Public Liability Insurance

Re: Public Liability Insurance

In almost 26 years I can think of only three occasions when customers have claimed. All claiming for water/flood damage. In two instances I advised the insurance company that the nature of the customers plumbing and or poor quality of the installation made it impossible for me to refit the machine and water test, something I did inform the customers of at the time, however they still attempted to claim. How many of these claims were actually settled or refused is something that the insurance companies are very unlikely to tell you. The other claim was on a machine I had repaired the door seal on some three months earlier, the cold valve failed causing a flood. The problem was that it was in a newly modernised 1st floor flat and the owner and the occupant of the flat below where both on holiday. Whilst we all know that there is no way in the world that I was responsible for the valve failure, and they should have turned the water off at the mains, the fact that the insurance company dealt with everything was a great weight of my mind, the bill would have been around £20,000 to repair the damage.

Some people will try it on and the insurance companies are much better at dealing with these types than you or I.

Re: Public Liability Insurance

I do remember that NESN used to decide if their agent was at fault regardless of the circumstances.

In Nottingham an NESN customer complained that we had caused a leak 4 months previously, that his local plumber had fixed it for £100.00, and completely decided the customer was correct and deducted the money from my account with them.

So having insurance makes no difference when Work Providers S*** on their contractors so.

Several claims we have had included one for cushion floor in a council house, where the cushion floor was to say the least “knackered”. This to**er from Sheffield housing phoned to say they were to sue if we did not repair the floor we had damaged. Eventually she agreed to make a site visit to actually investigate tha state of the floor, to take photo’s and get back to me with what action Sheffield Council would take. Needless to say she did not phone.

We currently run 10 million cover, yes its costs, but well worth it for peace of mind.

Shame we can’t insure against Work Providers 😉

Kevin

Re: Public Liability Insurance

I do work for one large local estate agent, machines in rented properties and also odd calls for local schools and Social Services departments. They all ask once a year for a copy of my current PL policy.

Jim.

Re: Public Liability Insurance

Common practice around here when large companies/ councils and hospitals want you to do work in their premises. All they are doing is making sure that if you cause any damage it is cover by a P&L policy.

We had a job recently at IIRC a large engineering works, engineer turned up and called me because they expected him to go through a 45 min health and safety lecture before he could get on site, needless to say the job was aborted.

John