Liability insurance for interior designers
The profession of an interior designer is a tricky one. A client that hires you knows they want something better but look to you to define and design their dream space.
The high expectation without clear instructions is often the reason why interior designers get caught in disputes with their clients.
Interior design liability insurance is a good safety if a dispute escalates to a legal threat or even a court case. Luckily the latter is rare but legal threats do occur. The issue is that if your client’s solicitor is sending you letters, you’ll need to reciprocate.
That means seeking your own legal help and without the right insurance, it can be very costly. Especially if your client is stubborn and refuses to come to a reasonable agreement.
Liability insurance for interior designers in the UK usually consist of two covers - professional indemnity and public liability. The first one is essential for every interior designer, the second one depends on how much physical contact you have with your client and their property.
Professional indemnity insurance for interior designers
Clients hire professionals to solve a problem. Interior designers are very much in that line of business. Their expertise lies in creating beautiful spaces within defined budgets while meeting clients’ high expectations.
As a result there is a lot that can go wrong with a design project. Professional indemnity insurance for interior designers is a legal cover that will deal with financial compensation demands by dissatisfied clients. The demands could be in the form of a refund, ask to cover the cost of more work or compensation for other financial losses.
Do interior designers need professional indemnity insurance?
An interior designer can be accused of a myriad of things. Some have been already mentioned above such as not meeting the brief, going over budget, causing a delay or financial loss due to a professional mistake.
Those mistakes can stem from a simple oversight, failure to consider relevant building codes and regulations or incorrect material specifications. Whatever it is, a client will look to you to rectify the issue at your own cost.
If you resist because you firmly believe the fault lies with your client or someone else involved in the project, there is a possibility that your client may engage a solicitor to pursue their case.
Being in a dispute with a client is always unpleasant and a threat to your reputation. But it gets a whole lot more stressful when you have to hire legal help to deal with the issue. Having your own legal team provided by professional indemnity insurance can be a huge boost to your morale and bank balance.
Public liability insurance for interior designers
Accidents happen in every profession and interior designers are no expectation. Especially if you handle your clients’ possessions or bring other third parties to your clients’ properties, the risk of causing an injury or damage is higher.
Some interior designers are involved in day to day management of a project which often means being present at the property, possibly having keys and unlimited access. No matter how careful you are, it’s often difficult to think of every scenario.
Therefore protecting yourself with public liability insurance is essential. It’s a legal cover to help deal accusations of causing an injury or property damage associated with your business activities.
