Liability Insurance

The present economical crisis is encouraging many to commence new careers especially as beauty practitioners. The growing number of these new small business owners may suggest prosperity to holistic therapies schools and a large variety of professional beauty seminars and colleges. The problem is that it comes with the need to consider the responsibilities and liabilities that come with the new occupation acquired.

On the one hand it is a simple solution, and a good opportunity to make some money in the comfort of one's home, and maybe use the family car for business, but, on the other hand, a customer can perceive you did them wrong, or in a worst-case scenario, treatment may cause actual physical damage or injury to the customer.

Of course, there are insurance solutions and protections that can be acquired, but the beginning practitioner is not very keen on spending any money before actually seeing an income from their new career. Well, those who cannot afford insurance are exactly those who cannot afford exposure. The right time to commence a liability insurance coverage is actually BEFORE the newly-trained practitioner commences activity. The best time to acquire coverage is at the time of training, while still a student, when no previous event may affect future coverage. The risk has not been taken yet, and the coverage will ultimately be upon all future activities.

Another important reason to purchase insurance early is that in many cases, students commence practicing in order to either improve their capabilities, or out of the need to earn money.

The cost of insurance scares many from buying the right coverage. It is not necessarily true in all cases. Insurance costs are closely connected to the exposure and risk the insurance company is taking: 

• The smaller the sum insured, the lower the premium. 
  
• If a higher deductible can be sustained, the premium will go down even more. 
  
• Sometimes when purchasing a comprehensive policy that includes all necessary liability chapters, it is possible to obtain a better premium rate for such a policy. 
  
• Many professional associations either offer or arrange discount rates for their members or include them in their liability cover when they become members. This saves a significant amount of money, as such organizations negotiate with insurers for large groups and obtain better terms, both in costs and terms of coverage than individuals are able to obtain by themselves.
  

Many times you can tailor your own coverage, and find out that coverage can be obtained at quite reasonable cost. There are a number of chapters that are musts in liability coverage:

1. Public (General) Liability: this will cover you against claims made against you resulting from injuries or property damage for which you are legally liable. Remember - even if you have a public liability clause in your household insurance policy, in most cases it will not cover claims that are connected to your business practice. 
   
2. Professional or Malpractice Insurance: this will cover your professional conduct. Combining the two aspects of coverage, professional conduct and malpractice, will provide you with comprehensive cover. Although these claims are also defined as ones to which you are legally liable, it is common practice in the insurance industry to exclude from a policy coverage that can be purchased under another type of policy, therefore, neither public liability nor professional liability policies by themselves will be sufficient to cover general public liability. 
   
3. If you are applying certain products in the course of your practice, you should also be protected against claims resulting from product liability. If you use products that are manufactured by a recognized manufacturer, the coverage you require can be restricted to legal protection and not liability for the product itself.
   

Liability insurance is not compulsory in most cases, but it is a must, especially for new practitioners in any industry, and specifically for those who treat people directly. The cost is a problem in some cases, but the risk of being left alone to deal with a claim is by far more problematic, and in many cases, the resulting cost far higher.