What is a trigger in a commercial general liability coverage form?

Asked by: Afton Stracke  |  Last update: August 23, 2025
Score: 4.2/5 (44 votes)

The coverage trigger is the event that must occur before a particular liability policy applies to a given loss.

What triggers a general liability policy?

Bodily injury or property damage to a third party caused by your work, products or your employees' activities. Liability of others assumed in specifically defined contracts. Libel, slander or business disparagement. Copyright infringement in your advertisement.

What does trigger mean in insurance?

A coverage trigger is an event that must occur in order for a liability policy to apply to a loss. Coverage triggers are outlined in the policy language, and courts will use different legal theories pertaining to triggers to determine whether policy coverage applies.

What is a coverage trigger in CGL policy?

A better reading of the CGL insuring agreement reveals that coverage is triggered if the bodily injury or property damage is caused by an "occurrence" that takes place in the "policy territory" and only if the bodily injury or property damage occurs during the policy period.

What triggers a liability claim?

Liability claims arise when a citizen or other private entity believes that a State employee or department is responsible for monetary damages the citizen experienced. The loss arises from an accident or other unexpected event, and causes an injury or property damage that costs the citizen a monetary loss.

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What is a trigger claim?

A claims-made coverage trigger obligates an insurer to defend and/or pay a claim on an insured's behalf if the claim is first made against the insured during the period in which the policy is in force.

What are the different types of coverage triggers?

With an injury-in-fact trigger, a harmful occurrence is said to have taken place when the claimant was injured, not when the wrongful act was committed. There are three other coverage triggers: exposure trigger, manifestation trigger, and continuous trigger, which will determine when an insurance policy is activated.

What is the trigger for coverage under the claims made form?

In a Claims-Made policy, the insurance company is only obligated to respond to claims that are reported after the trigger date. The Claims-Made Trigger is the effective date of the insurance policy and is typically the date that the policy was issued, renewed or amended.

What are the parts of commercial general liability coverage?

There are three primary coverage sections that make up a CGL policy: premises liability, products liability and completed operations.

What is a trigger policy?

"Trigger laws" are laws that are passed by a legislative body but only go into effect once a certain thing happens. That specific event will "trigger" it into becoming enforceable law. Trigger laws are often passed so that a law can go into effect as soon as possible once conditions allow.

What happens during a trigger?

A trigger is a stimulus that elicits a reaction. In the context of mental illness, “trigger” is often used to mean something that brings on or worsens symptoms. This often happens to people with a history of trauma or who are recovering from mental illness, self-harm, addiction, and/or eating disorders.

What are benefit triggers?

In order to receive benefits from your long-term care insurance policy you meet two criteria: the Benefit Trigger and the Elimination Period. Benefit triggers are the criteria that an insurance company will use to determine if you are eligible for benefits.

What is the coverage trigger for coverage B?

Unlike Coverage A, which requires an “occurrence” or accident to trigger coverage, Coverage B protects against a list of “offenses,” including intentional acts like disparagement, slander, and libel.

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.

What triggers a professional liability policy?

Claims-made coverage is the other type of professional liability policy. For coverage to be triggered, the alleged malpractice or incident must happen while the policy is in force, and, the claim must also be reported or made while the policy is in force.

What are common exclusions to CGL policy?

In summary, while CGL policies provide broad coverage for general business liabilities, policyholders should be aware of common exclusions like expected harm, contractual obligations, pollution, aircraft/watercraft, and professional services.

What is the policy of commercial general liability insurance?

A Commercial General Liability (CGL) policy protects your business from financial loss should you be liable for property damage or personal and advertising injury caused by your services, business operations or your employees.

What are the three areas of general liability?

The General Liability Self-Insurance Program covers three areas:
  • General Liability.
  • Automobile Liability.
  • Employment Practices Liability.

What is the limit for commercial general liability insurance?

Most small business owners choose general liability coverage limits of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate for each policy period. Both limits can impact your business operations.

What is trigger coverage?

In insurance, a coverage trigger refers to the specific event or circumstance that must occur for an insurance policy to provide coverage and for the insurance company to be obligated to pay a claim.

What is the difference between claims made and event trigger?

Occurrence policies cover events happening during the policy period, regardless of when claims are filed. Unlike claims-made policies, the trigger for coverage is the occurrence of an event rather than the timing of the claim report.

What triggers an insurance claim?

This means that the triggering event, usually an accident or incident which causes physical injury or property damage, needs to occur during the period that the policy is in force, but you can notify the insurance company about the loss after the policy is no longer in force.

What is an occurrence trigger in the CGL form?

The occurrence trigger defines the scope of coverage by specifying that the policy will respond to any incident that occurs during the policy period, regardless of when the claim is brought.

Are there different types of triggers?

Types of triggers

Environmental Triggers: These include places, people or situations that are reminiscent of past trauma or negative experiences. Physical Triggers: These can be related to bodily sensations like pain or touch that remind someone of past trauma or negative experiences.

What are the three commercial auto coverage forms?

Commercial General Liability (CGL) is the standard commercial liability policy used to insure businesses. There are three primary coverage sections that make up a CGL policy: premises liability, products liability and completed operations.