Liability · Insurance Term
Bodily Injury (BI)
Definition
Bodily injury means physical injury, sickness or disease to a person, including death that results. It is one of the main harms a liability policy covers when you are legally responsible, such as a visitor's fall on your property.
In Plain English
Bodily injury and property damage liability are the core of a commercial general liability policy. Say someone is hurt because of your property or business and sues. The policy typically defends you and pays damages you legally owe. It is subject to the each occurrence limit and exclusions.
Many CGL policies also include medical payments coverage. It pays small medical bills for hurt visitors, no matter who was at fault. That can settle minor injuries before they turn into lawsuits.
Injuries to your own employees are generally excluded from the CGL. Workers' compensation handles that risk. Texas non-subscribers, who opt out of workers' comp, need other plans.
Not sure how your policy handles this? Have us review it, or get a quote.
Example
Hypothetical: a customer trips over a broken curb at a strip center and breaks a wrist. The customer sues for medical bills and lost wages. The owner's CGL policy would typically defend the suit and pay damages for bodily injury up to the limit, if the owner is found legally responsible.
What to Watch For
- Report every injury on your property to your agent promptly, even if it seems minor.
- Ask whether your policy includes medical payments coverage and its limit.
- Keep incident reports, photos and witness names.
- Check how employee injuries are handled, since the CGL usually excludes them.
Last updated October 14, 2026 · Primesure editorial team · How We Write