Public and product liability insurance

At Markel, our specialist public liability insurance comes with product liability insurance included. This cover specifically protects you against the costs of compensation claims if a third party is injured or their property is damaged by a product you’ve manufactured or distributed.

What is public liability insurance?

If your business has contact with the public, it’s important to understand exactly what public liability is. Public liability insurance covers the cost of claims made by members of the public or external stakeholders, in the event of an incident that causes injury or harm, or damage to property. It’s designed to protect your business against losses that may stem from:

• Injury you cause to a third party during your business activities
• Damage you cause to third party property
• Personal injury to others or damage to their property.

If your business comes into contact with clients or customers, or regularly deals with members of the public - such as an on-site meeting or consultation - you should consider arranging public liability insurance.

What is covered by public liability insurance?

If someone is hurt or their property is damaged as a result of your operations, you could be left out of pocket if you don’t have suitable insurance in place. With public liability insurance, you’ll be covered against:

✔ Personal injury claims, such as slips trips and falls

Public liability insurance can protect you against a wide range of personal injury claims. Whether a customer slips on a wet floor, a client trips over a loose wire or a contractor falls down a flight of stairs, you’ll have peace of mind that the costs of compensation pay-outs will be covered.

✔ Property damage claims

If you damage someone’s property during the course of your business operations, public liability insurance can cover the costs if a claim is made against you. For example, if a dance teacher accidently damages a client’s phone while demonstrating a dance routine or a business consultant accidently spills a coffee over a client’s laptop while visiting them on site, public liability insurance could protect them.

✔ Legal protection

If someone suffers an injury or property damage as a result of your business activities, our public liability insurance covers the legal costs associated with defending a claim brought against you.

✔ Medical expenses

An injured party can hold you liable for out-of-pocket expenses, such as medical fees, the costs of medicines and medical equipment, rehabilitation bills and more. Public liability insurance can protect you against these types of expenses.

What is not covered by public liability insurance?

While public liability insurance can provide financial protection in a wide range of scenarios, it’s important to understand that it does not cover every eventuality. Here are some examples of situations where you’d need additional protection:

• Accidents that happen to you

If you can’t work because you’ve been injured in the course of your business operations, public liability won’t cover you. However, our occupational personal accident insurance could provide you with the income support you need while you recover.

• Damage to your property

Public liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property - only to others' property. If you want to protect your business from a wide range of risks, you should consider taking out a specialist office and business equipment insurance policy.

• Employee injuries and illnesses

If an employee brings a claim against you because of an injury they’ve sustained or an illness they’ve developed due to their work, public liability won’t protect you. Employers are legally obliged to have employers’ liability insurance to deal with these situations.

• Payments of fine or penalties

Public liability insurance does not cover the cost of fines or penalties of any kind. 

• Environmental claims

Environmental claims are not covered by public liability insurance.

Do I need public liability insurance?

Public liability is not a legal requirement for businesses. However, there are a multitude of reasons why having this insurance in place makes good business sense. Here are some of the main reasons business owners take out public liability cover:

• You may find yourself in breach of contract

If a contract requires you to have public liability insurance, you could be in breach of contract if you don’t have this cover in place. This could result in the contract being terminated and a claim being brought against you.

• You could miss out on opportunities

If you don’t have public liability, you could miss out on contracts that state that this cover is a prerequisite.

• You may be denied membership of professional bodies and trade associations

To register with some membership bodies, you need to have public liability insurance in place.

• You may find yourself in breach of regulations

If you are regulated by a professional body, you may be in breach of regulations if you don’t have public liability insurance.

• Without adequate insurance you could experience serious financial implications

Neglecting to take out public liability insurance could have serious financial implications for your business. If a claim is brought against you, you could end up having to file for bankruptcy as a result of the damages you have to pay.

When it comes to who needs public liability insurance, if you come into contact with members of the public in the course of your business operations, this insurance is important to have.

How much does public liability insurance cost?

At Markel, specialist public and product liability insurance starts from £5 per month* and you can choose from a range of limits (from £1m to £5m) to suit your business.

The exact cost of your policy will depend on the specifics of your business, the unique risks you face and the level of public liability cover you need. When calculating your premium, we will take a variety of factors into account, including:

• The size of your business

The bigger your business, the more cover you should consider.

• The industry you operate in

Businesses that work in industries that involve a lot of direct contact with the public will likely need more cover than those that have little direct contact with the public.

• The nature of your business

If your work involves dangerous machinery or equipment, for example, there may be a greater risk to the public. This means that you’ll need more cover than a business that doesn’t have these risks.

For your convenience, you can choose to pay by direct debit in 10 monthly interest-free instalments. In addition, we don’t charge any fees to change or cancel your policy.

*The £5 a month premium referenced is based on a public liability (including products liability) insurance policy with a £1 million level of cover.

For more insurance help and guidance, click here.

Why choose Markel for public liability insurance?

Here at Markel, we’re experts when it comes to protecting your finances. Here are just a few of the reasons why businesses trust us with their public liability insurance:

✔ Legal advice available 24/7

We understand how frustrating it can be to have to wait for answers when you’re facing a legal claim. At Markel, we provide our customers with access to a legal helpline run by experienced solicitors that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

✔ Quick quotes

Get a quote in as little as 90 seconds by filling in our easy online form. 

✔ High customer satisfaction ratings

We make it our mission to provide the businesses we insure with excellent customer service. Our commitment to high-quality service is reflected in our high ratings on Feefo.com.

✔ Transparent fees

Our public liability insurance offers great value for money. When you buy a policy from us, you won’t be hit with any hidden fees. If you want to change or cancel a policy, you won’t incur any extra fees either.

✔ 25 years’ experience

With over 25 years of experience in business insurance, you can trust us to provide you with the financial protection you need.