The Commercial General Liability coverages provide for bodily injury or property damage that is "neither expected nor intended" by the insured; accidental events or circumstances are the key to coverage for bodily injury or property damage for which the insured is legally liable.

The Commercial General Liability policy comes in two forms, "Occurrence" and "Claims Made".

An "occurrence" trigger, meaning that coverage is triggered by bodily injury or property damage that occurs during the policy period, regardless of when a claim is reported. A "claims-made" trigger means that coverage is triggered by bodily injury or property damage that occurs after the retroactive date (if any shown on the policy) and before the end of the policy period, and if a claim for damages because of the bodily injury or property damage is first made during the policy period or any extended reporting periods.