Professional Indemnity Insurance: Just One of the Things You Need to Know
Professional Indemnity Insurance: Just One of the Things You Need to Know
Professional indemnity insurance offers protection for those in the professional services industry for any claim which might be brought against them by a client. This could be for making mistakes which impact on their business or for any legal costs associated with fighting these types of claim. A perfect example of this is a real estate agent who has inadvertently described a property incorrectly, which leads to loss by the purchasers. In this case, they may be taken to court and any claim made against them may be covered by their professional indemnity insurance.
All businesses also need to have employers' liability insurance in place if they employ staff. This will cover the employer if their staff member has an accident or falls ill due to something which has happened in the workplace or while they are completing their duties. If this does happen, the staff member is within their rights to seek compensation which will be covered by the insurance. Legal costs are also usually covered by this type of insurance.
The final type of insurance which many businesses will need to have is public liability insurance. This works in a similar way to employers' liability insurance, but it covers members of the public for any injury or damage to property they might experience when visiting sites or offices owned by the business. It also covers you for injury or damage caused to members of the public by your staff when they are away from the workplace but completing their duties.
According to independent financial provider Syscap, High Court cases against professional firms such as accountants for negligence have hit an 11-year high. The number of cases has increased by 125 per cent from 147 to 332 during 2008-09. These figures alone make it very clear that arranging liability insurance is not only a legal requirement, but a wise thing to do.
So why has this increase in claims occurred? It is thought that negligence claims tend to rise during times of economic uncertainty. Businesses rely on professionals such as surveyors and accountants to make sound judgments about what they should do during a recession. If they are let down they will be inclined to sue. So now is certainly not the time to be avoiding getting liability insurances, whether they are legally required or not.
The best place to find great deals on these types of insurance is to approach a broker or an insurer directly. Insurance companies which specialise in business insurance will be able to advise you on which types of insurance you require and what the benefits will be for your business.