The duty of the insurer to defend the insured under the terms of the commercial general-liability coverage form is an accepted part of the form's insuring agreement.

Insurers have generally had no problem with the judicial interpretation that this duty to defend is separate from and broader than the duty to indemnify. And, insureds take it for granted that once the insurer assumes the defense of the insured, the insurance company will pay the legal expenses involved in defending the insured.

What may surprise an insured is that the insurer can get reimbursement from the insured for some of those legal costs expended.