noun · also: GL, CGL
general liability
In plain English
The base liability coverage for a business — covers third-party bodily injury, property damage, and personal/advertising injury claims.
If a customer slips in your store, if your work damages someone's property, if you defame a competitor in advertising — that's GL territory. It's the foundation of every commercial program.
What it covers
Coverage A (bodily injury and property damage from premises and operations), Coverage B (personal and advertising injury), Coverage C (medical payments to non-employees, no-fault).
What it does not cover
It does NOT cover employee injuries (workers comp), professional services (E&O), pollution (separate or excluded), or product recall. And it does NOT cover damage to your own work or property.
Where it trips people up
The 'your work' exclusion is famous — GL won't pay to redo bad work, only to fix damage caused by bad work. Subcontractor exception, completed-ops endorsement, and contractor's professional are how this gets handled.
The technical version
A standard commercial casualty insurance policy form (CG 00 01 ISO base) providing coverage for sums the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of bodily injury, property damage, or personal and advertising injury.