Public liability insurance

Who needs public liability insurance?

Anyone who visits their clients or has clients visit them needs public liability insurance.

If you interact with members of the public too, like at events or in a retail environment, you’ll also need it.

It protects you from claims of injury or property damage. And it covers all the compensation and legal fees that come along with a claim.

An accident can happen to anyone, at any time. Whether it’s at your offices, a client’s, or elsewhere, you’ll have to be ready to do something about it.

Usually, that means time, money, and expertise. Organising and paying legal experts, rooting around for documentation and supporting evidence, and paying for any compensation at the end of it.

Public liability insurance is there to fight your corner. You get the support of an expert insurer by your side, every step of the way.

So you can say goodbye to the headaches and stress of a public liability claim. And focus on running your business.

Read more about who needs public liability insurance.

What does public liability insurance cover?

Generally, but depending on the exact wording of your policy, it pays legal costs and compensation for claims of:

• Injury to someone else, caused by your business activities – this could be on your premises or anywhere else you operate. Like a client tripping over a loose cable in your office. Or a member of the public slipping on a wet floor in your shop.
• Damage to a clients’, contractors’, or member of the publics’ property – either on your premises, their premises, or anywhere else you operate. Like one of your team spilling coffee on a client’s laptop.

Read more about what public liability insurance covers.

Is public liability insurance compulsory?

Public liability insurance isn’t compulsory under UK law. But we do recommend it to any businesses that visit their clients or have clients visit them.

Here are a few business examples where public liability insurance is a must-have:

• If you run a shop, like a café or butchers. You rely on customers coming through your door every day, so the chances of an accident are very real!
• If you visit clients’ properties to do your work, like an electrician or a landscaper. You never know when you might cause some damage that could lead to a claim.
• If you own or work on open sites or venues, like a property developer or a nightclub owner. If members of the public are on your site, you should have public liability insurance.
• If you own or operate out of a salon or clinic, like a beauty therapist or a hair stylist. You might also visit your clients’ properties, making the chance of an accident higher.
• If you work with venues as part of your job, like a wedding photographer or a DJ, the venue might ask you to have your own public liability insurance. Just in case a member of the public trips over your equipment.

How much does public liability insurance cost?

How much your public liability policy costs depends on a host of different things:

• The number of clients you see every day. For example, if you own a large, popular music venue, your risk is a lot higher than an electrician who visits four or five clients a day.
• The industry you work in. If you own a construction company or a busy café, you’re much more likely to be sued than a freelance copywriter who meets a couple of clients a week.
• The location of your business. Areas with loads of foot traffic will have higher public liability costs. Shared office spaces will too.

These are just a few of the things that can change the cost of your public liability insurance.

Even if your business is on the ‘riskier’ side, public liability insurance is worth its weight in gold. It protects any business from the potentially catastrophic financial repercussions of a claim.

Do I need public liability and professional indemnity?

It’s easy to confuse public liability and professional indemnity. They sound similar and they’re often spoken about in the same breath when you’re sorting out your business insurance.

In reality, they serve two very different purposes. And you almost certainly need both to properly protect your business.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what they do:

• Public liability insurance protects your business from claims of injury and property damage.
• Professional indemnity insurance protects your business from claims that your client lost money due to your sub-standard work or negligence.

Each type of insurance covers completely different things. But they’re both must-haves to protect your business from the financial losses that a claim can bring.

Read more about public liability vs professional indemnity insurance.

What other business insurance do I need?

There’s plenty of ways to protect your business with insurance. So that you’re prepared for anything.

Professional indemnity insurance is a great place to start. It covers you for claims and allegations of negligence and mistakes. If you’re providing a specialist service to paying clients, it’s a necessity.

If you employ anyone, then you also need employers’ liability insurance. That’s because it’s a legal requirement for UK businesses with employees.

You might have essential equipment and furniture. If you do, office and property insurance pays for repairs or replacement it if it’s damaged or stolen. Portable insurance covers your gadgets and technical equipment when you’re elsewhere.

Business interruption insurance helps if something happens to your premises and you’re forced to set up somewhere else. Whether it’s a flood, fire, or an infestation, you’ll be covered for any lost revenue and costs of relocating.

If your directors make a mistake, they are personally liable for their actions. If they’re accused of negligence, directors’ and officers’ insurance covers all the legal defence costs and any compensation there is to pay.

Why should I buy public liability insurance from you?

Because we’re a specialist business insurance broker with the know-how to get you a public liability insurance policy that’s the right fit for your business, quickly and easily.

Our simple online quote process makes the whole thing painless, plus we’ve got friendly expert advisers waiting to take your call if you need them.

Here are some more reasons to buy your public liability insurance from us:

• Policies from trusted insurers.
• Quote and buy quickly online.
• Policy documents delivered straight to your inbox.
• No hidden costs or admin fees.
• Monthly payments to spread the cost.
• No insurance jargon – plain English only.
• No call centre or phone menu – just friendly, helpful humans.
• Extras like a badge for your website and a cash bonus each time you recommend us.

But it’s customer feedback that really counts, so take a look at ours. We think it speaks for itself.