Public liability insurance for photographers

Why do I need public liability insurance?

Even the friendliest of customer relationships can turn sour if you break someone’s laptop – or their leg.

Defending yourself from pointy fingers takes time and money. When you have a business to run, you can’t afford to waste either. And ignoring a claim won’t make it go away; you need to do something about it.

Public liability insurance protects your business from the consequences of accidents and slip-ups.

How much public liability do I need?

How much can you afford?

If that sounds a little blasé, we don’t mean to be – you can never have too much insurance. Not having enough, however, could cause serious trouble for your business.

Ultimately, you need to consider the worst-case scenario, and how much it’ll cost to put right. The following things could all affect the amount of public liability you may need:

• Working in ‘risky’ environments, such as at height or around heat.
• Working with large clients.
• Photographing valuable objects like cars or jewellery.
• Photographing people.

What else do I need?

Professional indemnity insurance is for claims of negligence. If a client alleges your photographs are poor quality, or you haven’t done what they paid for, PI will pay the legal fees associated with defending your claim. If you’re at fault, it’ll compensate your client.

Employers’ liability insurance covers you if an employee sues for damages. Claims are usually because they’ve suffered injuries or illnesses because of working for you. EL is a legal requirement for all UK businesses with employees.

Office and property insurance covers the things in your studio (props, backdrops, fixed IT equipment etc) and portable insurance covers technical equipment when you’re on location (cameras, tripods, tablets etc). If you’re not sure it’s worth insuring, add it all up – it’s probably worth more than you think.

Business interruption insurance means you can still work when your studio is out of action. If you can’t use your usual premises, business interruption will pay for the cost of setting up elsewhere and reimburse any lost earnings.

Directors’ and officers’ insurance covers your company bosses. Almost anyone can accuse you of not running a business with due care and attention. Worse, directors are personally liable for their actions. The good thing is this insurance covers your defence costs and any compensation you have to pay.

Why should I buy my insurance from you?

Glad you asked.

The simple answer is: we know what we’re doing. Professional insurance is all we do so we know what you need, even if you don’t.

We also know that buying insurance can be, well, a bit of a pain. So we make sure getting yours is quick and hassle-free.

We do all that while treating you like a human being, too. You won’t find a call centre here. Or a phone menu. And we’ve banned nonsense insurance jargon.

Anything else? Well, there’s the great stuff you get, such as an ‘I’m insured!’ badge for your website – perfect for the professional professional.

Also, we’ll give you money each time you recommend us.

If you’re after a second opinion, have a look at our customers’ feedback. They’re the ones you should really listen to.