What does general insurance cover?

General insurance includes any non-life insurance policy designed to protect you against financial loss from specific risks or damages.

Core Types of General Insurance

• Auto (Motor) Insurance: Covers vehicle damage, theft, and legal liability from accidents.
• Homeowners and Renters Insurance: Protects your physical property, structure, and personal belongings against disasters, fire, or theft.
• Health and Accident Insurance: Pays for medical expenses, hospital stays, and emergency treatments.
• Travel Insurance: Covers trip cancellations, lost luggage, and medical emergencies while away from home.
• Commercial/Business Insurance: Protects businesses against liability claims, property damage, and employee work injuries.
• Umbrella and Liability Insurance: Provides extra liability protection beyond standard policy limits.

General liability insurance does not cover your own business property, employee injuries, professional mistakes, or vehicle accidents.

Standard general liability (GL) policies protect against third-party bodily injury and property damage, leaving several key coverage gaps.

Common Exclusions

• Your Own Property: Damage to your own building, equipment, inventory, or tools from fire, storms, or theft is excluded. You need Commercial Property Insurance (or a commercial property policy) for this.
• Employee Injuries: On-the-job injuries or illnesses suffered by your staff are not covered. These fall under Workers' Compensation Insurance.
• Professional Mistakes: Financial losses or lawsuits caused by your advice, design errors, or poor professional service are excluded. You need Professional Liability/E&O Insurance.
• Business Vehicles: Auto accidents involving company cars, trucks, or delivery vans driven on business are excluded. You need Commercial Auto Insurance.
• Intentional or Criminal Acts: Deliberate property damage, fraud, or illegal acts committed by you or your employees are never covered.
• Pollution and Environmental Damage: Contamination of water, soil, or air caused by your business operations is generally excluded.
• Cyber Incidents: Data breaches, hacking, or electronic data loss are typically excluded, requiring separate Cyber Insurance.

There is no single "worst" auto insurance company, but major carriers like Allstate, Liberty Mutual, and Progressive frequently rank poorly in customer satisfaction and claim-handling reviews.

Major Insurers with Frequent Complaints

• Allstate: Often criticized by consumer advocates and attorneys for using strict claim-evaluation software (like Colossus) that can delay or lower payout offers.
• Liberty Mutual: Frequently scores low in consumer satisfaction surveys due to high rates of disputed claims and sudden rate increases.
• Progressive: Regularly cited by customers and repair shops for lowball vehicle damage evaluations and pushing for cheaper or repaired parts over replacements.
• State Farm: While massive in market share, it often lands in lower consumer tiers for aggressive claim-denial strategies.

Budget and Regional Insurers to Watch

• Low-Cost Non-Standard Insurers: Companies like Ocean Harbor, Direct General, and United Auto often rank lowest among personal injury attorneys because they offer very cheap rates but aggressively deny or contest valid claims.
• Bottom-Scoring Regional Brands: In annual satisfaction studies like J.D. Power's Auto Insurance Shopping Study, brands like Safeco and Mercury routinely score at the bottom.

The General Insurance is a good choice primarily for high-risk drivers who have a history of accidents, traffic violations, or need an SR-22 form, but it generally receives below-average marks for customer satisfaction and has higher-than-average complaint rates.

Pros of The General Insurance

• High-Risk Specialization: It accepts drivers with a poor driving record, DUIs, or lapsed coverage who may struggle to find policies elsewhere.
• Financial Stability: It holds an AM Best rating of A+ (Superior), meaning it has strong financial backing and a reliable ability to pay out claims.
• SR-22 Support: It provides SR-22 filing assistance in most states for drivers required to prove financial responsibility.

Cons of The General Insurance

• Higher Costs: Rates tend to run higher than average compared to standard insurance providers, especially if you have a clean driving record.
• Poor Customer Service Scores: Industry metrics like J.D. Power and the NAIC complaint index show customer satisfaction ratings below industry norms and higher-than-average complaint volumes.
• Limited Bundling: The company focuses almost exclusively on auto insurance, meaning you cannot easily bundle home and auto policies for multi-policy discounts.

No, The General is generally not considered a cheap insurance company for drivers with clean records, but it can offer competitive rates for high-risk drivers.

📊 Cost Overview

• For good drivers: Rates often run well above national averages.
• For high-risk drivers: Prices can be more competitive than standard insurers who reject these applicants.
• Advertised low prices: The famous "low down payment" ads only reduce initial out-of-pocket costs, not the overall total premium.

🚗 Average Rates

• Full coverage: Roughly $215 per month (higher than many standard competitors).
• Liability-only: Roughly $87 per month.

💡 Who It Works Best For

• Drivers with recent tickets, accidents, or DUIs.
• People needing SR-22 financial responsibility filings.
• Drivers with lapsed coverage histories or less-than-perfect credit.