Civil Engineers Contractors Insurance

J&A Brokers, an insurance broker at your service

How comprehensive is your insurance cover? If you're a civil engineer, unfortunately, there are significant risks associated with the job. Working in a high-risk environment, there are a number of different forms of insurance which need to be considered. Many civil engineers have several types of cover, providing them with the protection they need. Here we take a look at the various types of civil engineers contractors insurance that companies and individuals should consider. With litigation an increasingly common outcome if a project doesn't live up to expectations or there is an accident on site, appropriate insurance is something no civil engineer can afford to be without.

Public liability insurance is a priority

Public liability insurance provides cover against compensation claims should someone suffer an injury at your premises, or as a result of your presence on-site! It is a separate form of cover to professional indemnity insurance (which is discussed below). Public liability covers you against circumstances where injury to an individual occurs which is caused by your actions (for example, if you are at work and accidentally bump into someone, causing them to fall and hurt themselves, public liability insurance will usually cover you). As the name suggests, public liability insurance protects you from claims made by employees, companies or members of the public. It can be extended to cover your vehicle (so if you opened the door of your works van whilst someone was walking past and hit them, causing injury, public liability cover would frequently protect you), as well as protecting you from compensation claims should a visitor have an accident at your office. Public liability cover includes cover for damage to property as well as injury to people.

Professional indemnity insurance

If you're in the unfortunate position of being a civil engineer responsible for a bridge that later collapses, or the source of professional expertise for a stretch of motorway that subsequently shows signs of subsidence or similar, there is the potential for you to be sued. In these sorts of situations, professional indemnity insurance can provide the cover you need. Almost inevitably, following the discovery that a piece of construction is sub-standard, there is a desire to find out who's responsible and sue them! Whilst the situation may not necessarily be due to any dereliction of duty on your part, having professional indemnity cover in place means that, should it be deemed that you have failed to provide a suitable service, you are protected from the financial consequences.

Consider long-term insurance

Remember that some faults in a project may take several years (or even longer) to develop. This means it's important to have on-going insurance that will cover you against retrospective compensation claims. Even if you're edging towards retirement (or even retired), it's vital that you have some form of professional insurance in place to protect you against a retrospective claim relating to work you did or decisions made some years previously.

In addition to above Management Liability Insurance formally known as Directors & Officers Liability is available to protect officers and directors’ personal assets from legal claims alleging failure to carry out your business with due care or breaching H&S regulations. An officer is anyone who makes decisions on behalf of the company.

Protect your business today

Contact our friendly team today by using the contact form below. Alternatively, you can reach us on 01618729886 and we'll be happy to walk you through our insurance policies.