What is Public Liability Insurance?

Public liability cover is essential to protect your business against injury and property damage claims from members of the public.

Can you afford to lose a court case and pay out thousands of pounds in damages?

If your answer is no, then you need to consider taking out public liability insurance. Public liability insurance is ideal if:

• You work on-site at client business premises or offices
• You are a remote worker
• You work in public places
• Your work, products or equipment could injure someone or cause damage
• Your customers visit your premises or home.

Kingsbridge is a specialist insurer for freelance contractors, self-employed professionals, and sole traders, so we’re perfectly placed to provide you with public liability protection.

Public liability insurance, general liability insurance and third-party liability insurance are all different names for the same thing.

If you’re a limited company contractor or sole trader, PL insurance protects against two risks you run every working day:

• Damage to the property of a customer or member of the public
• Physical injury to a customer, visitor or passer-by

If a third-party is injured or their property is damaged because of your workplace or business activities, you could be held responsible.

Trips, slips and mishaps can occur even when you’re doing your job with great care. And unfortunately, when they do, legal action is likely to follow. That’s when you need your public liability insurance to cover any damages, compensation or legal fees arising from the claim.

What does Public Liability Insurance cover?

For a modest premium, our public liability policy covers:

• Bodily injury or property damage to a third party
• Compensation payments
• Repair costs
• Professional fees
• Medical fees.

What kind of incidents can public liability insurance cover?

Below are some examples of how public liability insurance can protect your business from unnecessary costs. We provide up to £10 million worth of cover in most cases.

• An engineering contractor working on-site accidentally knocks over some specialist equipment belonging to a client. A public liability policy covers the cost of replacing the equipment.
• A self-employed IT technician working at a customer’s premises accidentally tips a cup of coffee down the back of a computer, and it’s damaged beyond repair, so the customer sues. Public liability covers the legal fees and the cost of replacing the equipment.
• A tradesman working on a house installs a shelving unit, the unit falls off the wall and causes injury to another person. Public liability covers the injury claim and legal fees.

Incidents such as these happen all too easily across different business areas. Therefore, it’s vital to know you’re covered—because a tiny incident can have substantial cost implications.

Do I need Public Liability Insurance?

Public liability isn’t a legal requirement, but if you need to be part of a supervisory body or trade organisation, it may be a condition of membership. Additionally, you could need a policy to qualify for a contract from a client or recruiter. But, for most businesses, it’s simply best practice — a sensible measure to safeguard yourself from potentially ruinous legal action.

Public liability cover is included in our contractor’s insurance policy (along with professional indemnity insurance and other liability covers), all packaged into one policy, so you can have peace of mind that your business is covered.

If you’re unsure where you stand, our team will be happy to provide clear, no-nonsense information. Simply call us on 01242 808 740.

Why choose Kingsbridge?

• We are specialist insurers of self-employed contractors, freelance professionals and sole traders
• We provide a comprehensive contractor insurance package, combining public liability insurance with professional indemnity and employers’ liability cover, directors’ and officers’ liability and occupational personal accident insurance
• Comprehensive insurance, up to £10M cover for an individual public liability claim
• All Kingsbridge policies are underwritten by A rated insurers
• No hidden fees or charges
• Kingsbridge offer a price promise, if you find cheaper cover elsewhere, we’ll match the quote.

If you’d like to know more, simply give one of our team a call on 01242 808 740 or get a quote online.