General liability and professional liability address different kinds of allegations. A physical injury claim and a claim that professional advice caused financial harm are not interchangeable. Some businesses need to discuss both with a licensed provider.
Professional liability is also called errors and omissions in many contexts. Product wording varies, so begin with your services and the allegations a customer could make rather than relying only on a policy name.
Separate the allegations
A customer slipping at your office is different from a client alleging that an incorrect design or advice caused a loss. Ask how each example is treated and whether a professional-services exclusion affects the general-liability proposal. Record any gap between policies so overlapping names do not create false reassurance.
Check claims-made timing
Many professional-liability policies use a claims-made structure. The date of the work, when a claim is made, when it is reported, and any retroactive date can all matter. Ask the provider to explain those conditions using a prior project. Do not assume a new policy automatically covers every old service.
Understand cancellation and extended reporting
An extended reporting period may allow some claims to be reported after a policy ends, subject to its terms. It is not necessarily coverage for new work. When closing a business or changing insurers, discuss continuity and reporting requirements before canceling the existing contract.
Match the professional description
List every service, including ancillary consulting, training, and work delivered through subcontractors. Check geographic territory, client industries, and contract exclusions. A proposal for one service should not be assumed to insure a substantially different service introduced later.
Review defense and contract conditions
Ask whether defense expenses reduce the limit, whether a deductible applies to defense, and how consent to settlement works. Provide unusual client indemnity requirements to the insurer. Contractual promises can extend beyond what an insurance policy agrees to cover.
Questions readers ask
Does a BOP include errors and omissions automatically?
No. Ask whether professional liability is specifically included and which services it covers.
Is an extended reporting period a renewal?
Not necessarily. It can provide reporting time for defined prior work without insuring new services.
Sources and further reading
General educational information. Policy wording, state requirements, and provider decisions control actual coverage. These guides are research-assisted and have not been reviewed by a licensed insurance professional. Examples use hypothetical figures. Report a correction.
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