Few will dispute that business ownership is exhilarating at best and unpredictable at worst. This rollercoaster requires a vast amount of planning to ensure a positive performance. Maintaining an upward trajectory of success requires not just financial and marketing planning, but planning for unforeseen events as well.
Your Business insurance must be up to date to address your specific business needs. This will ensure that it covers everything. A literal slip-up on your premises can result in unanticipated claims against your business, which can financially cripple a company that isn’t correctly insured. Public liability insurance should be ensconced in your insurance arsenal. It is important to explore Liability insurance as a whole in order to understand where Public liability sits beneath this greater umbrella.
We have broken down Liability insurance into 3 sections for you:
- Public liability insurance is an insurance type that falls under Liability insurance
Liability insurance includes;
- Public liability insurance – for businesses that deal with the public or any third party property
- Product liability insurance – for businesses that manufacture products, or who sell product components
- Employers liability insurance – this provides cover for your employees
- Directors and officers insurance – this insurance is needed if any employee or director can be held individually accountable for certain responsibilities
- Professional indemnity – this protects companies that provide professional advice to their customers or clients
In short, you need to ascertain which of the cover or covers that fall under the Liability insurance umbrella, pertain to your business. Since 2015, there has been an increase in claims against professionals attributed to, amongst other things, a tighter economy and the relaxation of advertising constraints. Businessinsurance.co.za will ask the right questions regarding what type of cover you need, and then match your detailed requirements to the right insurer.
- The most common Public liability claims are for slips and falls
It is imperative that business owners familiarise themselves with what damages they may be legally liable to pay in the event of an unforeseen incident. In the greater liability picture, a business could be held accountable for something you weren’t directly involved in, but rather due to the actions of a staff member or director that represents your company.
When an individual is seriously injured on your premises, they may have the right to claim compensation due to your company’s proven negligence. The claim amount can vary greatly depending on how severe the injury is. Incidents of slip and fall although not the primary cause of fatal occupational injuries, represent the main cause of lost work days. They are also the leading cause of occupational injury for those of 55 years and older. Adequate Public liability is there to ensure that your company isn’t hit with what could be a severe blow to your company’s financial status.
Many small businesses opt out of Public liability insurance believing they don’t need it, but bear in mind that a claim can arise from something as simple as falling on wet tiles or an undetected defective handrail. Unexpected hazards can’t always be anticipated, so don’t be caught off-guard and left with a business-altering financial burden. You want to be doing what you do best, which is running a successful business. Let the insurers take care of the business insurance side of things.
- Public liability covers a multitude of eventualities
A business’s insurance needs will differ depending on the industry. A plumber is unlikely to have the same Public liability insurance needs as those of a franchised restaurant chain. You must ask your business insurer the right questions, and in turn, give them precise detailing of what line of business you are in. Businessinsurance.co.za will enable you easy and seamless access to competitive quotes from top South African insurers.
You need to ask yourself what eventualities could arise in your business;
- Product liability or defective workmanship,
- Fire – we’ve all heard of the restaurant that burnt down in a matter of minutes,
- Consequential damage as the result of manufactured goods or products,
- Injury from animals, etc.
Give it thorough thought, so that all your eventualities are covered and your business is never left vulnerable. You may be asking how much Public liability cover is enough?
It’s not a question that has a one-size-fits-all answer. So, if you’re unsure as to what your business should be covered for, then it may be a good idea to have a conversation with others in the industry as yourself. Ask them what their Public liability insurance covers, and add or subtract from there. An insurer will advise you too, but no one knows your business as well as you do. The more accurate the information you give to your business insurer, the more accurate your cover will be.
In closing, remember that getting the right business insurance and Public liability insurance is not just about the right cover. It’s also about paying the right premium. Companies can run the risk of being over-insured, resulting in unnecessarily high premiums that impact your bottom-end. This is why it’s important to do your insurance comparison homework in the right place – there are plenty of rogue insurers out there. You need insurance reliability, flexibility, and convenience, which over 350 000 South Africans have been privy to by utilising businessinsurance.co.za. Get access to top insurers today with this easy comparison service.
