What this guide helps you evaluate
Founders, directors and finance teams deciding how D&O and general liability fit together.
This page is designed to help you compare the moving parts, organize due diligence and ask better questions before you commit money, sign a contract or change an operating process.
What to compare first
- Who is insured: directors/officers versus the operating company and third parties
- Nature of allegation: management decision versus bodily injury/property damage
- Entity coverage and securities-related claims
- Defense costs, exclusions and retention
- Contractual insurance requirements
Step-by-step process
- 01
List plausible claims from investors, employees, customers, vendors and visitors.
- 02
Map each scenario to the policy that is intended to respond.
- 03
Compare limits and whether defense costs erode those limits.
- 04
Review exclusions for professional services, cyber, employment and contractual liability.
- 05
Coordinate D&O with EPLI, cyber, E&O and umbrella coverage.
Common mistakes and risk checks
- Expecting general liability to cover governance or investor disputes.
- Assuming D&O replaces professional liability.
- Ignoring policy wording around insured-versus-insured and prior acts.