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Expert Answers to Biz Questions Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz. Why You Need Self-employed Public Liability Insurance as a UK Professional As a UK self employed professional or tradesman, you might have come across the term “public liability insurance” on more occasions than one. Have you ever wondered what exactly it entails and why it might be necessary at some stage of your career? Public Liability Insurance Explained Public liability insurance (PLI) provides coverage in all cases where a client, member of the public or third party sues you for property damage or bodily harm, during the course of your business dealings. This insurance is important because it covers any legal expenditures incurred while defending a claim, and the compensation (in damages) you might be required to extend to the individual or party that has made the claim. To shed more light on this, if a member of the public, your client(s) or third party sues you, PLI can cover you for claims such as: A third party, client or member of the public accidentally tripping over your materials or business equipment Tools used carelessly harm a client or public member, including their property A customers dines at your restaurant and falls victim to food poisoning Why You Need Public Liability Insurance as a Self Employed Professional or Sole Tradesman As a UK self employed professional, you will undeniably be dealing with clients from all walks of life. Let’s say if, on any given day, a client walks in to meet you, losses his balance over a wire that was not immediately visible, he/she may file a claim that they received injuries at your place of business which now prevents them from working. It is, after all, the client’s right to sue you for damages as it is your sole responsibility to keep your work environment free of hazards. Let us consider another scenario: you go to a client’s workplace or a venue where members of the public are present. You accidently knock over a cup of steaming hot tea that harms somebody either directly or indirectly, such as their laptop or smartphone. In this case, you are indeed liable to compensate for any damages or injuries. Even though PLI may not be legally required to do business as a UK self employed individual, you may be putting your business or career at serious odds in the event a third party, public member or client sues you. Personal injury claims, for example, is something that can leave you bankrupt almost overnight, causing millions of pounds in claims.   Play it Safe – Get PLI coverage Clients have gotten smarter over the years; in fact, some will even ask you for a copy of your PLI before agreeing to do business with you. Cheap public liability insurance is easily available no matter what part of the UK you are from, thanks to nationwide suppliers such as tradesmansaver.co.uk/. If the tables were to be turned, for instance, in situations where you need to make a claim on your PLI policy, the amount per claim is typically around £250. Speak to a seasoned insurance broker to understand what kind of coverage or plan works best for your business. Cheap public liability insurance is something that can really secure your business future as a UK Self Employed professional. Better safe than sorry. Enter your search terms Submit search form       Search Idea Cafe Web Small Business Tax Center • Idea Cafe Home • Sign Up • Biz Grant Center • CyberSchmooz •Coffee Talk with Experts • People in Biz Profiles • Starting Your Biz • Biz Planning • Running Your Biz • FREE Trade Publications • Marketing • Financing Your Biz • Human Resources • Legal & Biz Forms • Managing Your Biz • eCommerce • You and Your Biz • Gen X • Work@Home • The Fridge • De-Stress • Send an Award • Send an eGreeting • Yoga @ Your Desk • Web Guide • Idea Cafe in the News • About Idea Cafe • Advertise on Idea Cafe • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Site Map • Small Biz News Copyright 1995-2023, Idea Cafe Inc. Downloads are for personal use only, not for resale to others, and may not be reprinted in any form without written permission from Idea Cafe Inc. DISCLAIMER: We hope whatever you find on this site is helpful, but be cautioned that it may not apply to your own situation, or be totally current at any given time. Idea Cafe Inc. and all of its current and past experts, sponsors, advertisers, agents, contractors and advisors disclaim all warranties with regard to anything found anywhere on this family of websites, quoted from, or sent from Idea Cafe. and its related sites, publications and companies. We also take no responsibility for comments published by others on these pages. TRADEMARKS: The following are Registered Trademarks or Servicemarks of DevStart, Inc.: Idea Cafe®, Online Coffee Break®, The Small Business Gathering Place®, Take out Info®, Biz Bar & Grill®, Complaint-O-Meter®, A Fun Approach to Serious Business™, CyberSchmooz™, and BizCafe™.