Re: UK: Professional Indemnity/Liability Insurance

[Lauren <lauren -at- writeco -dot- net>]

I don't know about the UK. In the US, work as a contractor can be 
through another company or solo. When you work through another company, 
you are an employee of that company. When you work solo, you are liable 
for any damages caused by your work. Generally, writing does not cause 
many damages that are attributed to the writer. There are stories of the 
absence of the Oxford comma causing millions of dollars or pounds worth 
of damage but writers are not usually held accountable for that.

Working as a solo practitioner has many costs and the cost of insurance 
is not the most expensive, so it is a good idea to add it to one's 
business expenses. I had a policy for errors and omissions that covered 
$1 million of damages and cost about $30 per month. That was 11 years 
ago and I never needed the insurance.

If you will work through another company, then they should cover your 
insurance. If you will work as your own company, then you should have 
insurance to be safe. You should also properly form your company as its 
own business entity. Many writers and independent consultants do not 
carry insurance and there is never major news of lawsuits against 
writers, although writers may be sued and may have been sued and such 
stories may be found in some obscure news.

Lauren


On 1/24/2018 4:08 PM, Stuart Conner wrote: