December 17th, 2011Why purchase professional liability insurance?
For professionals operating their own businesses, professional liability insurance is a very important insurance coverage that should most definitely be purchased. Also known as professional indemnity insurance, this form of insurance coverage offers protection to professional practitioners against potential claims made by his or her clients. While it is a good idea to get professional liability insurance, sometimes it is actually a necessity.
A business often works on projects that are very sensitive and extremely important to a client. However, errors are bound to happen no matter how you try to avoid them or no matter how experienced you are. If you fail to perform your duties, you risk litigation caused by your client charging you of negligence. Professional liability insurance covers alleged or actual negligence and can pay off any large settlements you may have, as long as it is within the policy limits.
Professional liability insurance cover protects the policy holder from any financial losses due to lawsuits filed by clients. Often, the reasons alleged in claims by clients are negligence, misinterpretation and violation of fair dealing. Any other form of insurance coverage such as general liability insurance policies will only cover you for property damage or personal injury, and not litigation.
The premium rate of professional liability insurance may vary from company to company, and also depends on a few factors of your business. These factors include your revenues, number of employees, location, deductibles and your risk factors. The latter is affected by how much experience you have in your area of expertise, the types of clients you deal with and what sort of service your business provide.
Professional liability insurance may seem costly, but for all you know, it may end up being extremely useful to you one day when you need it the most.