Smart Business spoke with Philip Glick, Senior vice president of ECBM Insurance Brokers and Consultants, about why small business owners may need professional liability coverage.

Why doesn’t a general liability policy cover all types of business claims?

"General liability insurance does not cover economic loss suffered by a client due to an error or omission committed by a business, for example, if a client buys a new product, such as a high-speed printing press, and the press works but produces a lower hourly volume than expected."

Glick adds that general liability policies often exclude bodily injury claims from types of professional services such as pharmacists, health club operators, physicians and surgeons, architects and engineers and security guard companies.

What is the solution to these gaps?

"For firms traditionally recognized as professionals, the solution is to specifically purchase separate professional liability insurance in addition to commercial general liability insurance." Glick says sports therapists, health clubs and sprinkler protection contractors should be sure that there is no specific professional services exclusion in their general liability policies.