Your clients rely on you to deliver quality services and advice. And despite your best efforts, there’s always a chance that either something can go wrong or an allegation of something having gone wrong be made – potentially leaving you or your employees on the wrong end of legal action and a claim for compensation.
If you’re an accountant who provides tax advice, a designer providing design, or an IT specialist who installs software, the costs to defend your business against an allegation or claim, whether you are liable or not, can be astronomical. Let alone the costs for compensation if you’re found liable.
What is Professional Indemnity insurance in Australia?
Professional Indemnity insurance, also known as Professional Liability insurance or Errors and Omissions cover, protects businesses that provide advice or services for a fee.
It covers claims made against you for alleged negligence or breach of duty arising from an act, error or omission in the performance of your professional advice or service.
What does Professional Indemnity insurance cover*?
Civil liabilities claims
Arising from breach of duty, unintentional defamation, unintentional infringement of intellectual property, loss of or damage to documents.
Bodily injury and property damage claims
Arising from the professional services covered by the policy.
Legal costs and expenses
Costs of investigating, attending to court, defending and settling claims.
Public Relations expenses
Costs of engaging a public relations consultant to protect your reputation.
Estates and legal representatives
In the event of your death or incapacity, we provide cover for your estate, heirs and legal representatives for claims arising from professional services provided.
Which Professional Indemnity insurance cover is right for you?
Professional Indemnity insurance in Australia is available for a wide range of businesses that provide specialised or expert advice for a fee. In some cases, you even may be required by law to have Professional Indemnity Insurance, so be careful to understand your legal obligations which vary by profession and state.
The right cover for you will depend on the industry you work in and the type of advice or services you provide. QBE provides tailored cover for small and large businesses across a wide range of industries, which can include:
- Accountants
- Agronomist and agricultural consultants
- Architecture and engineering consulting professionals
- Building energy consultants
- General insurance agents
- Human Resources professionals
- Interior designer
- Loss assessors or loss adjusters
- Management consultants
Insurance brokers can provide expert advice to help you get the right cover for your business, so contact your broker to discuss your needs and arrange a Professional Indemnity insurance quote.
Expert support from cover to claim
We have dedicated Professional Indemnity underwriting and claims teams who look for solutions to cover business risks, no matter how unusual or complex.
Our financial strength and ability to cover a wide range of industries prove that we’re in it for the long haul. And because we understand that Professional Indemnity claims can be long-lasting, you can rest assured we’ll be around to provide expertise and support throughout the entire claims journey.
How to buy Professional Indemnity insurance
Our Professional Indemnity insurance is available through brokers and QBE authorised representatives. They’ll ensure your cover works for you. And if you need to make a claim, they’ll guide you through our claims process.
Need a broker? If you don’t have a reliable personal recommendation, the National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA)* can help you find an accredited broker. Or see our guide to finding the right broker.
*The brokers on this site are not employees or agents of QBE, but are independent entities. QBE is not responsible for any advice provided to you by any broker on this site. Any such advice is the responsibility of the broker concerned.
Frequently asked questions
Some of the things Professional Indemnity insurance doesn’t cover include:
- Bodily injury that is not related directly from a breach of your business professional duty
- Claims made before the period of insurance
- Terrorism claims made against you.
Every business is different, so the industry you operate in and the services you provide will impact the cost of your policy.
Some occupations (e.g. real estate agents and accountants) require a certain limit of Professional Indemnity insurance cover to operate by law. Other professionals might work on contracts that require to hold a minimum amount of Professional Indemnity insurance.
No matter what industry you are in, or the size of your business, it’s important to have the right level of Professional Indemnity insurance to protect your business’ finances and reputation. Your broker can help you understand how much that will cost.
Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance both protect your business against third party claims resulting from liabilities that arise from your business activities.
The key difference is that Public Liability insurance covers you for bodily injury and property damage, whereas Professional indemnity covers you for the professional service provided to clients.
A Professional Indemnity insurance policy in force covers you for allegations made, regardless of when the professional service was provided.
By contrast, a Public Liability insurance policy would cover you when the alleged incident occurs during the policy period, even if the claim is filed after the policy has expired.
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Business insurance explained
