Personal and Commercial Insurance Overview
Personal lines
Homeowners forms: HO-3 (broad named perils on contents, open perils on the structure), HO-5 comprehensive, HO-4 renters, HO-6 condo, HO-8 older homes. Coverages A dwelling, B other structures, C personal property, D loss of use, E personal liability, F medical payments to others. Personal auto (PAP): Part A liability, B medical payments, C uninsured/underinsured motorists, D damage to your auto (collision versus other-than-collision). Add personal umbrella, life, health, and dwelling fire.
Commercial lines
BOP for small eligible risks, commercial package policy, commercial property, commercial auto, workers compensation (statutory benefits, exclusive remedy, plus employer's liability), CGL with Coverage A (bodily injury/property damage), B (personal and advertising injury), C (medical payments), plus professional liability/E&O, D&O, crime, inland marine, and commercial umbrella/excess.
Traps
Homeowners forms exclude flood and earthquake (separate NFIP or difference-in-conditions coverage), business pursuits and most home-sharing rentals, and ordinance-or-law costs. A CGL occurrence policy responds to injury during the policy period no matter when the claim arrives; a claims-made policy responds to claims reported during the period and depends on its retroactive date. Workers compensation is no-fault and exclusive; employer's liability is a separate tort coverage.
Worked example
A machine installed in 2019 injures a worker in 2022; suit is filed in 2024. An occurrence-form CGL responds under the 2022 policy because the injury date is the trigger. A claims-made policy responds under the 2024 policy only if its retroactive date is on or before 2022. Rule of thumb: identify the policy whose trigger matches the facts before comparing limits.