It is often said that the UK is gripped by an American-style compensation culture, where suing whoever possible for whatever possible is simply the norm. With the claims industry thriving through advertising “where there’s a blame, there’s a claim” style philosophies to the general public, the number of public liability claims is reaching record highs.

Small business owners are particularly at risk from these kind of claims as a simple slip or trip on your premises could result in proceedings which cost you thousands and thousands of pounds As income and revenue lessen from a lack of customer spending, businesses budgets are also becoming tighter and tighter with spending kept to an absolute minimum and because public liability insurance is seen as an expense which can be avoided it is something which is often neglected. This is not a good idea however as more and more businesses have been forced into administration when the incredible costs associated with claims. In the event of a claim the out-of-pocket costs are likely to far exceed the cost of public liability insurance, so the policy represents very good value for money.

Many business owners make every provision they can to protect their businesses from every eventuality; from ensuring risk assessments are conducted thoroughly to fitting burglar alarms and smoke detectors, no matter what measures you take however it only takes a small oversight for somebody to have an accident and find you legally at fault.

All businesses are at risk in one way or another but those with the greatest public liability risk exposure are business owners who cater to large numbers of the general public. Examples include: shops and shopping centres, pubs, clubs, theatres, sporting venues, markets, hotels and resorts. The risk also increases dramatically when alcohol is involved so if you sell alcohol on your premises or cater to those who may have been drinking you should probably consider a public liability insurance policy compulsory.