net worth. So if your assets stand at $1 million—bingo. That's how much umbrella insurance you need.

How much does a $1 million umbrella policy cost?

Umbrella policies typically start at $1 million in liability coverage. According to an ACE Private Risk Services report noted by Forbes, the average cost a $1 million personal umbrella policy is $383 per year for an individual with one home, two cars, and two drivers.

Does umbrella liability cover commercial general liability?

What are the benefits of Umbrella Insurance cover? If your General Liability, Employers Liability, or Commercial Auto limits are exhausted during a claim, you can tap into your Umbrella policy. The limits of the former policies must be completely exhausted before the Umbrella Insurance can be triggered.

What does CGL not cover?

First-party Property Damage: A business will not receive first-party property protection through its CGL policy. This means that any incidents resulting in damage to the organization's commercial building, work materials, equipment and inventory are excluded from coverage.

Is general liability insurance an expense or liability?

General liability insurance is usually tax-deductible because the IRS considers your policy payments to be a business expense.

What are standard exclusions for umbrella and excess policies?

Here's what umbrella insurance does not include: Your own injuries. Damage to your own personal belongings. Intentional or criminal acts.

Does general liability cover gross negligence?

Gross Negligence

However, when it comes to cases of gross or negligence claims, a large sum of them shy away from such cases. As a matter of fact, gross negligence claims are rarely ever under insurance cover in a general liability coverage insurance plan.

What is a general exclusion?

General exclusions are conditions, treatments or situations that are excluded from cover under the policy.

What does an umbrella policy not cover?

An umbrella policy generally does not provide coverage for: your injuries or damage to your personal property. a criminal or intentional action causing damage to someone else. liability you assume under a contract.

What happens if an insured has an umbrella liability policy?

ULI is often referred to as excess coverage. If you are found to be legally responsible for injuring someone or damaging someone's property, the umbrella policy will either pay for the part of the claim in excess of the limits of your basic liability policy, or pay for certain losses that are not covered.

Does umbrella coverage cover liquor liability?

Allowing guests to consume alcohol under your roof makes you liable for damages/personal injury in the eyes of the law. This all sounds very scrooge-like but it doesn't have to be. An Umbrella policy is a very inexpensive way to cover all this (and much more) at an extremely low cost.