Liability, Litigation, Liquidation - Remove The Financial Threat Of Making Mistakes At Work - Entirely!
For professionals without professional indemnity insurance, a simple mistake can signal the start of a remorseless journey - from bad to worse.
For example, an Engineer makes a calculation error. Or an IT Consultant misinterprets a technical specification. Or a Graphic Designer inserts the wrong contact details in an advertisement.
Simple mistakes, but mistakes that can result in significant financial losses for the client.
The construction project suffers a costly delay, thanks to the Engineer. The new data processing system crashes because it can’t cope with the number of users, thanks to the IT Consultant. Sales are lost because customers are ringing the wrong number, thanks to the Graphic Designer.
At which point, the unhappy client’s lawyers will seek to pin Liability for the losses on whoever made the mistake – the Engineer, the IT Consultant, the Graphic Designer, you? - regardless of whether or not he or she has pi insurance.
Of course, the option exists to challenge the claim. But that means Litigation. And without the protection of professional indemnity, that will almost certainly mean lawyers’ bills. Lawyers’ bills of a size that a large corporation can probably swallow unthinkingly but which an independent freelancer or a small consultancy firm will probably drown under.
And it really can go from bad to worse. Because if the litigation ends with the claim against you being upheld, then in addition to paying the legal costs, you’ll have to find the money to cover a compensation award commensurate with the financial losses the client has suffered. And if, without the protection of indemnity insurance, your business simply can’t raise that kind of money (and it could be tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions of pounds in some cases) then Liquidation beckons.
The crazy thing is that this tale of woe could so easily have turned out differently, Because professional indemnity insurance really can remove the financial threat of making mistakes at work. Entirely.
Find out more by calling 01480 470220 or emailing info@coulsonpritchard.com..
SAVE TIME, SAVE MONEY: Download Your Professional Indemnity Policy Right Here - Today!
Once you’ve made the decision that you need professional indemnity insurance, you want to arrange it as soon as possible. Of course, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve got exactly the right cover and that you’re getting the best deal. But once you’ve satisfied yourself on those counts, you don’t want to hang around.
You don’t want to spend endless hours filling up endless forms. And you certainly don’t want to spend weeks waiting for your professional indemnity policy documentation to arrive, all the time wondering if you’re really covered or not. That helpful, or maybe not so helpful, person on the phone might have said that your pi insurance was in place. But you haven’t seen it in black and white, have you?
Which is, of course, one of the best reasons for arranging your professional indemnity through an online broker who specialises in indemnity insurance.
You’ll save time.
The online forms are carefully structured, based on a wealth of experience, to ensure that for the great majority of professionals in any particular discipline, all the essential information that you need to declare is obtained quickly and efficiently. And once that has been done - in a matter of minutes - you’ll be able to download your policy documentation there and then. You’ll have evidence of your professional indemnity insurance cover right in front of you.
And in addition to saving time, you’ll also save money.
Arranging your professional indemnity insurance online is typically the cheapest option available. Indeed, if you follow the link to find your pi insurance here, you’ll discover that it’s available from just £165 a year.
I've Just Won My First Contract:
How Much Should I Pay For Professional Indemnity Insurance?
When it comes to how much you should be paying for your professional indemnity insurance, there are two things to consider. The amount of cover you need. And the type of broker you arrange your professional indemnity through - because these days, depending on the broker you go to, there really is such a thing as cheap professional indemnity.
Taking the first point first, there is a direct relationship between the premium you’ll pay and the amount you insure yourself for. But how much cover do you need?
That depends on the risk associated with the work you do. And remember, the key issue with professional indemnity insurance is not necessarily what you charge but the possible financial consequences that might result from any mistakes you make.
So, for example, if a web developer makes a coding error in an ecommerce site and the site crashes, he could be liable for any lost sales revenue the client suffers. Or, if an engineer makes a calculation error in her designs for a load-bearing structure, she could be liable for the costs of any delay to the building project that her mistake caused.
In other words, you’ll need to assess (or seek advice on) what the consequences of making an error in your work might be before selecting the level of professional indemnity you need. And that amount - whether it’s £100,000 or £2 million - will, in part, determine how much you pay in premiums.
Regarding the second point, it’s no secret that the internet has created a highly competitive market for insurance brokers. And if you follow this link to get your professional indemnity quote you’ll discover that it’s available from as little as £165. Alternatively, calling 01480 470220 or emailing info@coulsonpritchard.com.
REAL LIFE PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY CLAIMS
If you’re thinking about professional indemnity insurance and asking yourself if you really need it, just take a look at some of the following real life examples. And then ask yourself if the professionals involved have any doubts about the real value of professional indemnity.
A Web Site Designer was sued for using copyright images without a licence and faced a claim for £1550.
Disappointing attendance figures at an exhibition led the organisers to sue their PR Consultant for failing to provide adequate publicity. The claim was for £67,000.
A Property Agent who missed carrying out a rent review was sued for lost rent amounting to £50,000.
A company that incurred significant costs implementing a Management Consultant’s proposals but failed to realise any of the promised efficiency savings made a claim against him for £500,000.
Software Designers who, in the client’s estimation, failed to deliver a system that meet the specified requirements were faced with a claim for £820,000.
And Consulting Engineers who were found to be negligent in their design of waste heating boilers were sued for no less than £4 million.
As you can see, whether they’re for negligence, breach of confidentiality, breach of intellectual property rights or the irretrievable loss of data, claims made against freelance
professionals and professional consultancies can amount to far more than an individual or small business could possibly afford to pay.
Without pi insurance, that could spell the end of everything you’ve worked for.
And don’t imagine that it couldn’t happen to you. Everyone makes the occasional mistake and, often, that’s all it takes to trigger a sequence of events leading to a significant financial loss for the client. In today’s litigious business world, the real world, that will almost certainly mean a claim being made against you.
So protect yourself with the indemnity insurance you need by calling 01480 470220 or emailing info@coulsonpritchard.com.
WHO NEEDS PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE?
It used to be the case that professional indemnity insurance was associated only with the most traditional of professions - doctors, lawyers and accountants, those who were obliged by law or by their profession to hold such cover.
But times have changed. Society has become more litigious. And within the business world a ‘claim follows blame’ culture has evolved. If something goes wrong and financial losses are at stake, someone must have been at fault and that someone must be sued.
All too often, that someone will be the most vulnerable link in the chain - the isolated freelance professional.
So whatever your profession - from marketing consultant to technical author, from civil engineer to IT contractor - if you’re paid a fee to offer advice or provide services, you need indemnity insurance.
Without it, you could find yourself liable for a compensation claim running into tens or even hundreds of thousand pounds not to mention all the associated legal costs. Because what matters is not the value of the work you do but the cost of the consequences of any error or omission on your part. And if you cause a major delay to a £multi-million project...
And don’t imagine that you don’t need professional indemnity because you’re too conscientious to make mistakes. First, everyone makes mistakes or overlooks something occasionally, particularly when under pressure. And second, it might not even be you who made the mistake. You might just be the easiest person to blame - and sue.
In a situation like that, without pi insurance, you would need some very deep resources of your own to fund an effective legal defence, particularly if you were being sued by a large corporation.
So the simple answer to the question ‘who needs professional indemnity insurance?’ is probably ‘you’ if you’re reading this. Make sure you’re covered by calling or emailing info@coulsonpritchard.com.
PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE: Be Aware Of Your Duty Of Care
If you’re in the business of providing professional advice or services, you owe a legal duty of care to your clients. It means, in practice, that if as a result of something you do (or fail to do) in your professional capacity the client suffers a financial loss, you are liable for that loss.
And it’s this concept of a duty of care that makes professional indemnity insurance so important.
In today’s litigious business world, if something goes wrong, there’s an instinctive response to find someone external to blame and to make that someone pay. And increasingly, the mechanism for achieving that is to allege negligence or, in other words, a failure to provide that all-important duty of care.
Of course, it can be difficult to prove. But from your point of view, as a freelancer or a small consultancy, that will only add to your problems if you don’t have any pi insurance. Why? Because the legal costs you’ll incur in seeking to defend yourself could be ruinously expensive.
And, much as you might want to, you can’t just ignore it if a claim is brought against you. The only alternative you have to defending yourself is to admit liability. And that, if you don’t have professional indemnity cover, could lead straight to you having to pay out an even more ruinously expensive sum in compensation.
For large organisations, recourse to the law is a relatively easy option. For you and you business it could be a cost too far. So make sure you have the indemnity insurance you need to protect yourself. Call 01480 470220 or email info@coulsonpritchard.com
Professional Indemnity For Consultants: A LUXURY OR A NECESSITY?
What are the characteristics that define a luxury? Most people would agree that it has to be something that you don’t really need. And it has to be expensive. Let’s start with the second one first.
Professional indemnity insurance, or pi insurance, doesn’t have to be that expensive. Policies are available for as little as £165 a year. Not a lot of money when you consider what you’re insuring yourself against.
OK, you might be thinking, but £165 is still £165. If I don’t need it, why spend it?
For a number of very good reasons.
For a start, you may well be excluding yourself from work if you don’t have it. More and more organisations, in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, are demanding that self-employed consultants hold valid indemnity insurance before they will even consider engaging their services.
Second, you’re only human. And humans make mistakes - particularly when under pressure. (And let’s face it, in an increasingly competitive world, most consultants working for themselves are under pressure.) If a mistake you make - a small coding error in an ecommerce website, perhaps, or a miscalculation in the design for a load-bearing structure - results in financial loss for the client, you could be held liable for the full extent of that loss. Which, if you don’t have any professional indemnity, could be enough to threaten everything you’ve worked for.
Third, if something goes seriously wrong on a large project, even if it’s not your fault, you might still find the finger of blame pointing in your direction. In tense situations, when large losses are at stake, accusations tend to fly. Large organisations, of course, have the resources to bring in the best legal assistance available. Do you? Without professional indemnity cover could you really afford to pay your own defence costs?
In short, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that professional indemnity insurance, far from being a luxury, really is a necessity. We don’t live in a perfect world. Things do go wrong, even for professionals. Fortunately, all you have to do to protect yourself is follow the link to find the pi insurance cover that’s right for you and your business.
PI Insurance: Engineered for success
Due to the nature of their work, engineering consultants may find themselves involved in litigation many years after the work has been completed. Whether the work was faulty, or the problem is simply a matter of natural wear and tear, a court case is still a court case. Legal fees have to be paid and the resulting bill can be a large one to bear – especially for those freelance contractors who lack the financial might of a company to back them up.
In 1995, owners of a hotel retained an engineer to design a specification for remedying structural defects at the hotel. The remedial work to the engineer’s design was completed in 1997. In 1999, the hotel owners noticed that the lintel above a window had moved and the surrounding structure had cracked. Further remedial works had to be carried out.
The hotel issued proceedings against the engineer in 2003 for breach of duty in contract and in tort claiming the cost of remedying the defects which had appeared in 1999, and consequential losses.
Another case involved a consulting engineer who had designed a roof which proved to be defective. The compensation awarded against him was £1,350,000.
The consultant engineer’s recourse in such events is their professional indemnity insurance policy. Professional indemnity insurance protects the policyholder against their legal liability for losses suffered by clients as a result of their negligent advice or services.
Professional indemnity insurance is already legally required in certain professions, such as law, accountancy and financial services. Whilst it isn’t yet a legal necessity for consultant engineers, professional indemnity insurance has repeatedly proven itself to be a personal necessity.
Examples where having such a policy pays include a case where an engineer was responsible for the service roads and drainage to a new business park development. Soon after occupation took place it was found that during heavy rain, minor flooding was occurring on the roads. The engineer’s policy paid for the extra costs in designing and implementing extra drainage units.
Another example is an engineer who was prosecuted under the Construction Design and Management Regulations 1994 for failing to maintain a safe working environment. His professional indemnity insurance policy defended him right through to the point at which the court decided criminal liability.
INTERIOR DESIGNER INSURANCE: Or How To Create Real Peace Of Mind
Insurance for interior designers, if it’s to give you the real peace of mind you want, has to cover a range of different risks. Just think about it.
From choosing colour schemes, fabrics and furniture, to recommending structural alterations, to selecting and supervising contractors, there’s more than one job that most interior designers actually do. However, in every aspect of your role, you’re offering a professional service. And that makes you potentially liable if the client doesn’t think you’ve been as professional as you should have been.
Just suppose you interpret a client’s brief wrongly and a room you’ve refashioned fails to meet the requirements. Or a supplier you’ve engaged, or even just recommended, fails to deliver what was promised. You could find yourself the target of a legal action.
Even if it’s not your fault, you could still be faced with significant lawyers’ bills just to prove the point. And if the case goes against you, you could find yourself having to fund expensive remedial work or a substantial compensation claim.
That’s why your interior designers insurance should definitely include professional indemnity cover.
Working at a client’s premises, you also face a constant risk of causing accidental damage. If you have the misfortune to break something that is particularly valuable, you’ll be very relieved if you’ve also included public liability cover in your interior design insurance package. Because if you haven’t, you’ll be footing the bill.
There are other types of cover you might want to consider too. If you have any staff, you’ll definitely need employers’ liability insurance. It’s a legal requirement. But you should also ask yourself what you would do if expensive furnishings or fittings you were holding on behalf of a client were to get stolen. Or if you found yourself unable to work as a result of illness or injury.
With the right interior designer insurance, you can cover yourself against all of these eventualities and more. And all you have to do to find that insurance is call 01480 470220 or email info@coulsonpritchard.com .
TRANSLATORS INSURANCE: Being Sued Is No Fun In Any Language
As a translator, you don’t need to be told that words and phrases can be very powerful tools. So powerful, that using the wrong ones can have serious consequences.
That’s why you should consider having translators insurance.
No slur on your professionalism is intended here. Of course you work with the utmost diligence. But unintended nuance and ambiguity can creep into any translation and lead to misunderstandings. And, if we’re truthful, we have to admit that we are all of us capable of making honest mistakes from time to time.
Sometimes they may not matter too much. But there could be situations in which only translator insurance will stand between you and financial disaster.
Imagine errors in the translation of some medical guidelines or a complex technical manual. The result could be serious injury or accident. Or uncertainties in the translation of a legal contract. The result could be substantial financial loss for one party or another.
In situations such as these, there will be a search for someone to blame. And, in our increasingly litigious age, someone to sue.
That someone could very well be you.
Even if you have the stoutest of defences, you could still find yourself having to finance some very costly legal help. And if the case goes against you, you could find yourself liable for an even more costly compensation payment. Without the cover of a translation insurance policy, where would that leave you?
Insurance for translators needn’t be anything like as expensive as you might think. Certainly not when you consider the peace of mind it can bring. To find out more, call 01480 470220 or email info@coulsonpritchard.com.
Professional Indemnity Insurance: That Niggling Feeling
Every freelancer knows that they should have insurance - just like they know that they should avoid smoking, should exercise regularly, should drink less. Unfortunately, for many it still remains one of these vague notions that can be indulgently ignored.
While most adults have seen solid reasons why they should do various things like eat more greens, many freelancers haven’t ever been exposed to the potential risks that they run in their chosen career. It’s sobering but necessary; especially as most freelancers earn far too little to fight their way through a drawn-out court case.
If a freelance contractor is held liable for a claim made against them, the legal fees and compensation payments can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. There is also all the stress involved and the time it takes out of a life. All in all, it’s a huge burden on all resources – and not just the financial ones.
Motivation is one of the freelancer’s most highly-prized qualities. This being so, it’s strange the number that lurk in the murky waters of “it will never happen to me”. A salient point to remember for the less than enthused freelancer is that nowadays, it is increasingly common for both end user clients and recruitment agencies to request that all freelancers have adequate professional indemnity cover in their terms of business with them.
Taking out professional indemnity insurance means freelancers can have one less of life’s potential disasters niggling at their subconscious. Knowing they are protected can give them the confidence to do their job, and truly enjoy the life choice that is being freelance.
For extra peace of mind, freelancers might want to investigate policies offering retroactive cover. Retroactive cover applies solely to professional indemnity insurance and offer protection for any future claims which may relate back to an occurrence which pre-dates the date on which the insurance policy commenced as far back as the date on which your business, in its current form, was established.
Top 5 Essential Insurance Products For Freelance Consultants
As a freelancer, whether you operate as a sole trader or a limited company, you enjoy the freedom and the rewards of being your own boss. But it does also mean that you don’t have the resources of a large organisation to support you if things go wrong.
And things can - and do - go wrong for freelancers. That’s why you need insurance. Without it, you could end up losing everything you’ve worked for.
Exactly which type of policies you need will depend on the nature of your business
but these are the top 5 you should be thinking about:
Professional Indemnity Insurance
An IT consultant fails to foresee a scenario which causes a system he’s designed to crash. A graphic designer inadvertently infringes another company’s trademark when designing a logo. A structural engineer makes a calculation error and a load-bearing wall fails to take its load. Mistakes like these – mistakes anyone can make when under pressure – can lead to claims for damages more than large enough to put you out of business.
Professional indemnity insurance will protect you in the event of such a claim. Subject to policy limits, it will cover your legal bills and the amount of any compensation award.
Public Liability Insurance
Imagine a client trips and injures herself when visiting your offices. Or, when visiting a client’s premises, you trip and damage some equipment. Accidents like these can easily happen. And, in a world of ‘no win, no fee’ TV advertising, can easily lead to you being sued for damages. Public liability insurance will cover you for the cost of any legal fees and compensation payments resulting from just such a third party claim.
Personal Accident & Sickness Insurance
The personal freedom that comes from being a freelancer is a wonderful thing. Until you have an accident or you fall sick and you can’t work. In no time at all, the lack of any money coming in (but still plenty going out) will be adding a level of anxiety that certainly isn’t going to aid your recovery. By providing you with a regular income, personal accident & sickness insurance will free you of that worry.
IR35 insurance
You consider yourself to be a freelancer. Are you quite sure that Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs do? Or would do if they investigated your circumstances? If you’re working on a long term contract at a client’s premises. particularly if you’re using the client’s equipment and facilities, HMRC might take the view that you’re ‘employed’ and should be subject to IR35 tax rules.
IR35 insurance will cover your costs if you find yourself in need of representation in a tax compliance enquiry. For an appropriate premium, you could also cover yourself against the cost of any unpaid tax, NI contributions and penalties if the enquiry rules against you.
Employers Liability Insurance
If you employ people, you are required by law to have employers’ liability insurance to cover the costs of any claim brought against you by an employee who suffers an injury or illness resulting from your negligence. So this one isn’t an option. And do be aware that the legal definition of an ‘employer’ is drawn quite widely.
Why timing is all-important
“Time is money,” says the old business cliché. When it comes to professional indemnity insurance however, a better term might be “time is big money”. Why? Because the amount of time a policy covers can be the deciding factor in whether a freelancer has to personally foot the bill for a legal case - and then pay out some compensation for good measure.
Many professional indemnity insurance policies cover their holders for a specified period as opposed to a lifetime. For many freelancers this may seem perfectly acceptable. After all, who wants to work forever?
The problem with this mindset is that regardless of when the work was completed, the client may still have cause in the future to file for compensation. If the client faces any problem after the expiry of the policy and files for compensation, the freelancer may find themselves in hot legal water. For this reason, long term professional indemnity insurance policies should be given preference for anyone who can afford them.
While it’s very possible to obtain professional indemnity insurance cover for future legal potentialities, it’s not always made clear to freelancers that they need to think about their past. Many professional indemnity insurance policies operate on a “claims made” basis. Such policies provide cover for claims made (and reported to the insurer) during the period of insurance cover only.
Each policy incorporates a retroactive date which effectively excludes claims arising from things done, or that ought to have been done, prior to this date. Those wishing to be protected for work carried out in the past should specifically seek out an appropriate policy that stretches back that far.
Another time-based consideration is that we are living in a particularly litigious period thanks to the economic downturn. IT contractors in particular are more likely to come under fire. With companies being forced to cut IT spending and thus having to break existing contracts or reclaim project funds, some ruthless companies may claim for breach of contract against their IT contractors - alleging that the service provided "didn't meet their expectations".
CAN YOU AFFORD TO BE WITHOUT IT?
The Benefits of Professional Indemnity Insurance
To understand the overriding benefit of professional indemnity insurance, you should consider the implications of not having it. You could lose your reputation, your business, your livelihood. In short, everything you have worked for.
If you’re a freelancer, contractor or consultant – if you offer any kind of professional advice or service for a fee, whether as an individual or as a company – you need indemnity insurance. Put simply, it will protect you against any loss or damage you might cause to a client.
Doesn’t apply to you? Think again. It’s no slur on your professionalism to point out that we all make mistakes from time to time, particularly when under pressure. We’re all human. And even a small mistake – putting a wrong figure in a document or the wrong telephone number in an advertisement – can have very expensive consequences.
In such an event, professional indemnity, or PI, insurance, will cover your defence costs if you’re sued and, should a judgement be made against you, the cost of any compensation. Who wouldn’t be without that kind of peace of mind?
And if you take out the right indemnity insurance policy, it will also cover the cost of putting any mistakes right - often the easiest way to resolve a dispute but potentially costly to you if it means work you hadn’t planned for.
There are other benefits too. You may not have made the mistake. It may have been one of your employees, or sub-contractors. There may not even have been a mistake. What if a client simply doesn’t think your professional services have been as professional as they should have been and a dispute develops that ends up in an expensive legal confrontation?
Again the right PI insurance policy will cover your defence costs – and, in case you hadn’t noticed, lawyers don’t come cheap these days.
Professional indemnity can also cover you retroactively. It can happen that consequences don’t become apparent until some time after the original mistake was made. Wouldn’t it be comforting to know that you’re protected against what you might have done as well as what you might do?
The benefits can’t be overstated but it’s important to point out that not all professional indemnity insurance policies are the same. To make sure you find the one that suits you and your business, call 01480 470220 or email info@coulsonpritchard.com today.
Freelance with confidence - get a cheap professional indemnity quote today!
In the medieval sense of the word, a “free-lance” was a warrior cut loose of the trappings of lordly rulings and bindings. Despite what many modern freelancers would like to think, their position is not the same. They are very much liable for their actions and can be severely punished for mistakes in their work – even long after it has been completed.
Professional Indemnity Insurance insures you against your error, neglect, act or omission which could cause financial loss to your clients. By taking out Professional Indemnity Insurance you reduce the risk to yourself should things go awry.
Companies are increasingly requiring the freelancers who approach them to carry Professional Indemnity Insurance cover. These companies may well be the clients of your tomorrow. Carrying Professional Indemnity Insurance shows them that you are trustworthy, professional and deserving of their investment.
CPA offers low cost professional indemnity insurance to UK freelance contractors from just £165 per annum. You can choose from five levels of cover up to maximum £2million and get quotes, buy cover and access your policy documentation instantly online. Our professional indemnity policies are underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance for your peace of mind. To get your cheap pi insurance quote please click here or call us on 01480 470220.
Professional Indemnity Insurance For Freelancers
Lets face it, sometimes whilst working as a freelancer things can go wrong in a big way. An IT system can crash due to poor code, a building can collapse due to poor engineering calculations an international marketing campaign can fail due to poor translation. As a professional of course you'll do everything within your power to correct mistakes, but if your client isn't happy with the quality of your work, the reality in today's litigious age is that he will seek compensation for damages incurred...a scenario that could financially ruin your business.
The best way to protect your business against mistakes and unexpected incidents is to buy professional indemnity insurance. Should a problem arise, professional indemnity insurance will cover both legal expenses plus any compensation payments owed. Just imagine if you had to fund these costs from your own pocket...could your business survive?
Nowadays, it is common for both end user clients and recruitment agencies to request you have adequate professional indemnity cover in their terms of business with you. So, by buying a professional indemnity policy you are significantly increasing your chances of securing that all important next contract.
At Coulson Pritchard Associates we offer comprehensive professional indemnity solutions for UK freelance consultants, starting from as little as £165 per annum. With over 20 years experience in the freelance insurance market we understand the key risks you face as a freelancer and how best to protect you. To get a cheap professional indemnity quote please click here Applying for cover is extremely easy with no time consuming forms to complete.
To make your life easy, we also offer a range of other freelance insurance products tailored for self employed consultants who turnover up to £500,000 including - public liability insurance, employers liability insurance, IR35 insurance, personal accident and sickness insurance and health and safety insurance. If you wish to learn more about our freelance insurance products please call us on 01480 470220 or email info@coulsonpritchard.com
Just imagine D-day has arrived for the bride and groom and you've been appointed as their wedding photographer. Whilst reviewing some pictures you've taken, you mistakenly erase all the digital files from your camera! Opps the bride breaks into tears, realising the special moments of her wedding day have been wiped out in a flash. Her new husband is far less emotional....he simply plans to sue you for damages.
The following month, you are carrying out some commercial photography in a listed property that is abundant with expensive paintings and rare ornaments. To get the perfect shoot, you need to move backwards a fraction, in doing so you accidentally knock a Ming vase off a table. The property owners aren't to pleased. The Vase is valued at £1,250,000 at they want compensation from you....how are you going to pay?
As a professional photographer you'll be well aware that you owe all your clients a legal 'duty of care'. If this duty is breached and a client believes you have been negligent whilst delivering services they can claim financial compensation from you for losses incurred. Scary stuff, but thankfully photographers insurance can help you overcome the financial consequences of mistakes and misjudgements at work.
At CPA we provide specialist insurance for photographers from just £165 per annum, underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance. Our photographer insurance policies cover wedding, portrait, commercial and amateur photographers against common risks that could leave them financially exposed....be it causing personal injury to a member of the public, losing a digital file from a day long fashion shoot, or having expensive camera's and lens's stolen. If things go wrong, our photographer insurance will cover the cost of defending / and or settling the claim so you don't need to worry.
Whatever your business insurance needs, we can offer you a tailored solution at low cost. Products available include photographer professional indemnity insurance, public liability insurance, employers liability insurance, business / equipment cover and much, much more. To get a cheap photographer insurance quote please click here and let us safeguard your future so you can focus on taking the perfect picture.
Contractor Employers Liability Insurance
Working as a contractor its quite possible you employ additional staff to meet growing business demands. If this is the case, the law requires your business to carry a minimum £5million employers liability insurance.
What Is Employers Liability Insurance ?
Employers liability insurance protects your business if an employee gets injured or falls sick at work. If this should happen they might claim compensation from you.
In recent years there has been a huge increase in litigation against employers, especially health and safety related incidents. Imagine if one your employee's in your construction contractor firm contracted asbestosis whilst removing a ceiling. Or one of your IT specialists was unable to work for six months because of a debilitating back injury caused by falling off a faulty chair? There is a chance they may take legal action against you and seek financial compensation for damages / injuries / illness incurred.
Employers liability insurance helps you meet the cost and expenses of any compensation payments. All employers must take out this insurance (Employers Liability Act 1969) irrespective whether they employ full or part time staff or sub-contract labour. Failure to do so can result in hefty fines up to £2500 for every day you are without cover.
At Coulson Pritchard Associates we offer low cost employers liability insurance for contractors and freelance consultants, underwritten by Royal Sun Alliance. £5 million is inclusive within our business combined policy which costs just £112 per annum. For a small premium uplift you can increase coverage to £10 million if needed.
Buying contractor employers liability insurance from us is very easy. In fact is takes just a few minutes to get a quote, buy and access your policy documentation online. Why not put your employee worries behind you by getting a cheap employers liability quote here today? Or call 01480 470220 for more information.
Contractor Public Liability Insurance
As a contractor you'll spend most of your time working on a clients premises and come into direct contact with their employees or customers. Have you ever thought what would happen if you accidentally damaged their property or injured one of their employees?
In today's litigious age its all to common for people to take legal action if they believed they have suffered damages or financial loss as a result of your actions. To guard yourself against career threatening claims it makes all the sense in the world to carry public liability insurance. For just a couple of pounds a week you can obtain up to £1 million public liability to protect your business - so when you step inside a client premises you can concentrate on meeting client expectations without having to worry about unexpected incidents. (eg a member of staff tripping over a network cable you're installing and injuring themselves).
At Coulson Pritchard Associates we offer comprehensive public liability cover for UK contractors from just £112 per annum. Underwritten by Royal Sun Alliance our policies cover the legal costs to help you defend a liability claim plus any compensation payments if it's proven you have been negligent. (up to your policy limit.) Remember, public liability claims can be very expensive so its important to carry an adequate amount of cover.
Most clients or agencies require a minimum £1million cover in their terms of business with you, others like government departments require £2 million. We provide three levels of contractor public liability cover up to maximum £5 million, so whatever your coverage requirements we're sure you'll be able to find the right cover, at the right price, right here on our website.
To get a cheap public liability insurance quote for your business please click here. Our online service makes it very easy to obtain cover in a few easy steps, including the ability to download policy documentation instantly. If you need assistance on what public liability coverage is right for you, why not call our customer service team on 01480 470220 or email info@coulsonpritchard.com
You've made a huge investment to establish your own contractor business...don't let unexpected incidents wash it away. Buy public liability insurance for a more secure future.
Contractor Bank Account: Watch your hard earn't money grow!
As a freelancer or a small business owner, choosing the correct bank account is an important stage of the establishment process.
There are several things you need to consider while opening up a contractor bank account- transaction and borrowing costs, facilities the bank offers, and the type of relationship you want from a bank.
In partnership with Cater Allen, (part of the Abbey/Santander Banking Group) we have developed a tailor-made contractor banking service which offers free banking PLUS earns you high rates of interest as well.
Our contractor bank account offers the following benefits:
- 24hour online access availability
- Allows for 30 free transactions every month
- Funds may be held in sterling, euro or US dollar
- Gold VISA debit card (no annual fee)
- Opening balance limit of just £500
- Attractively tiered interest rates up to 4.59 AER
The 24x7 online access to your contractor bank account makes it easy to handle your business money at any time. If you choose to pick up the phone you will be instantly greeted by knowledgeable and friendly advisors, especially trained to deal with the banking needs of contractors and freelancers. No need to worry about time consuming automated responses!!
The application process is also quick and easy. Download your application form now, complete and send to Banking Services, CPA Ltd, CPA House, 15 Peppercorns Lane, Eaton Socon, Cambs PE19 8HL. Your contractor bank account will be set up within seven business days.
Get a head start and see your money grow by opening contractor bank account through Coulson Pritchard. |
