Any business, no matter its size, is potentially at risk for a claim of negligence being made against them. In order to protect one’s business there is a kind of insurance coverage that can be purchased. This kind of insurance is known as public liability insurance, and can be as varied as office insurance to builders insurance. You never know when a claim may be made against your business. Therefore having public liability insurance is key. This is especially true for small businesses that may not have the assets to weather a claim.
Without some sort of liability insurance coverage, a claim made against a small business can be quite devastating. Usually these are for substantial amount of money. If a business is ordered to pay a claim brought forth by a client or another member of the public, they may simply not have enough money to cover the claim without selling off their assets. This can be the beginning of the end for the company. The company may have to pay damages to the claimant if they were injured or had damage to their property. In some situations it could even be both which further increases the amount of the award.
It doesn’t matter where a small business operates; there is still liability that one assumes for any clients or member of the public that comes across their property. The business may be run from the owner’s home or from property purchased on which to do business.
Having public liability insurance protects a small business from these claims. Another aspect of public liability insurance is its reimbursement for legal fees. Sometimes a solicitor’s services are needed to defend the business against the claim. Even if the claim is found to be not valid, there still are legal fees to be paid. With public liability insurance, these fees are completely covered.
What has been your experience with public liability insurance?