What Is Professional Liability Insurance?
No matter how careful you try to be, everybody makes mistakes. However, if your client feels your professional mistake caused them financial harm, they may file a lawsuit against you.
This is where professional liability insurancecomes in. Professional liability insurance protects your business against lawsuits that claim you made a mistake in your professional services. For example, if you forget to do a job agreed to in a contract with your client and they end up losing money, they can sue your business.
Depending on your business, thisbusiness insurancecoverage is also known as:
- Malpractice insurance
- Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance
It's a good idea to get professional liability insurance if you work directly with customers or offer advice. Be sure to check your state’s rules for professional liability insurance, because some industries have to carry coverage.
Even if you're not required to have coverage, it's still a good idea because it can help cover your legal defense costs, settlements and judgments if a customer sues you for a mistake.
What Is Errors & Omissions Insurance?
Errors and omissions insuranceis another name for professional liability insurance. So, you'll still get the same coverage, despite the different names.
Professional Liability vs. Errors and Omissions Insurance
Depending on your business, you may hear the term errors and omissions insurance for professional liability. However, there is no difference in these coverages.
Professional Liability vs. Malpractice Insurance
Malpractice insurance is another name for professional liability insurance for legal or medical professionals.
No matter what it’s called, professional liability policies offer coverage if you make a mistake in your professional service. If a client sues you, these coverages will help pay for your legal defense.
Who Needs Professional Liability Insurance?
For most businesses, professional liability isn’t a legal requirement, but it’s a good investment. Customers can file claims against you in any industry. If they do, professional liability can help protect your business from legal fees and financial loss.
Businesses that buy professional liability coverage often include:
- Medical providers
- Attorneys and legal service providers
- Business consultants
- Real estate agents & brokers
- Accountants
- Financial service professionals
- General contractors
You’ll especially want to consider this coverage if your business works with:
- Vendors
- Suppliers
- Contractors
- Customers
As a business owner, it’s important that you work with an insurance company you can trust. At The Hartford, we're backed by more than 200 years of experience and we love helping both large and small businesses get the coverage they need.
Discover and compare more coverages that businesses like yours may need:
We can even help you bundle other types of business insurance with your professional liability coverage. This provides you with added protection against bodily injury, personal injury and advertising injury errors and omissions claims examples. To get the coverage you need, contact an insurance agentor get a quote today.
Last Updated: July 12, 2022
