The Significance of Professional Liability Insurance for US Businesses: Ensuring Comprehensive Protection

This is where professional liability insurance comes into play. Also known as error and omission (E&O) insurance, this type of policy protects a business against claims for financial loss resulting from actual or alleged negligence in the performance of professional services. It includes legal and settlement costs arising from service-related mistakes and negligence, breach of contract, unfinished work and over budget, among others.

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Who needs professional liability insurance?

Any person or business that provides professional services or advice to a client must exercise professional liability. The list includes:

• Accountant
• Architect
• Consultants
• Engineer
• Financial Advisor
• Graphic design
• Information technology (IT) specialist
• Insurance specialist
• Legal experts
• Medical Practitioners
• Real Estate Expert
• Software developer
• Designer
• Trader
• Wedding planners

When is professional liability insurance required?

Businesses in certain industries are required by law or industry standards to purchase professional liability insurance. Some customers may also require a specialist or a company that already has this type of coverage before agreeing to do business. Here are some occupations that need insurance:

1. 
   

   Medical Practitioners

Health professionals, including doctors, nurses, dentists, psychologists, physiotherapists and other health care providers, are required by law to carry primary insurance. medical rate. This type of professional liability insurance protects them against negligent claims resulting in patient injury or death.

2. 
   

   Lawyer

Currently, malpractice insurance is legally required only in two states – Idaho and Oregon. However, nearly half of U.S. states have adopted some form of disclosure rule that requires attorneys to notify clients of whether they have insurance.

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3. 
   

   Real Estate Expert

Mistakes and omissions insurance is required in some states, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Tennessee. However, the requirements vary from state to state. For example, in Colorado and Nebraska, real estate agents are required to have policies with a minimum annual gross limit of $300,000. Meanwhile, in Iowa and Mississippi, the minimum limit is $100,000.

4. 
   

   Insurance agent

Some states also require insurance agents to carry fault and omission coverage. Similar to real estate professionals, each state has a number of different requirements. In Rhode Island, agents and brokers are required to have coverage with a minimum aggregate policy limit of $500,000. In Tennessee, the minimum limit is $100,000.

5. 
   

   Government contractor

Under the Federal Acquisition Regulations, businesses working on government projects are required to carry professional liability insurance to protect them from “perils faced by contractors.” These businesses include:

• Construction Company
• Professional service providers, including financial and public relations firms
• IT professionals, including consultants and cybersecurity experts
• Transport and logistics service providers
• Pharmaceutical and healthcare service providers

What is excluded from the scope of professional liability?

Professional liability policies do not cover legal or medical costs resulting from injury or property damage suffered by a client while providing services, which are covered by general liability insurance.

Employee lawsuits for alleged wrongful termination or workplace harassment are also not covered by professional liability coverage. For these, businesses need to carry employment practice liability insurance.

How much is professional liability insurance?

Several factors affect the price of professional liability insurance premiums. Including:

• Industry and the risks associated with it
• Location of the business
• Coverage limits and deductibles
• Year of operation
• Number of employees
• Requests in the past

According to Insureon data, the average cost of professional liability insurance premiums is $59 per month or about $713 annually. The company adds that more than half of its small business customers allocate between $500 and $1,000 per year for errors and omissions. About one in five spend less than $500.

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How does professional liability insurance protect a business?

Different businesses also receive different levels of protection from professional liability insurance. Below are the types of coverage this policy offers for different occupations.