Professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity insurance claims can be wide-ranging, but some examples are given below:

• Management consultant - a business plan provided to a client doesn't deliver the expected results. They claim against you for their financial loss.
• IT contractor - a website, application or software provided to your client isn't fit for purpose. They claim against you for the cost of putting the mistake right.
• Engineering contractor - some CAD work you undertake for a client contains the wrong measurements and causes long delays to your client's project. They claim against you for the cost of putting the mistake right.
• Fitness professionals - a client injures themselves during a session. They make a claim against you alleging that you failed to properly explain how to perform the exercise.
• Photographers - a client alleges that the photographs taken aren't suitable for use, or a memory card corrupts and you lose all the day's shots. They claim against you for the cost of re-organising the shoot.
• Teacher/tutor - a client doesn't achieve the necessary grades to pass their exams. They claim against you for the financial losses suffered.

If you're arranging professional indemnity insurance to meet the requirements of a client contract or regulated industry body, it's worth checking with them if they expect a minimum level of cover in order for you to start work.

If your client/industry body does not have minimum requirements, give some thought to a worst-case scenario and the likely costs involved in putting your mistake right. We offer professional indemnity insurance for over 200 professions and have levels of cover ranging from £50,000 to £5m, so you are guaranteed to find the right cover for your business.

Professional indemnity insurance (PI) and public liability insurance (PL) are different types of business insurance that cover compensation claims. Professional indemnity insurance cover claims made by clients for professional negligence or mistakes, whereas public liability insurance covers claims made by members of the public for injury or damage. Read more on professional indemnity insurance vs public liability.

Yes. When you purchase professional indemnity insurance with Markel, a proof of insurance document is emailed to you instantly detailing the cover you hold with us. Many of our customers arrange cover with us in order to meet the insurance requirements of clients, agencies and other parties. This document will help you show that you have the appropriate cover in place to start work.

If you work from home and provide advice, services or designs to your clients, you should consider arranging professional indemnity insurance. It is highly unlikely that you will be covered under your home insurance policy, so buying a specialist professional indemnity insurance policy will ensure you’re protected in the event of a claim.

No. All our policies last for 12 months, and there is a reason for this.

Professional indemnity insurance is underwritten throughout the industry on what's known as a 'claims made' basis. This means that the policy must be live at the time the alleged negligence took place and also when we are notified of the claim by you.

In effect, it means that if you cancel your professional indemnity insurance and a claim is brought against you by a client from a previous contract, you won't be covered. Learn more about the risks of short-term professional indemnity insurance.

If, however, you maintain continuous cover between contracts, you will have the peace of mind that if a claim is brought against you relating to work previously carried out, you'll be covered.