Market traders insurance

Public liability insurance for market stall

In case someone suffers injury or property damage as a result of your market stall.

What’s typically covered by market trader public liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• damage caused by you to someone else’s belongings while you’re working, or caused by the products you sell at your market stall
• injury caused by you to someone else while you’re working, or as a result of the products you sell
• accidental damage or injury caused by your employee (remember, if you employ people, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability insurance)

For example:

• your stall canopy collapses and the steel frame falls on top of a customer’s head, giving them a serious head injury
• a pedestrian trips over a box of goods that your employee has left on the ground next to your market stall and breaks their wrist
• a customer complains that the food they bought from you gave them severe food poisoning, which meant they had to miss out on important work

Read more about public liability insurance

Employers’ liability insurance

In case something happens to an employee while they’re working for your market stall.

What’s typically covered by employers’ liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• an employee (including temp staff and casual workers) suing you because they fell ill as a result of being employed by you
• an employee suing you because they got injured as a result of being employed by you

**Employers’ liability insurance is required by law if you have people working for you. Without it, you could be fined up to £2,500 a day for each employee.**

For example:

• your employee trips over loose gazebo wire at your market stall and breaks their elbow
• your employee cuts their hand open on a glass display item with a broken edge, leaving them unable to compete in a rugby final at the weekend

Stock insurance

In case something happens to the products or materials you keep in stock.

What’s typically covered by stock insurance?

• loss, damage or theft of the products you’re planning to sell to customers
• loss, damage or theft of the materials you use in the running of your market stall

For example:

• all the items you’ve been keeping in your sales inventory are stolen from your business premises, so you need to replace them
• several boxes full of products are stolen from your van while you’re attending a trade fair

Read more about stock insurance

Business and office equipment insurance

In case something happens to your business and office equipment.

What’s typically covered by business and office equipment insurance?

• theft of the equipment you use to operate your stall, whether at your business premises or while you’re travelling to a market fair
• accidental loss of your equipment
• flood, fire, or accidental damage to your equipment

For example:

• your gazebo and your wooden product display unit are damaged in a fire
• your folding sack truck is stolen from your premises

Read more about business and office equipment insurance

Legal expenses insurance

In case you have to pay legal costs as the owner of your market stall business.

What’s typically covered by legal expenses insurance?

• legal costs your business may face, including resolving tax disputes, compliance disputes, and employee disputes
• the cost of legal claims relating to property damage, nuisance or trespass
• access to a tax advice helpline, a 24/7 confidential legal helpline, and crisis communications support over the phone

For example:

• HMRC are investigating your tax affairs due to some discrepancies, or you’ve been selected at random for an audit, and you need help dealing with their enquiries
• you need to defend your legal rights after an employee you’ve let go accuses you of unfair dismissal

Read more about legal expenses insurance

Personal accident insurance

In case you or anyone you’ve covered has an accident.

What’s typically covered by personal accident insurance?

• lost income, medical costs, and hospitalisation benefit due to injury or death – whether at work or elsewhere – for anybody you’ve named in your policy

For example:

• your employee runs over your foot by accident while you’re setting up your market stall
• you shut your hand in the car door on the way to the cinema at the weekend

Read more about personal accident insurance

Which type of workers do I need insurance for?

Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ people.

If you have people working for you, including bona fide subcontractors (BFSC), labour-only subcontractors (LOSC), part-timers, or full-time staff, employers’ liability insurance is required by law.

Read on for our simplified guide to the difference between labour-only subcontractors and bona fide subcontractors.

Does market trader insurance cover my work correctly?

Make sure you’re picking the right cover to protect you properly. It’s important to know that if you have another trade or job, you’ll need additional cover. For example, do you need to consider private tutor insurance or caterer – excluding mobile vans

Do I need cover for other types of work?

If you provide other services, make sure you’re covered:

• Craft insurance
• Fruit shop
• Supermarket insurance
• Clerical / secretarial services

Which public liability cover limit should I choose?

Think about the maximum possible loss your business could face in the event of a claim, and make sure you take legal fees and damages into consideration. You can choose from three levels of coverage – £1 million, £2 million, or up to £5 million.