General liability coverage disputes recur around a small number of provisions.
Occurrence. Whether faulty work or a breach of contract is an accident. Most states hold that defective work is not an occurrence but that resulting damage to other property may be.
Your work and your product exclusions, and the subcontractor exception, which is what preserves coverage for the general contractor for defective subcontractor work in most standard forms.
Expected or intended injury, and whether the exclusion requires subjective intent.
Contractual liability exclusion and the insured contract exception, which is what makes additional insured and indemnity arrangements work.
Personal and advertising injury coverage, reaching defamation, privacy and advertising idea claims — the route by which many commercial disputes find coverage.
Known loss and prior publication limitations.
Number of occurrences, which determines how many deductibles and limits apply and is frequently worth more than the coverage argument itself.
Late notice and prejudice.
Duty to defend breadth, independent counsel where a reservation of rights creates a conflict, and reimbursement of defence costs for uncovered claims, which is permitted in some states and not others.