Q: When do I contact my insurers?

You should contact your insurers as soon as possible, even if the person injured hasn’t made a claim against you yet . Your insurers will be able to confirm whether your public liability insurance covers the incident. Normally, they will explain what you need to do next or what will happen. For example, it may be appropriate for a loss adjustor to be involved, or for you to be appointed a solicitor to deal with matters for you.

Question 1

How to get public liability insurance

Accepted Answer

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.

In this video, part of our Public Liability FAQ series, we explore ‘How to get public liability insurance’.

Getting public liability insurance is generally very straightforward. Some things to consider before you start the quotation process are the type of business that you are, are you a sole trader, or a limited company? Also, the trade in which you operate and the size of your business, do you employ anybody? Once you have this information you can approach your trusted insurance provider for a competitive quotation.

Question 2

When do I contact my insurers?

Accepted Answer

You should contact your insurers as soon as possible, even if the person injured hasn’t made a claim against you yet. Your insurers will be able to confirm whether your public liability insurance covers the incident.

Normally, they will explain what you need to do next or what will happen. For example, it may be appropriate for a loss adjustor to be involved, or for you to be appointed a solicitor to deal with matters for you.

Question 3

Does getting Public Liability Insurance take a lot of time?

Accepted Answer

No, it’s generally very straightforward although there are a few things that you’ll need before you’re ready to get cover.

Question 4

What do I need in order to get Public Liability Insurance cover?

Accepted Answer

You may find that each insurer is slightly different but there is usually some standard information you need to know. This will normally include:

The level of cover you require. You will usually be given a choice of between £1mill, £2mill, £3mill, £5mill or £10 millions’ worth of cover. If you’re not sure how much you need, we have some information here that will help you decide.
What sort of business you are (sole trader, limited company, etc.) and how long you’ve been operating for.
You will sometimes be asked what your annual turnover is. Ideally, have the figures for the last three years to hand just in case.
Whether you have made a claim before.
Your trade and geographical area.
Whether there are any additional cover options that you require. This could include situations where you deal with heavy plant or want to insure products for example.

Question 5

How do I choose which insurance company to use?

Accepted Answer

It is important to choose a reputable insurer and there are a few essential checks you should carry out before selecting a provider. Firstly, make sure the company you use is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. They should have details of this somewhere on their website.

Next, check whether they have any reviews, such as Feefo reviews. It’s always worth taking a moment to read some of these to get an idea what sort of service you can expect.

You should also always check how long an insurance company has been operating and of course what sort of industries they cover. Some insurers for example, specialise in the performing arts. We specialise in supporting tradesmen (and have been doing so for 30 years). You want to be sure that your insurer can offer Public Liability Insurance that reflects what you do and the kind of cover you need. You may have some specific requirements that are unique to your trade or niche, but however unusual your requirements are, a specialist insurer will have experience of dealing with them before.

Finally, do they offer phone support as well as the ability to get an online quote? Nearly all insurers have an online quote facility on their websites these days, but it is still reassuring (and important) to be able to get hold of someone on the phone and actually have a conversation with a human being who knows what they’re talking about.

Question 6

I’ve chosen my insurer, what next?

Accepted Answer

This next part should be easy. You can either go on your insurer’s website, and use the “Get a Quote” function. This is normally fairly straightforward and once you’ve completed it, you will have an accurate quote and an option to purchase. One of the questions you’ll be asked is when you want your insurance cover to start. If you purchase, your insurance will cover you from that date.

Alternatively, you may prefer to speak to an advisor. That should also be a fairly straightforward process and they can talk you through anything you need to do in order to get cover.

Public Liability Insurance is such an important part of your business, and getting cover is normally quick and straightforward. If you need any further help, we’d be delighted to help.