Casualty Insurance, Liability, and Related Coverage
This domain tests liability coverage triggers, commercial general liability structure, and related casualty lines that commonly intersect with property claims.
Liability triggers
Occurrence policies respond to injury or damage that occurs during the policy period, even if the claim is made later. Claims-made policies respond when a claim is made during the policy period, subject to retroactive and extended reporting provisions. Commercial general liability includes Coverage A bodily injury and property damage, Coverage B personal and advertising injury, and Coverage C medical payments. Key exclusions include expected or intended injury, your work, impaired property, and employee injury.
Related lines
Umbrella and excess policies sit above primary limits. Additional insured endorsements extend status to specified parties but only within the endorsement's terms. Workers compensation addresses employee injury, and commercial auto addresses auto liability. Professional liability is separate from CGL.
Worked example
A customer is injured in a store in 2024 and sues in 2025. An occurrence-based CGL policy in force in 2024 can respond because the injury occurred during that policy period. A claims-made policy in force in 2025 responds only if the claim was made during its period and the injury falls after any applicable retroactive date. The trigger, not the date the policy was purchased, controls.
Traps
Do not apply occurrence and claims-made triggers interchangeably. Do not assume an additional insured has the same rights as a named insured. Do not use CGL for employee injuries or professional errors. Do not ignore exclusions for contractual liability or your work.