Public liability comes in to play whenever a worker or a member of the public injures themselves while on your commercial property. Businesses can invest in public liability insurance to protect themselves should this situation arise.

Public liability refers to the fact that if you own premises that are open to the public, you are liable for any injuries that might befall a visitor to your business. If a member of the public is injured by you, your employees, or accidently as a result of an unsafe circumstance on your property, they will be eligible to claim for the expenses of their injuries from you.

For example, if a display in your store falls on a customer or if they trip on a loose piece of carpet and hurt themselves, they can claim for the injuries they sustained from the accident. As a business owner, you are responsible for upholding a safe environment in your public premises as well as taking out Public Liability Insurance to protect yourself in this situation.

Public Liability Insurance

If you own a business that is at all visited by members of the public, it is a good idea to take out public liability insurance to protect yourself in the event that such an accident occurs. Even if you own a business that you run from home, if customers still visit you there Public Liability Insurance is a safe bet.

Public Liability Insurance will cover you for the damages that a member of the public claims because of an accident on your property. It will also cover the legal fees of the court case, the related costs, and any other expenses involved. It will also cover you if you or your employees accidently damages third party property while on business. For example, if you own an electrical company and you are hired to rewire a fuse box, but you make a mistake and it results in the wires short circuiting and causing damage, you will be covered by Public Liability Insurance.

However, if you are found to have breached the “duty of care” which is a standard of safety that your premises should uphold, you will be found liable for all damages. That is why it is important to pay attention to the safety of your property and to attend to potential hazards as soon as possible.

Who is Public Liability Insurance For?

Any business owner or operator is responsible for those people who are visiting or engaging in activities on their premises, whether the business owner is an individual or an organization. Public liability is relevant to home based businesses, shopping centres, swimming pools, event centres, and all other businesses on public property.

If you think that there is any chance of a situation arising that someone will injure themselves on your property, it is worthwhile to acquire Public Liability Insurance. The medical and legal expenses that you risk incurring in the event of an accident could be quite substantial, so it is best to be prepared.