General Liability Insurance for Myrtle Beach Businesses

What Is General Liability Insurance?

General liability insurance is the foundation of any business insurance program. This coverage protects your company when third parties—customers, vendors, or visitors—suffer bodily injury or property damage because of your business operations, products, or premises. For Myrtle Beach businesses serving locals and millions of tourists each year, general liability coverage is essential.

Sometimes called commercial general liability or CGL insurance, this policy pays for legal defense costs, settlements, and judgments when your business faces covered claims. Without general liability insurance, a single lawsuit could drain your business accounts and put everything you've built at risk.

Why Myrtle Beach Businesses Need General Liability Insurance

Businesses along the Grand Strand interact with customers, clients, and the public every day. Each interaction creates potential liability exposure. A customer slips on a wet floor at your Conway retail shop. A vendor trips over equipment at your Surfside Beach construction site. A product you sell injures someone at their North Myrtle Beach vacation rental.

• Premises liability is real — Slip and fall accidents happen, especially in high-traffic tourist areas. If someone is injured on your property, you could be held responsible for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.


• Your operations can cause damage — A landscaper damages a sprinkler system. A contractor scratches expensive flooring. A caterer spills red wine on white carpet. General liability insurance covers the cost of repairing or replacing property you accidentally damage.


• Legal defense costs add up fast — Even frivolous lawsuits require a legal response. Defense attorney fees, court costs, and expert witnesses can cost tens of thousands of dollars before a case ever reaches trial.


• Contracts require it — Commercial leases, vendor agreements, and service contracts in South Carolina almost always require proof of general liability coverage before you can sign.


• Your personal assets are exposed — Without adequate coverage, a judgment against your business could extend to your personal savings, home, and other assets depending on your business structure.

What Does General Liability Insurance Cover?

A general liability policy protects Myrtle Beach businesses against several categories of claims. Understanding what's covered helps you see why this insurance forms the backbone of commercial coverage.

Bodily Injury Liability

Covers medical expenses, lost wages, and legal damages when someone is physically injured because of your business. This includes injuries on your premises—like a customer who falls in your Murrells Inlet restaurant—and injuries caused by your operations at other locations. If your employee accidentally injures someone while performing work at a client's property in Georgetown, bodily injury coverage responds.

Property Damage Liability

Pays to repair or replace property belonging to others that your business damages. A cleaning company that breaks a client's antique vase, a moving company that scratches hardwood floors, or a plumber whose work causes water damage would all file claims under property damage liability.

Personal and Advertising Injury

Protects against non-physical injuries your business might cause. This includes claims of slander, libel, defamation, false arrest, wrongful eviction, and invasion of privacy. Advertising injury coverage addresses claims that your marketing materials infringed on another company's copyright or disparaged their products.

Products Liability

If a product you manufacture, sell, or distribute injures someone or damages their property, products liability coverage provides protection. Retailers in Atlantic Beach, wholesalers in Conway, and manufacturers throughout South Carolina all face products liability exposure.

Completed Operations

Covers claims arising from work you've already finished. If a deck you built in Pawleys Island collapses months after completion, or electrical work you performed causes a fire after you've left the job site, completed operations coverage applies. Contractors and service providers rely heavily on this protection.

Medical Payments

Pays minor medical expenses for people injured on your premises regardless of fault. This coverage—typically $5,000 to $10,000—helps resolve small claims quickly without litigation. If a customer needs a few stitches after a minor incident at your Litchfield shop, medical payments coverage handles it directly.

Legal Defense Costs

General liability insurance pays for attorneys, court costs, and other legal expenses to defend your business against covered claims. Importantly, defense costs are typically paid in addition to your policy limits, not subtracted from them.

What Isn't Covered by General Liability Insurance?

General liability is broad coverage, but it doesn't protect against every risk your Myrtle Beach business faces. These common exclusions require separate policies:

• Professional errors — Mistakes in professional advice or services need professional liability or errors and omissions coverage.


• Employee injuries — Workers' compensation insurance covers employees hurt on the job, not general liability.


• Auto accidents — Vehicles need commercial auto insurance for liability coverage.


• Cyber incidents — Data breaches and cyber attacks require cyber liability insurance.


• Your own property — Damage to your building, equipment, and inventory needs commercial property insurance.


• Intentional acts — Deliberate harm or illegal activity isn't covered by any liability policy.


• Pollution — Environmental contamination typically requires specialized pollution liability coverage.

Understanding these gaps helps you build a complete insurance program. Your Moore & Associates agent can identify which additional coverages your South Carolina business needs.

How Are General Liability Limits Structured?

General liability policies use two main limits that Myrtle Beach business owners should understand:

Per Occurrence Limit — The maximum amount your policy pays for any single claim or incident. If a customer wins a $500,000 judgment against your business after a slip and fall accident, your per occurrence limit determines how much the insurance company pays.

General Aggregate Limit — The total amount your policy pays for all claims during the policy period, typically one year. Once you hit this ceiling, no more claims are covered until the policy renews.

Common limits for small businesses start at $1 million per occurrence with a $2 million aggregate. Larger operations, higher-risk industries, or businesses with contractual requirements may need higher limits. An umbrella policy can provide additional coverage above your general liability limits when greater protection is needed.

How Much Does General Liability Insurance Cost in South Carolina?

General liability premiums for Myrtle Beach businesses depend on several rating factors:

• Industry and type of business operations


• Annual revenue or payroll


• Number of employees


• Square footage of your premises


• Claims history


• Coverage limits selected

Low-risk businesses like consultants or small offices might pay $400 to $800 annually for general liability insurance. Contractors, restaurants, and retail businesses typically pay more due to higher exposure. Many South Carolina businesses bundle general liability with property coverage in a business owner's policy, which often costs less than purchasing each coverage separately.

Why Work with Moore & Associates for General Liability Insurance?

Moore & Associates has protected Myrtle Beach businesses since 1979. As an independent agency, we represent multiple insurance carriers—not just one company. That means we shop your general liability coverage across competing insurers to find the best combination of price, coverage, and service for your specific business.

Our local agents live and work in the communities we serve. We understand the risks facing restaurants on the Myrtle Beach boardwalk, contractors building homes in Carolina Forest, and retailers serving visitors in Murrells Inlet. When you call our office, you reach people who know your name and your business.

Get a General Liability Insurance Quote in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Our general liability insurance agents serve Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and surrounding areas including North Myrtle Beach, Atlantic Beach, Conway, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island, and Georgetown. Contact Moore & Associates today for a free quote.