Public Liability insurance FAQs
Questions and answers that relate to public liability insurance, including what it is designed to cover, levels of cover that are available, where insurance applies to and information about No Claim Discounts. This information is provided as a guide only, and if you have any doubts or questions, you can give our expert team a ring on 0800 0280 380.
Even if efficient health and safety procedures are in place at work, accidents still happen. However, if a business is found to be at fault, the legal costs and compensation payments can be significant.
Public liability insurance covers your business in respect of legal claims made by someone for something your business has done (or not done) which resulted in personal injury, death, loss, or damage.
If your work brings you into contact with the public, you will almost certainly need public liability insurance, especially if you are a tradesperson, in construction, or a shopkeeper.
I run a small business. Do I really need cover worth millions? While the answer is nearly always ‘yes’, it’s not a black-and-white issue.
Read more about how much public liability insurance cover levels
It’s a good question that we get asked often. So, once again, in this post, we’ve answered the most commonly asked questions, to help you decided whether or not you need Public Liability Insurance.
If you run your own business, you will need to get the right insurance. There are different types of insurance for different things, so you may be wondering whether all businesses need public liability insurance.
Read more about whether all businesses need public liability insurance
You know you need Public Liability Insurance but how do you get cover? Don’t worry, in this post we’ll talk you through everything you need to know and do to get your Public Liability Insurance in place and we’ll answer all your most commonly asked questions.
As a tradesperson or small business you are not legally required to have public liability insurance. However, that does not mean you will never need cover.
Read more about whether public liability insurance is compulsory
If a claim is brought against you as a sole trader and you do not have insurance to protect you, you will have to pay any successful claim for damages and compensation.
Read more about whether sole traders need public liability insurance
Public liability insurance is taken out by businesses, companies, or tradespeople whose work brings them into contact with the public.
Public liability insurance will cover you in the event someone makes a legal claim against you for something that has happened because of your work.
Read more about public liability insurance for self-employed people
If you come into contact with the public while running your own business – as a limited company or a sole trader – you are eligible for public liability insurance.
Read more about whether you can get public liability insurance
Public liability insurance provides protection in the event a third party makes a claim against you for damage done to their property, or injuries they have sustained because of your work.
Read more about public liability insurance for private parties
Public liability insurance provides cover for businesses and sole traders. It protects against any claims for damages arising from injury or damage caused to a member of the public or their property, because of work carried out by the business.
‘Business insurance’ is a broad term that covers a variety of areas. For example, you can get business insurance to protect you against the cost of damage to property, equipment & stock and employment disputes.
Read more about public liability insurance and business insurance
The law doesn’t require you to have public liability insurance, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need it in certain circumstances.
If your business comes into contact with the public, you should get public liability insurance.
Read more about getting public liability insurance for one day
It is not normally appropriate to get public liability insurance for one month. However, sometimes you may be able to get short-term cover.
Read more about getting public liability insurance for one month
This is for any small business, sole trader or freelancer who provides a professional service, and could have claims brought against them by a client for financial loss.
Read more about public liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance
It protects you if an accident happens during the course of your work, which injures a member of the public or causes damage to their property.
Read more about displaying your public liability insurance certificate
While knowing you have insurance is reassuring if something goes wrong, it’s also important to know what can be claimed for when you need it. This FAQ examines the costs public liability insurance can help with.
Read more about what can be claimed for on public liability insurance
Your public liability insurance will cover the cost of claims made by members of the public for personal injuries, death and loss or damage to property, as a result of an incident that happened on your premises, or in a public place, due to your work.
Read more about how to claim against public liability insurance
Public liability insurance protects your business against claims for damages or compensation from members of the public, who may have suffered injury, or damage to their property, because of your work.
Read more about what could happen if you don't have public liability insurance
Yes. If you have a primary trade, maybe as a plumber, but also work on occasion as, say, a carpenter, you’ll want to be sure that you’re covered for both of these trades.
If your work or business activities bring you into contact with members of the public, then you need public liability insurance. It will protect you in the event that your business activities cause harm, injury or damage to someone who is not involved with your work.
Public liability insurance protects a business in the event that it causes injury or damage to a member to the public or their property.
A tax-deductible expense is a purchase deemed necessary and ordinary for business operations, whether you are a small, limited company or a sole trader.
It protects your business if someone successfully brings a claim against you for personal injury or damage suffered because of your business operations.
Read more about the importance of public liability insurance
If your work or business activities bring you into contact with the general public, you will need public liability insurance. It will protect you and your business if someone brings a claim against you, due to injury or damage they have suffered as a direct result of your work activities.
Premiums can be as little as £60 for some small businesses and sole traders, but generally range somewhere between £100 and £500.
With so many different types of insurance policies out there with similar but slightly different names, it can be difficult to know what insurance policies cover and whether you need it. ‘Public liability’ and ‘general liability’ are two such products you may consider.
If you’re sorting out your business insurance, you need to be confident that you have the right kind of cover. But with so many different types of policies, it can be hard to work out what you need and why. General liability may be one form of insurance you are considering.
Making sure you get a good deal on your insurance is important. However, insurance costs are not always straightforward to understand, and can vary.
To provide an accurate quote, an insurer will need specific information about your business. As a very rough guide, a small business in the UK normally pays between £50 and £450 a year, with the average being £118.
This is the trade that takes up the majority of your working time.
Legally, you are required to have employers’ liability insurance if you employ anyone. That can include volunteers and part-time workers. However, you are not legally required to have public liability insurance.
It protects you and your business if a member of the public succeeds in bringing a claim against you for damage or injury caused by your work activities.
Providing an exact definition for a labour only sub-contractor is not straightforward, but if you can answer “yes” to most of these LOSC questions, the worker is probably a labour only sub-contractor.
Providing an exact definition for a bona sub-contractor is not straightforward, but if you can answer “yes” to most of these BFSC questions, the worker is probably a bona fide sub-contractor.
Pretty much everything! It's probably best to read about Public Liability insurance and Employers' Liability insurance.
Read more about public liability insurance and employers liability insurance
If you operate as a builder or work in the construction industry, you may want to consider certain types of insurance to operate legally and win certain contracts. That said, it’s not always easy to work out what you need and why.
Read more about the legal requirements of public liability insurance
If you work as a tradesman in the construction industry, it is important to have correct insurance in place. But does that mean tradesmen must have public liability insurance and, if so, why?
Read more about whether tradesmen must have public liability insurance
With so many different types of insurance, it can be tempting to cut corners to keep overheads down. So it is important to know what kinds of insurance products are out there, and which ones are mandatory.
Read more about operating without public liability insurance
Contractors all risk insurance is designed to make sure you are protected against all the common risks you may encounter when working in construction.
Any more questions?
If you have a question that's not answered here, please call on 0800 0280 230.
Full details of our Terms & Conditions, Limits, Excesses and Policy Exclusions can be found in our policy wordings. These guides refer to our Tradesman's Insurance policy. Trade Direct do not offer advice relating to insurance, and you need to ensure that insurance you choose meets your demands and needs.