Do You Need Public Liability Insurance

Do I Need Public Liability Insurance?

If you are Self Employed, or own a Business you must have Public Liability Insurance in case of an accident. A member of the public, a contractor, Client or member of staff (if you are an employer) can claim compensation against you. As a tradesman or any worker on site - you have a Duty Of Care to those around you to work safely and with professional integrity - but accidents do happen, there will always be unexpected professional oversights. You must protect your livelihood in case someone claims against you - otherwise you could lose everything.

'Where there's blame, there's a claim' is our culture these day's, and accidents will always happen in the work place and on site despite best intentions and anyone who gets injured, or property becomes damaged as a result of you or your business could be eligible to claim against you.

The most common types of claims fall into a small number of categories:

• Slips, trips and falls-these make up the majority of claims, and are the hardest to prevent.
• Stress and anxiety, due to hold ups, for example Electrical malfunction, or delayed finishes to building projects affecting the next tier of tradesmen beginning - example: the plasterers run over the finish date which in turn hold up the decorators.
• Falling objects, i.e. striking against or struck by

Do I Need Professional Indemnity Insurance?

If your business offers advice you may also need 'Professional Indemnity Insurance', which covers you in the event you give incorrect advice and a business or client were to suffer financial losses as a result. This is also valuable for trades such as Financial Planning, Business Consultants and IT Consultants. This is not instead of Public Liability Insurance, some trades will need both.

Do I Need Employers Liability Insurance?

If you employ any staff, you must have Employers Liability Insurance; this is direct protection for your staff against any accidents or illness which is caused by your or your business.
Imagine if your administrator were to suffer symptoms of RSI while in your employment, or a gardeners apprentice was to suffer injuries as a result of having a go with a hedge trimmer while you were busy elsewhere? These are very real risks, and you are required by law to have this in place, for protection of those in your employment.

Example: Plumbers business - a customer moves some pipes that were left propped up against the wall in a bid to prevent them falling, in doing so they accidentally cause the apprentice to trip and fall, breaking his wrist. This requires 6 weeks off work on statutory sick pay while the injury recovers. The apprentice can now launch a claim against his employer for compensation, and loss of earnings, as the injury was caused by the client in the workplace.

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Signs of a Quality Insurance Company

The insurance company you choose to protect you from loss in the event of an accident or situation needs to be a trustworthy one. Know what to look for as you analyze and examine different companies and policies to ensure that you choose the right coverage.

Positive Ratings

Rely on the assessments of the rating companies, whose purpose is to analyze the quality and financial wellbeing of insurance companies. Check the rating of any insurance company you are considering. As you check ratings, compare them to learn which business has the highest rating. Higher ratings have a direct correlation with the solidity of the business and the services provided. Higher ratings also indicate entities with more solid financial standings for paying out claims.

Business Longevity

Examine the length of time a business has been operating to get an indication of the quality and reliability of its services. A newly formed entity may not be able to offer customers the same reliability and performance as businesses that have been around for many years. A recent purchase and transfer between insurers could indicate that the new owner is undertaking positive growth.

Customer Service

The services provided to customers by an insurance company will be an important indicator of quality. Optimally, customers should be able to reach representatives in a variety of ways, such as by phone, online chat, and email. The response times to customer queries should be relatively short to ensure that all questions and concerns receive a speedy resolution. Customers should also be able to reach a representative around the clock and on weekends and holidays for emergencies.

Coverage Policies

The policies provided should meet your needs, with cost effective premiums, affordable deductibles, and terms that meet your coverage needs. Compare policy terms between different corporations to ensure that you choose the policy that fits your budget and needs. Explore the claim-paying process to find out how the business investigates claims and the typical time period for payment on a claim. Find out the rate of claim refusal, also, so you know the average pay out statistics for the insurance company.

Reviews and Complaints

Learn about reviews and complaints recorded by other customers to find out potentially positive and negative information about the insurer. Find positive and negative reviews on websites that allow consumers to record their experiences for other consumers to read. These reviews may provide surprising information about an entity that could lead you to decide not to choose them as your insurer. You might also learn positive information about the way a business takes care of its customers. Optimally, the corporation you choose should have very few or even no complaints lodged against it from other customers.
Once you gather extensive information about a company, you will have the data you need to choose a quality business for your coverage needs. This will enable you to put your trust and confidence in this corporation, knowing that it will assist you financially if you need it.

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