Professional Indemnity Insurance

This specialised area of insurance covers liability arising from the ‘professional services’ provided by a business. Importantly, as the nature of modern business continues to change rapidly it’s no longer only for traditional occupations such as Engineers, Accountants, Doctors, Lawyers, Architects and Insurance Brokers. Professional Indemnity should be a key consideration for any businesses that provides advice – from beauty therapists, book-keepers and building certifiers, to colour consultants and interior designers.  If you hold a qualification and you provide advice, certification, testing or formulas on which other parties depend, then chances are there is a Professional Indemnity exposure.Arranging the correct type and level of Professional Indemnity cover can be complex. As such it requires specialist assistance from an Adviser who can help you navigate a wide range of considerations including the following:

  • Professional Indemnity is a ‘Claims Made Policy’ – this means your policy only covers you for claims made against you during the period of insurance, not before or after.
  • Wordings generally fall into three categories: (1) Negligence; (2) Acts, Errors or Omissions; and (3) Civil Liability. But what do these actually mean, and which is best for your business?
  • Is the sum insured inclusive or exclusive of defence costs?
  • What is a reinstatement and how many reinstatements does the wording cover?
  • Are there navigation and/or jurisdictional restrictions to your cover?
  • What is a retroactive date and what are the impacts on cover?
  • Does cover include advancement of defence costs? Why is this important?
  • Are joint ventures covered, and if so, to what extent?
  • What is the impact of contracts on the cover?
  • Does cover extend to liability from contractors and sub-contractors? Does the scope of their activities impact if they are covered?
  • What is a notifiable event and when should notification be made to the insurer? What is the impact if this is not made?
  • What is continuous cover and why is it important?
  • What is run-off cover and when is it needed?

To discuss the advantages of having professional indemnity protection for your business, speak with us at Confio Insurance.