Public Liability Insurance

Public Liability Insurance is a core requirement if you run a business. It covers the business for your actions whilst at work, for example should a member of public attempt to seek compensation against you for any damage you may have caused to them or their property.

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You are covered for any successful claim made against your business, as well as any costs incurred in the defence of that claim (legal fees etc).

Key Features

Public liability insurance is a core cover of many types of insurance. Public liability covers the Business to a limit of indemnity that you will determine, usually detailed as an amount ( i.e. £1m, £2m).

Covers you for your actions with respect to the public
Applies to all types of businesses
The minimum amount of cover is usually £1m
Basic Public Liability cover can be acquired from £50 a year (plus insurance premium tax)
if you use sub-contractors, you may require Public Liability cover

Who is it for?

All businesses that interact with other businesses or that provide a service to the public
Some businesses might insist you have a Public Liability certificate before they let you work for them or interact with their customers
Everyone from window cleaners to 30 people businesses need public liability. This will include you if your business is run from a shop/home/office/yard/warehouse
If you use sub-contractors, you may require Public Liability cover

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Benefits

Contain Employer's Liability - satisfies the legal requirement
Immediate Documents - we provide your documentation within seconds of buying
Bespoke additional cover - many insurers do not offer Employer's Liability cover on its own
Peace of mind - your business is covered, leaving you to get on with running it!

Things to watch out for

Limit of Indemnity - Some insurers will quote you a public liability cover from £5m. Additionally some insurers charge very little difference in price for £1m or £2m of Public Liability cover.
Optional covers - Some insurers have optional covers (like accident cover/tools/contents - there are many types of additional cover) included in the policy. Other insurers will charge you an additional amount. When comparing quotes make sure you are comparing the same extent and type of cover.
Excess - This is the amount you will have to pay in order to make the claim. Know the amount of your excess. For example if you have a claim for £1000 and your excess is £500 you might only receive £500 back from the insurer
Working outside EU - Some insurers won't cover companies that work outside the European Union. Ensure you know the geographical extent of your cover.
Sub-contractors - Many businesses sub-contract tasks within a project. You should always check that your sub-contractors have considered Employer's Liability insurance. You might have to pay for the Public Liability premium.
Exclusions - Specific activities will be excluded by the Insurers, make sure you know what these are and when they apply.
Businesses change - Levels of Public Liability may have to be adjusted, which will obviously affect the premium, throughout the course of the year if the nature and scope of the work you undertake changes.

What are the next steps?

Know your business - You already know what you do, so make sure you fully inform the insurer about all aspects of your business , particularly regarding the numbers of employees you have / intend to employ.
Start date - Insurance prices change frequently, evaluate your desired start date, you may wish to have the insurance start at the beginning of a particular project.
Compare insurers - check the type of cover you want by comparing a number of insurers and always use someone who can offer quotes from more than one supplier.

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Frequently asked questions

Am I covered for this activity?

As long as you fully inform your insurer of the types of activity you undertake, then the policies are structured to cover behaviour that is consistent with a particular trade.

I don't recognise the Insurer name.

You may not immediately recognise some of these insurers, this is because they usually specialise in dealing with brokers and don't sell direct to the public. All the insurers we work with are regulated and authorised by the Financial Services Authority, including ourselves.

Do I need Employer's Liability as well?

The answer is, it will depend on whether you have employees.

Am I covered for sub-contractors work?

Different insurers provide different types of cover, some will include sub-contractors work, and some won't. Make sure you have right type of cover for your business.