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Public liability insurance is designed to cover your business if it’s sued by a member of the public.
This could be for injuries or illnesses it causes them, or damage it inflicts on their property.
It's designed to cover the cost of any compensation pay outs you’re ordered to pay, as well as any legal fees you end up owing.
It’s for any business who interacts with the public.
And ‘the public’ doesn’t just mean passers by. It includes:
Customers
Suppliers
Couriers
Anyone who isn’t an employee
Here are a few examples where public liability insurance can offer protection:
A plumber who is sued for damages caused by an accidental flood during a repair
A customer who has a bad reaction to hair dye used by a hairdresser
A builder who is sued by someone who trips over their equipment
A visitor who slips over in your offices and breaks their wrist due to a wet floor not having a warning sign
While it might differ slightly from policy to policy, public liability insurance will usually cover:
Compensation payments you're ordered to pay. This could include compensation claims from clients, suppliers, contractors or passers-by.
Replacement or repair of property if your business is found to be liable for damage. You'll usually have a set amount you can claim for.
Medical fees your business is found liable for. Even if the treatment was provided by the NHS, you could still be chased by the NHS itself for any expenses you're liable for.
Legal expenses as a result of defending a claim for compensation from members of the public, including claims made by customers and suppliers.
There are a few things that typically aren’t covered, however. These are usually:
Injuries you suffer as public liability is designed to cover claims for injury to others and their property, not you and yours.
Damage to your property as it’s designed to cover third parties and their property, public liability insurance won’t protect your own property.
Your employees and their property, as you'll need employers’ liability insurance if you want cover to protect against compensation claims made by your employees.
Damages as a result of your work, e.g.. from poor advice you gave, or due to negligence on your part. For this, you'll need professional indemnity insurance.
