Who needs general liability in California
- Contractors and trades LLC contractors with 5 or fewer personnel must carry at least $1M GL under California law.
- Sole proprietors and freelancers Graphic designers, consultants, trainers anyone whose work interacts with clients or the public.
- Retailers and service shops Anyone with a physical premises customers walk into.
- Event-based businesses Caterers, photographers, vendors venues require a COI naming them as additional insured.
What general liability actually covers
- Bodily injury to third parties Slip-and-fall at your shop, client tripping on your equipment.
- Property damage to third parties You break something at a client’s jobsite.
- Personal and advertising injury Libel, slander, copyright, trademark claims tied to your marketing.
- Medical payments (no-fault) Small medical bills paid without a lawsuit, to keep minor incidents from escalating.
- Legal defense Even claims that turn out to be baseless cost money to defend GL pays those costs within policy limits.