It is quite surprising how little some business owners understand about public liability insurance. It is very important to have at least a basic understanding so that you are able to make an informed decision about whether your business needs this kind of protection. The vital thing to understand is that not having this protection in place for certain types of small business in particular can result in the company folding if they are faced with a significant claim for damages or compensation.
The point of public liability insurance is to provide a safety net of financial aid if someone makes a claim against you for either personal injury or property damage that has been caused by some element of your business operation. If a visitor to your work premises has a fall and injured themselves, they are almost certainly going to file a law suit against you and your organisation. Even if you are not at fault, just defending your position can be a time consuming and costly business. With a good insurance company on board you can just pass things straight over to them and their rebuttals are far more likely to be taken seriously by the person trying to sue you, or their lawyers.
The key is to think about the degree of risk and whether it is worth your while investing getting third party liability protection. It is important to think beyond the idea that if you are not in an overtly high risk industry you will have nothing to worry about. While some industries present more obvious day to day risks, nearly every type of business will have some potential for an accident that could lead to a claim. Even relatively minor claims can soon mount up and be quite costly over the course of a year.
Any business that has members of the public, clients or other visitors on their premises is already running a risk. All it takes is a bit of uneven floor or someone leaving a piece of equipment on the floor and anyone unfamiliar with the place could easily fall over and hurt themselves. Catching clothing on sharp edges or getting wet paint on clothing are also things that happen every day and lead to claims. It does not take a serious accident to result in a potentially significant claim. If someone trips and falls and injures their back or neck, that could be potentially huge.
Then there is the whole area of you and your staff going out onto other people’s premises or working in other public areas. Even just open areas where there are passers by can be a minefield for potential claims. The hazards are plentiful, from more overt risks like working at height and dropping equipment to just leaving equipment where people can fall over it.
The only people who can really say it is not worth them taking out public liability insurance are those who never have any cause to let visitors into their place of work and who never meet clients or work outside of their own home or premises.
Public Liability Quotes Advice
Help and advice for business owners and managers on using public liability insurance to protect your business. What exactly is it and is it worth investing in? Are there any laws that say you have to have it? Find out the answers to these questions and more.Did you like this story? Make one of your own!