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Straight answers to the questions people ask before they buy public liability insurance.
10 detailed guides
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Each page answers one practical question and points out the details worth checking in a quotation or policy.
What is public liability insurance?
It is cover for certain claims made by customers, visitors or other members of the public after injury or property damage connected with your business.
Read guide Start hereDo I need public liability insurance?
For most businesses it is not a blanket legal requirement, but clients, councils, landlords, venues and main contractors may insist on it. The sensible test is whether your work could injure somebody outside the business or damage property you do not own.
Read guide Start herePublic liability insurance for sole traders
Being a sole trader does not stop somebody claiming against you personally. Cover should describe the work you do, where you do it and any helpers or subcontractors you use.
Read guide Start herePublic liability insurance when you are self-employed
Self-employed people often buy public liability cover because they work directly with the public or on client sites. The important bit is describing the whole job, not choosing a label that only covers the safest part.
Read guide Start hereIs public liability insurance compulsory in the UK?
There is no single UK law making public liability insurance compulsory for every business. It can still be a condition of a contract, licence, venue booking, trade body or tender.
Read guide Start hereWhat does public liability insurance cover?
A typical policy can respond to compensation claims and legal costs after accidental third-party injury or third-party property damage arising from insured business activities. The wording, conditions and exclusions decide the result.
Read guide Start hereWhat public liability insurance usually does not cover
It does not normally cover every loss connected with a job. Common gaps include injury to employees, your own tools, deliberate damage, vehicles, professional advice and simply putting defective work right.
Read guide Start herePublic liability when you run a business from home
Working from home does not automatically remove public liability risk. It depends on whether customers, couriers, pupils or other visitors come to the property and what work you carry out there.
Read guide Start hereWhat is a public liability insurance certificate?
A certificate or schedule is evidence of cover, often requested by customers, venues or contractors. It should show the insured name, policy period, type of cover and limit, but it is not a substitute for the policy wording.
Read guide Start hereWhen should I buy public liability insurance?
Arrange cover before the work or event that creates the risk. Buying it after an accident will not normally cover something that has already happened.
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