As an interior designer, your job is to alter people’s homes and offices and make them more pleasant, stylish, or contemporary to live and work in. This is an enormous responsibility given the cost of both the design and re-modeling, with changes often being permanent.
As a result, if a client does not like the work you have done, or feels certain actions were taken that breached the original contract, there is always a chance that legal action can be brought against you.
Public liability insurance protects you against cases where your business is found to be negligent. While it is not a compulsory option, most businesses opt to get one anyway given how a single claim can wreck your business and future earning power. Having a policy will generally cover you not only for legal defence, but for the medical costs associated with any injury, as well as the settlement amount for any damages to property or emotional well being of the claimant.
Public Liability for Interior Designers
Finding an insurance policy that is tailored specifically to the needs of an interior designer is not easy to find. Most companies will offer an insurance package designed for tradesman in general, including painters and other home contractors. However, it is based to talk to an insurance company that will recognise not only the uniqueness of your industry, but the unique challenges facing your individual business.There are plenty of ways that an interior designer can face a lawsuit due to negligence. Some are specific to the business, such as a mistake in the design itself or not specifying to the client what materials are suitable for use in certain projects. Other are accidents that are common to all businesses.
For example, if a client comes to your office and slips on the floor, or if you offer them a hot cup of tea and spill it on their lap, they will have the right to sue you for compensation, particularly if the injury is serious enough to force them to miss work. Given the high cost of a legal defence coupled with the escalating cost of medical treatment, there is no limit to how high the lawsuit will ask for. For this reason, liability insurance typically has a limit of 1 to 5 million pounds.
Other Types of Liability Cover
Typically, you can lower your premiums by bundling your insurance with other types of products. For example, if you have a paid staff, they will not be covered by public liability insurance should they suffer an injury that is the fault of the employer. Employers liability insurance can be purchased to safeguard you from this scenario.If you combine the product with a public liability insurance policy from the same insurer, you may be privy to a cheaper rate than buying them separately. Another type of insurance interior designers may require is professional liability insurance. In the interior design business, you are often charged with dispensing advice, and any advice that is ruled to be negligent can result in the claimant being awarded financial compensation.
Regardless of how comprehensive your insurance plan is, it should always include public liability insurance. This applies not just to interior designers, but anyone who interacts with clients, as a single accident can result in an injury where you and your business are held liable.
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