Assault and Battery Insurance

Assault and Battery Insurance provides coverage designed to protect businesses against claims arising from physical altercations, alleged acts of violence, or third-party incidents. A critical safeguard for businesses operating in higher-risk environments and elevated public exposure.

What Is Assault and Battery Insurance?

Assault and Battery Insurance covers businesses when someone gets hurt in a physical altercation on the premises. It picks up legal defense, medical costs, settlements, and judgments. And you need it because your General Liability policy almost certainly has an exclusion for assault and battery. Most business owners don’t find that out until the claim lands.

Who Needs Assault and Battery Insurance?

Physical altercations are a reality in certain industries. Bars, nightclubs, event venues, even hospitals – put large groups of people together, add stress or alcohol, and confrontations happen. When they do, the business is the deep pocket that gets sued. Medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, attorney fees – one incident can cost more than most small businesses make in a year. And since standard General Liability won’t cover it, you’re paying out of pocket without this policy.

Common industries that often require Assault and Battery Insurance include:

  • Bars, nightclubs, and lounges
  • Restaurants and entertainment venues
  • Concert halls and event spaces
  • Hotels and resorts
  • Security companies and guard services
  • Sports arenas and stadiums
  • Hospitals and emergency rooms
  • Retail stores and convenience stores
  • Any business employing bouncers, doormen, or security staff

What Does Assault and Battery Insurance Cover?

Assault and Battery Insurance typically covers:

  • Third-Party Bodily Injury: Medical costs for a patron or bystander hurt in an altercation on your property.
  • Legal Defense Costs: Attorneys, court costs, expert witnesses.
  • Settlements and Judgments: What you owe the injured party, up to your policy limits.
  • Negligent Security Claims: The argument that you should’ve had more security, better lighting, or tighter controls.
  • Employee Actions: Your bouncer puts someone in a chokehold? That’s covered.
  • Wrongful Detention or Eviction: A patron claiming they were wrongfully detained or physically thrown out.

What Doesn't Assault and Battery Insurance Cover?

While Assault and Battery Insurance offers broad protection, it doesn’t cover:

  • Intentional Acts by the Business Owner: If the owner tells the bouncer to rough someone up, there’s no coverage for that.
  • Employee-on-Employee Violence: Two staff members fighting in the back? That’s Workers’ Comp.
  • Property Damage: Broken tables and smashed mirrors go under your Property Insurance.
  • Criminal Defense: Civil liability only. Criminal charges are a separate problem.
  • Incidents Off-Premises: The fight spills across the street? May not be covered.
  • Liquor-Related Exclusions: Some policies carve out incidents tied directly to overserving –  that’s Liquor Liability territory.

How Much Does Assault and Battery Insurance Cost?

Assault and Battery Insurance coverage typically varies based on factors like business size, revenue, industry, location, and overall risk exposure.

Pricing reflects the risk level and type of your business: For example, a nightclub pays a lot more than a restaurant

Documented security protocols and trained staff can help bring the cost down. Carriers want to see that you’re actively managing the risk, not just insuring against it.

Key Cost Factors:
  • Type of business. 
  • Location and neighborhood
  • Whether you serve alcohol and how late you’re open
  • Number of security staff
  • Claims history and past incidents
  • Venue capacity
Typical Cost Range:
  • Small restaurants or retail: $1,000 – $3,500/year
  • Bars and nightclubs: $3,500 – $15,000/year
  • Large venues and security firms: $15,000 – $50,000+/year

Risk Management Tips

To minimize potential claims:

Coverage is only half the equation. The other half is making sure incidents happen less often:

Pro Tip: If you have bouncers and no cameras, you’re asking for trouble. A patron’s word against your bouncer’s – with no video – is the kind of claim that settles for a lot of money.

  • Hire trained, licensed security. An untrained bouncer creates more liability than no bouncer at all.
  • Cameras. Everywhere that matters. And keep the footage. In a he-said/she-said claim, video is your best friend.
  • Have a written de-escalation protocol. Train your staff on it. Enforce it. Most fights can be stopped before they start if someone intervenes early.
  • Train bartenders and door staff specifically on conflict situations. Pouring drinks and spotting trouble are two different skill sets.
  • Monitor alcohol consumption. An intoxicated patron is the most common ingredient in an assault claim.
  • Log every incident, even the minor ones. That report you filed for a shoving match in March could be key evidence in a lawsuit filed in September.