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Public liability insurance
Help protect your business from legal fees and compensation costs if a customer, client or other third party makes a claim against you.
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Public liability insurance can help to save time and stress, whether you’re a tradesperson, shop owner or other self-employed professional. Typical examples where public liability insurance comes in handy if a claim is made against you, include personal injury or property damage.
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Why choose Lloyds Bank for your public liability insurance?
What does public liability insurance cover?
Public liability insurance can cover various areas of risk and types of compensation. At Lloyds Bank, we cover both public and employers’ liability insurance, giving you a full range of protection under one policy.
Is public liability insurance a must?
Having public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for your business, but it can be reassuring to have cover in place. You never know when you might need it.
Whether you own a limited company, are a sole trader or a small business, you may need public liability insurance to help cover potential legal costs and compensation claims. It can be particularly helpful if you work with the public to provide a product or service.
Example of products and services that might need public liability insurance:
- Construction workers – working on a building site or property can present a range of risks and hazards. Contractors and builders may need public liability insurance in the event of an injury or damaged property on-site or as a result of their services.
- Electricians – if you own a business as an electrician, you may need public liability insurance to cover you in case an accident is caused by your services.
- Roofers – accidents may happen when you work at heights. If something goes wrong, items falling from height can cause damage or injury. Roofing public liability insurance can help give you peace of mind that you have cover if someone makes a claim.
- Plumbers – self-employed plumbers may find public liability insurance useful in the event you damage a customer’s property. Your cover can help with the financial cost of a claim made against you.
- Retailers – whether you own a shop or work from home, a retail business can take shape in various ways. If you sell a faulty product that causes harm or a customer suffers an injury on your premises, public liability insurance can help cover your legal costs.
- Café or takeaway – owners of cafés, pubs and restaurants may need public liability insurance. It protects them against any injury or damage claims on their premises, or as a result of the products they sell.
- Beauty services – owners might need cover to help with the costs of a claim due to an accident or injury. Self-employed stylists may also want public liability insurance for events such as weddings.
Learn more about who needs public liability insurance.
Frequently asked questions
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No. Unlike employers’ liability insurance , public liability insurance is not legally required. However, there may be cases where clients expect you to have public liability cover in order to work with you.
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If someone gets hurt or their property is damaged in connection to your business, the first thing to do is minimise further risk. Then, contact your insurer as soon as you can, even if the third party hasn’t made a claim against you yet. The insurer will consider the case and decide if your insurance can cover it. They’ll then advise you on the next steps.
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While terms and limits can vary depending on the insurer, public liability insurance can typically only cover third-party claims, such as customers, clients and the general public. With Lloyds Bank, you can arrange employers’ liability and equipment insurance as part of your public liability insurance policy.
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Whether or not you may need public liability insurance can depend on what kind of business you run. If you are self-employed and exposed to the public by providing a product or service, it can be a good idea to have public liability insurance in place to help cover you if something goes wrong.
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What business insurance you may need as a sole trader varies from business to business. However, if you have your own employees, you may be legally required to hold employers’ liability insurance. Other relevant business cover may include professional indemnity insurance and buildings and contents insurance.
Learn more about public liability insurance for sole traders.
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Here are some potential scenarios where someone could make a public liability claim.
- Property damage. If you drill through a pipe and damage the client's property.
- Injuries in your work area. This can be a customer, member of the public, client or contractor. Your employees can be covered under employers’ liability, which you can include in your policy.
- Falling objects. If you drop something while working , injuring a customer or damaging their property.
- Accidents. Such as an employee spilling a drink over a client’s computer.