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Do I need public liability insurance?
If your business brings you into contact with members of the public, there's a good chance you'll need public liability insurance.
Public liability insurance would cover you if someone made a claim against your business for:
Personal injury
Loss of or damage to property
Death
It covers you for claims brought by any visitor to your business who isn't an employee. This covers clients, customers, delivery services and other callers or passersby. It also usually protects you should anyone taking part in or watching activities you’ve organised.
Remember...
Public liability insurance can protect your business against damage claims by third parties, which could run into tens of thousands or even millions of pounds and potentially bankrupt your business.
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What does public liability insurance cover?
Public liability insurance covers legal and compensation costs due to your business causing injury or damage to a non-staff member or their property. This can include members of the public who are injured or suffer damage to their property due to your firm’s actions or negligence.
You’re not legally required to have public liability insurance if you run a business – unless it’s a horse-riding establishment. But, that doesn’t mean it’s an insurance policy you should dismiss.
Remember...
Not having public liability insurance makes your business vulnerable to the effects of a claim, which could be so costly that the business is forced to close down.
What our customers say
Why public liability is popular amongst business owners
Although it’s not a legal requirement for most businesses in the UK, public liability insurance is a popular type of cover for a number of reasons.
Three key reasons:
Trade associations or professional bodies may require members to have it
A client may require that you’re covered as a condition of working for them
The cost of a potential claim may seriously harm or bankrupt your business – for many business owners, this alone means it’s not worth risking going without cover
Public liability only concerns damage to property or injury to people who aren’t your employees.
If you want cover for your employees if they are injured or become ill through work, or for damage to your own property, you’ll need additional insurance.
Other types of business insurance
When you're running a business, you’ll have a lot of different risks and responsibilities to deal with. You may have employees, and you’ll probably have stock, equipment and perhaps machinery to buy and maintain. You may have a business premises or office, and valuable computers and other technology.
You’ll need to keep customers and clients safe while visiting your premises, and keep their personal information and data secure on your IT systems. For this reason, most businesses need a range of insurances, which might include.
Employers’ liability insurance: covers legal and compensation costs if an employee becomes sick or injured while working for you
Professional indemnity insurance: covers you in case you are accused of professional negligence
Business contents insurance: protects your business equipment and stock
Directors’ and officers’ liability insurance: this covers claims made against company directors or officers
Cyber insurance: pays out in the event of data breaches that result in loss or damage of information from your computer systems.
Insurance costs
How much does public liability insurance cost?
The cost of public liability insurance depends on the size and scale of your business, the type of industry you’re in and whether you’ve made insurance claims before. The number of employees you have is also usually a factor.
Different businesses will have different risks. For example, a construction company will have different inherent risks to a small family accountancy firm.
Small business public insurance costs
If you have a small business, public liability insurance could cost you from around £60 a year. Your annual policy could cost in the hundreds if you run a larger company.
Getting an online quote is the best way to do a public liability insurance comparison and gauge how much your policy is likely to cost – and using our online tool means that getting a quote takes less than 10 minutes.
What type of incidents would public liability cover?
Accidents are among the most important types of incidents public liability insurance covers.
Many businesses face claims from members of the public who have sustained an injury while visiting their premises, such as slipping on a wet floor or tripping over a loose cable. Or it could be a larger, more serious claim involving a number of people.
Whatever the incident, you could be sued for causing severe or life-changing injuries. The cost of defending the claim could be high, and your business reputation could be adversely affected.
If you have staff working for you, other than immediate family members, you must take out employers’ liability insurance (EL). It's also important to fully assess all the different risks your business faces.
FAQs
Do I legally need to have public liability insurance?
No, public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for most businesses in the UK. The exception is if your business is a horse-riding establishment.
What's not covered by my public liability insurance?
Public liability is one of the most popular types of insurance for businesses, but it’s not the only one you’ll probably need. The best approach is to consider this cover along with other policies to ensure you provide your business with full protection.
Public liability only covers your liabilities in relation to injuring third parties or damaging their property and doesn’t cover things such as injury to your employees or damage to your own property.
How can I get the right public liability insurance coverage?
Getting the right public liability insurance starts with assessing the risks your business faces, as these will vary for different types and sizes of business.
What other types of business insurance are there?
Other popular types of business insurance include, but are not limited to:
Employers’ liability insurance, to cover legal and compensation costs associated with a claim made against you by an employee due to injury or illness
Professional indemnity insurance, to cover legal and compensation costs if your business provides negligent services or advice
Business contents insurance, to cover items such as computers, stock and even cash in the event of theft, loss or damage
Directors’ and officers’ insurance, to cover claims made against company directors or officers
Cyber insurance, to cover your business’s liabilities for data breaches involving loss or damage of information such as credit card numbers, passwords and personally identifiable information (PII)
Will it cover me if I need to visit a client?
Yes, your public liability insurance should cover you at a client’s premises or elsewhere – providing you’re working.
How much cover does my business need?
This depends on your business and the size of the claims you think could be made against you.
You can pick from a range of limits – usually £1 million, £2 million, £5 million or £10 million – for public liability cover.
If your needs change, you may be able to increase or decrease your level of cover without paying admin fees.
Some good ways to figure out how much cover you need is by looking at:
Whether any professional or trade bodies you belong to require a minimum level of cover
What other businesses in your industry typically take out
Does it cost to claim on public liability insurance?
This depends on the type of claim you’re making and your policy. You’ll usually be required to pay an excess – this is the amount of the claim you need to pay yourself. It could be £250, for example, but the higher the excess you agree to pay the cheaper your policy is likely to be.
Will it cover injuries to employees?
No, public liability insurance covers injuries to anyone who isn’t an employee. To cover employees, you’ll need employers’ liability cover.
Can I get public liability cover if I am self-employed?
Yes, all types of business can get public liability cover, whether you’re a sole trader, partnership or limited company.
Employers' liability insurance
Employers’ liability (EL) cover is a legal requirement for any UK business that hires employees, including full-time, part-time, contractors or temporary staff.
Travel insurance
Travel insurance is a form of cover to protect you while you are away on holiday or travelling abroad. it can also provide monetary compensation for other loss or inconveniences you may suffer when your travels don't go to plan.
Professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity insurance, or PI insurance, is designed to protect your businesses if a client loses money because of a mistake you made in your professional services.
