What is the name of the standard exclusion in liability policies for harm the insured intended to cause?

The standard liability-policy exclusion for harm the insured intended to cause is the expected or intended injury exclusion.

In standard commercial general liability wording, coverage does not apply to bodily injury or property damage “expected or intended from the standpoint of the insured.” The provision reflects a basic insurance principle: liability coverage is designed for fortuitous accidents and negligence, not for deliberately injuring someone or deliberately damaging property.

The two words are related but not identical. “Intended” ordinarily concerns a purpose to cause the result, while “expected” addresses harm the insured anticipated with a sufficiently high degree of certainty. Courts differ over how that line should be drawn, including whether the analysis is subjective or objective and whether the insured intended the precise injury or only the underlying act.

This exclusion is easy to confuse with an assault exclusion, pollution exclusion, or war exclusion. Those clauses target particular activities or perils. The expected-or-intended clause is broader in concept: it focuses on the insured’s state of mind and the character of the resulting injury or damage. Policy wording and jurisdiction can materially affect its application.