Accidents do happen, from time to time. That’s the nature of running a business. Having public liability insurance in place helps set your mind at rest, keeping you covered if a customer or member of the public suffers a loss or injury because of your business.
You can buy public liability insurance as part of your flexible business insurance policy - combining it with other covers such as professional indemnity or employers’ liability insurance, for example - or just get public liability as a stand-alone cover, whatever suits you best.
With Simply Business you can run a quote comparison across a range of leading insurers in the UK, grab your public liability insurance quote and find a policy that fits your own business requirements. It’s quick, easy and specific.
Public liability insurance protects you if clients or members of the public suffer personal injury or property damage because of your business. It can pay for the costs of subsequent legal expenses or compensation claims and is an integral cover for businesses that interact regularly with customers.
A customer slipping or tripping over is one of the most common accidents in the book and can often result in a public liability insurance claim. Watch our consultant Massimo explain what public liability insurance means and why most businesses need it.
Public liability insurance covers your business against compensation claims and legal costs, if a third party – such as a customer, supplier or member of the public – is injured or their property damaged while on your premises, or while you’re working in their property.
For example, if a roofing company was hired to re-tile a roof but their weather protection failed, resulting in water damage, the client could claim for compensation, to pay for repairs. Public liability insurance would ensure the company can meet the cost of the claim, along with any legal expenses.
Typically, public liability covers:
Read more on what public liability insurance covers.
You may need public liability insurance if your business comes into contact with members of the public. It covers compensation costs and legal fees if you’re sued for injury or property damage, whether the incident happens at your business premises or as a result of your business activity elsewhere.
Read more on who needs public liability insurance.
Although public liability insurance is not compulsory under UK law, it may be required by your client contracts. Also bear in mind that some companies are obliged by their regulator or membership body to take out a certain level of business insurance.
Here’s a real life scenario to define public liability insurance in practical terms.
A plumber is doing repair work on a domestic property, but hasn’t fitted the caps properly. This has caused water damage in the property he’s working on, as well as the property below.
The public liability claim cost of £15,000, for repair of the damage and any inconvenience caused.
The £250 excess (this is the part of the claim the policyholder pays).
Check out more claim examples.
At Simply Business, we offer a minimum level of £1 million for public liability cover, but how do you choose the right level for you?
Depending on the nature of your business, you may need more than the minimum level of cover, so it’s sensible to check your policy for every new job or contract. For example, companies working on government contracts are usually required to be covered for a minimum of £5 million or even £10 million in public liability insurance. Bear this in mind when choosing your public liability quote.
Read more on how much public liability insurance you may need.
Public liability insurance - sometimes called ‘PLI’ - is an essential cover for most types of business. It’s especially important for customers to be sure that your business has the right insurance.
Even when a business does everything right there is always the chance of an accident happening. With the right insurance, a business can operate knowing that should the worst happen, their customers’ property could be repaired, their possessions replaced and their medical costs paid for.
Any business that has visitors to its premises or involves work on client sites could need public liability insurance. Potential clients may ask to see your company’s insurance schedule and documentation before taking you on.
If you have a website, with Simply Business you can easily grab a proof of policy badge, add it to your site and link to your public liability insurance certificate.
In order to get a quote that suits your specific requirements, it’s important you know what you need from your cover.
To make sure you find a policy that suits your needs, ask yourself the following questions
Selling products online?
We can cover your online trade, with specialist online retailers’ insurance, built for businesses that sell on the web.