*The monthly figure shown is an average equivalent monthly of the annual premium. Higher first payment applies and individual premium may vary.
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Discover what public liability insurance is in our explainer video, including who should consider arranging the insurance and scenarios which the insurance could cover.
Public liability insurance is designed to protect businesses against certain third-party claims; helping you cover the cost of claims made by members of the public or external stakeholders, in the event of an incident that causes injury or harm to a third party, or damage to third party property.
If your business is in contact with clients or customers, or regularly deals with the public – during an on-site meeting or consultation - you should consider public liability insurance.
Find out more in our What is Public Liability Insurance? guide.
Whether you're a sole trader, freelancer, or small business owner, public liability insurance for small business could be one of the most important covers you can have in place. It can help protect you financially if a client, customer, or member of the public is injured or has their property damaged as a result of your business activities.
For a small business, the financial consequences of a liability claim can be severe. Legal costs alone can run into the tens of thousands of pounds before any compensation is considered. Public liability insurance for small business can help if the worst happens, you have the protection to help defend your business and meet any award made against you, without it coming out of your own pocket.
Examples of when it applies: a client visits your premises and trips over a loose cable; you accidentally damage a customer's property while on site; a member of the public is injured at an event you're running. In each case, public liability insurance steps in to cover your legal costs and any compensation awarded.
Public liability insurance is relevant to a huge range of businesses and individuals. If your work brings you into contact with clients, customers, members of the public, or third-party property, you should consider having cover in place. This includes:
Many commercial clients, local councils, and industry bodies will require evidence of public liability insurance before awarding contracts or granting access to premises. Even where it isn't mandated, trading without it exposes you to personal financial risk that most businesses can't afford.
If you’re making a public liability insurance comparison, see why Markel Direct are such a great choice.
Public liability is not a legal requirement for businesses. However, there are a multitude of reasons why having this insurance in place makes good sense and may be an important consideration. For instance, some contracts may require you to have public liability in place before agreeing to work with you. Professional bodies and trade associations sometimes require you to have it in place if you want to become a member, and of course public liability can help protect your finances in the event of a claim.
Learn more in our Do I Need Public Liability? article.
Public liability insurance is often confused with other types of business insurance. Here's how it differs from the two most commonly compared covers:
Public liability vs professional indemnity insurance: Public liability insurance responds to claims from third parties who have been physically injured or had their property damaged by your business activities. Professional indemnity insurance responds to claims that your professional advice, work, or services caused a client a financial loss. A consultant giving incorrect advice that costs a client money needs professional indemnity, not public liability.
Public liability vs employers' liability insurance: Public liability insurance covers claims from members of the public and third parties. It does not cover your own employees. If an employee is injured or becomes ill as a result of their work, that falls under employers' liability insurance, which is a legal requirement for any business that employs people in the UK. Public liability insurance and employers' liability are complementary covers.
If you damage someone’s property in the course of your business, public liability insurance can cover costs if a claim is made against you. For example, you could accidentally spill coffee over a clients laptop, or if you work as a tradesperson, you could cause damage to someone’s home whilst working on a job.
At Markel Direct, our public liability insurance starts from £5 per month* and you can choose from a range of limits (from £1m to £5m) to suit your business.
You can choose to pay by direct debit in 10 monthly interest-free instalments. We don’t charge any fees to change or cancel your policy.
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 £5 a month premium referenced is based on a public liability insurance policy (including products liability) with a £1 million level of cover.
To arrange public liability, simply answer a few questions on our online quote form, or call us on 0800 640 6600. Our lines are open from Monday – Friday, 08:30 – 17:30.
We’ll talk you through your options and provide you with quotes for public liability insurance in minutes.
If you have an existing policy with us, please sign in to view your policy documents.
Below you will find examples of the documents provided.
*Final price payable is subject to underwriting criteria and acceptance. AI images are used on this website to depict example customer types. Any resemblance to an actual person is purely coincidental.
These frequently asked questions are designed to help you and include questions relating to policy cover, pricing and ‘technical’ terms.
Public liability insurance isn’t a legal requirement for businesses. However, the costs in the event of a claim can be extensive and damaging. You may also find that clients or organisations you work with require you to have public liability insurance in place.
Yes. If you purchase your policy with us, your documents are emailed to you instantly and include a dedicated 'Confirmation of Liability Insurance' document which you can present as proof of cover.
Check to see if your clients require you to require you to have a certain amount of public and product liability insurance coverage in place. This can help to guide you.
If not, consider your worst-case scenario and the likely costs involved with not only defending the allegation but also the compensation you would have to pay to put your mistake right.
If an employee was responsible for accidentally injuring a member of the public or damaging their property during the course of their work, public liability insurance could protect your business against claims that may be brought against you.
But public liability does not cover you if an employee makes a claim against you. In this case, you would need employers’ liability insurance.
Yes, public liability insurance is tax deductible as it is deemed an ‘allowable expense’. This means that you can deduct the cost of your premium when calculating your taxable profit.
Public liability covers you for personal injury and property damage claims made by members of the public. Employers’ liability, on the other hand, protects you against claims brought against you by your employees.
General liability is a broad term that is usually used in the United States. It is used to describe commercial insurance policies that protect against injury, illness and property damage. In the UK, the terms ‘public liability insurance’ or ‘product liability insurance’ tends to be used instead.
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.
Public liability cover offers financial protection to charities if someone files a claim for injury or property damage against them. If a charity is found to be negligent, this covers the costs of compensation and legal fees.
You can find out more about why public liability insurance is important for charities here.
If any aspect of your job involves visiting people – whether that’s in a home, an office building or at a shared workplace - business public liability insurance is an important consideration. That way you’re covered if the worst should happen, and it demonstrates that you’re serious about maintaining a positive professional relationship. Speak to us about public liability insurance for individuals, and other relevant cover such as tradesman insurance, liability insurance for cleaners and builders public liability insurance.
Public liability insurance policies can vary a lot so public liability insurance policy wordings tend to be very comprehensive. Before going ahead with buying your insurance, it’s worth checking the details to ensure that the policy meets your requirements. You can read the policy wording by downloading the policy document just above on the right under ‘Policy Documents’. You’ll be able to see what exactly is covered, limits of cover and compensation and any policy exclusions.
As mentioned above, if you’re purchasing public liability because you’re required to have it as part of a contract, double check the contract to ensure that the level of cover you’re purchasing meets the level of cover your client has specified.
If public liability insurance isn’t required by a client, but you’re purchasing it to protect your business, think of a worst case scenario and how much that would cost. By doing this, it will help you to judge the level of cover you may need.
If you have any questions about what our public liability insurance covers, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Markel Direct is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. If you’d like to find out more, you can visit the Financial Services Register.
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