Customer Injury at the Pump
Provides treatment for emergency medical needs, hospital expenses and legal costs when a customer trips over the pump hose or slips on diesel residue on the forecourt.
Coverage
General Liability Insurance for Gas Stations
Protect your forecourt and customer foot traffic with tailored third-party injury and property damage coverage.
Powered byMcKinney & Co.Trusted insurance for 40+ years
28 statesWhere we write policies, and growing
30+A-rated carriers compared
20+ yearsProtecting c-stores and gas stations
500+Store owners covered
General liability insurance for stations covers your business in case your business causes bodily harm or damage to property in the course of your business. It includes expenses for medical bills for customers, legal costs, and court settlements. General liability is the backbone of commercial risk management, and forms the basis of most Business Owner's Policies (BOP).
What's covered
What General Liability Covers
General liability covers physical damage to any third party, throughout your store, fuel islands and station parking area:
Know the gaps
What It Doesn't Cover
General liability addresses third-party risks only. It does not cover:
Do you need it
Who Needs General Liability Insurance
General liability insurance is a must for any gas station. There's a constant risk of slips and falls and property damage throughout your property as a result of constant vehicular traffic, fueling, and heavy foot traffic from customers.
State insurance laws don't often require coverage for general liability, but third parties do. Property landlords, commercial mortgage lenders, and fuel brand franchisors routinely require general liability insurance with minimum coverage limits, typically $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, before they will approve lease contracts, financing agreements, or fuel supply contracts with brand franchisees.
Pricing
What General Liability Costs
On average, general liability insurance for a gas station costs between $1,500 and $5,000 annually ($125 to $415 per month) for a standard $1 million per-occurrence / $2 million aggregate policy. The primary driver of general liability cost for gas stations is fuel volume and pump count, alongside geographic location, operating hours, and overall customer foot traffic.
The majority of owners package general liability within a Business Owner's Policy (BOP) because they can obtain better rates than having these two policies separately. See a full breakdown of Gas Station Insurance pricing on our gas station insurance cost page.
What a claim looks like
Example Claim
A customer walks off a fueling island onto the fueling site and slips on an unnoticed fuel spill, resulting in a hip fracture for which emergency surgery is performed. Customer alleges she was hurt in the station's line of duty and demands $45,000 in medical expenses and lost wages. Under general liability, the customer's medical settlement is covered, and legal defense fees are paid until $12,000 is exhausted.
How it fits
How It Fits With Your Other Coverage
General liability forms one half of a standard Business Owner's Policy (BOP), pairing with commercial property protection to shield your physical assets. However, general liability explicitly excludes fuel leaks and environmental contamination. You must pair it with dedicated pollution liability insurance and Underground Storage Tank (UST) insurance to meet federal environmental regulations.
The power of choice
We shop 30+ A-rated carriers so you don't have to.
- Travelers
- The Hartford
- Chubb
- Liberty Mutual
- Nationwide
- Zurich
- CNA
- Progressive
- Philadelphia Insurance
- Berkshire Hathaway GUARD
- biBerk
- AmTrust
- Employers
- Grange Insurance
- Columbia Insurance
- Encova
- Admiral Insurance Group
- Attune
- Coterie
- ERGO NEXT
- AmWINS
- CRC Group
- RT Specialty
- Burns & Wilcox
- Jencap
- Bass Underwriters
- Jimcor Agencies
- CharityFirst
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is general liability insurance required by law for gas stations?
State laws rarely mandate general liability directly. However, commercial landlords, mortgage lenders, and brand franchisors almost always require proof of general liability insurance as a mandatory condition of your lease, loan, or franchise contract.
Does general liability cover a fuel spill or environmental contamination?
No. General liability policies contain absolute pollution exclusions. Environmental contamination, fuel line leaks, and soil remediation require specialized pollution liability insurance and Underground Storage Tank (UST) Insurance.
Get Covered
Ensure that your station forecourt is protected from costly third-party injury claims and liability lawsuits. Reach out to Insure C-Store agents today to secure all-encompassing liability coverage tailored for fuel retailers.