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Fence Down … Who Pays?
During gusts and gales – and we haven’t been short of them this year – one of the first things to bear the brunt is the humble garden fence. Take a look around after a storm and you’ll see plenty of them either floored or precariously propped up waiting for that final blast of wind to finish them off. If any of your fences have lost the battle and there’s a gaping hole where they once proudly stood protecting your property, you will no doubt be thinking about the cost of repair and whether you have insurance cover for it.
Failure to Control Workplace Noise can Prove Costly
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 call for employers to take steps to prevent or reduce health and safety risks due to workplace noise. If you employ staff in an industry where noisy power tools or machinery are used; where impact noise is apparent or where there are explosive sources, then you are required by law to conduct risk assessments and put measures in place to reduce or eliminate risks so that the hearing of your employees is protected. Insurers will expect you to take certain steps to reduce your risk of a claim.
Motor Legal Expenses Insurance: What Exactly are you Covered for?
In June 2013, a review of insurance policy add-ons was carried out by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This review included motor legal expenses insurance (MLEI). Whilst MLEI is popular in take-up for motorists seeking cover for accidents caused by others, the FCA believed this cover was not properly understood. The FCA felt quite a gap existed between what MLEI actually covered and what consumers expected to get out of it, quoting ‘widespread confusion’. Here we explain what MLEI actually covers.
Motorists: Watch out for ‘Ghost Brokers’
We wanted to warn motorists about the latest scam on the road: ‘ghost brokers’ who are targeting young motorists with fake insurance policies. These bogus insurance brokers will usually prey on the likes of new, young drivers: those traditionally faced with the highest premiums. The policies are offered at eye-catchingly low rates. Follow this advice to avoid ghost brokers and find out what to do if you think you've been scammed.
Health and Safety and Insurance: Some Useful Advice
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of employees, as well as any non-employee on the premises or at the site of work, such as visitors or passers-by. To reduce health and safety risk and avoid claims you should be constantly bolstering your chances of defending a claim should one be made. Here's how.
Freelancers: Protect Yourself with Professional Indemnity Insurance
Being a freelancer has many benefits: freedom; control over what you do and when you work and the chance to earn a living doing what you enjoy. It does, however, carry risks too. When you offer a service of a specific nature, or advertise yourself as a specialist or a consultant, you owe a duty of care to anyone who relies on you to provide them with advice or services. Thankfully, there is a way to protect yourself - with professional indemnity insurance.
Tree Down: Will My Insurance Cover Tree Removal and Damage Repair After a Storm?
The high winds that swept through the south of England in the wake of hurricane Jude at the end of October left a real trail of destruction, much of which involved fallen trees. We hope you escaped sustaining any damage to your property this time around, but you may be wondering where you stand from an insurance point of view should a tree come down on your land. The truth is it can vary depending on your particular policy, and on the circumstances surrounding the fall. Here’s a rundown of what you may and may not be covered for.
Bona Fide or Labour Only Subcontractors: Why Getting it Right is Vital for Insurance Purposes
We are becoming increasingly concerned by the assumption by clients that, because their subcontractors hold their own insurance, they are regarded as ‘bona fide’. Insurers see bona fide subcontractors as only a contingent risk because, in taking on a job, they are bearing the public or product liability risk themselves, and so the cost of insurance is lower. On the other side of the coin, with ‘labour only’ subcontractors, insurers take on the full risk of public, product and employer’s liability.