NYC Insurance Blog

Bodily Injury vs. Personal Injury: What’s the Difference?

When running a small business, you probably spend very little time discerning the different business insurance you can take. If so, you spend even less time pondering the difference between bodily injury and personal injury. 

Unless you operate in a large area and have many employees, you might never think much about it. However, the two types of injuries differ in insurance claims, and today, we learn the difference.

What is bodily injury?

Yes, it is precisely as it sounds. A bodily injury is an injury to the body. It could be fractured bone, a disease, disfigurement, or even a cut. 

Death resulting from these injuries is also under bodily injury in insurance claims. Usually, a general liability insurance policy will cover bodily injury to the policy limits. Find out more about this kind of coverage from our Agency today.

Now, consider a case where you are a small business owner. 

On a fine Wednesday evening, you are cleaning up to close for the day. However, a customer walks into your store but trips because of the wet floor. Unfortunately, they twist an ankle and cannot walk comfortably. You take them to the hospital because the injury happened in your store. 

Here is where your liability coverage comes into play. The insurance claim will cover the customer’s medical bill and any ongoing treatment until they leave the hospital. 

If you had ended up in court, the general liability insurance would cover any legal fees and representation you would need.

How can business owners protect themselves from bodily injury claims?

The best way to prevent injuries to the body is to remove as much risk as possible. You can lower the cases by:

• Checking for any potential hazards and tending to them
• Keeping a record of your inspections and repairs
• Posting warning signs near hazard areas
• Maintaining a clean and organized workspace

What is personal injury?

Personal injury covers three broad areas:

• Actual bodily harm
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress

Therefore, a personal injury insurance policy will cover any losses arising from personal injury to another person. It could be defamation of character or libel.

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Consider the following case:

Your store has been experiencing regular shoplifting recently. So, one day, a cashier notices a suspicious customer but does not exactly see them pocketing any of your goods. The cashier orders them to wait for the manager in the back office and refuses to let them go. 

There is a confrontation between the cashier and the customer, who eventually end up innocent. Your shop ends up in a court case for false arrest. Therefore, you have to pay legal fees because of one of your employees.

If you face a personal injury case in court, the commercial general liability coverage will pay for the legal representation in court, any settlement costs, and legal judgments.

How do you protect your business from personal injury claims?

• Train and educate workers to handle situations that may result in personal injury claims
• Monitor what your people are posting on your websites and other social media platforms
• Fix errors quickly, especially in cases that may tarnish your client’s reputation
• Avoid making negative and unverified comments about your customers

A commercial general liability insurance cover may protect you from personal injuries, but you can buy the policy separately if it does not.

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