Professional indemnity insurance for self-employed business owners

If you are unsure if you need professional indemnity insurance, this list of instances when it is advisable to be insured:
▪ You provide an expert service to your clients
▪ You provide consultancy and advice to your clients
▪ You handle personal information and data for your clients
▪ Your professional membership body insists you carry it
▪ Your client insists that you have it.

The level of protection you need will depend on the value of the work you do and the potential liability. Caunce O’Hara can help you build the ideal insurance policy that will help protect all areas of your business.
Available limits of indemnity range from £50,000 cover per annum up to £5,000,000 per annum.

▪ Legal expenses – Should a claim be made against you the policy will provide cover to help with the cost of legal proceedings.
▪ Cost of repairs – The cost of repairing damage to the claimant’s property, such as accidentally knocking over and breaking a valuable ornament in their offices during a meeting, or a plumber causing a leak/flood to a customer’s premises and damaging carpets as a result.
▪ Medical fees – The cost of hospital treatment, including ambulance call-out, if a claim is made against you for these.
▪ Compensation claims – Injury to third parties or damage to their property if an accident occurs on your business premises, a client’s premises or elsewhere.

Employers Liability cover is required by law for most businesses. You will need it if:
▪ You deduct Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions from the money you pay your employees.
▪ You have control over where and when your employees work.
▪ You have the right to claim profit made by your employees.
▪ You provide the equipment and materials your employees use.
▪ You need them to perform the job you employ them for and if the employee is unable to provide a substitute if they are unable to work.
▪ You have part-time or temporary employees.