Professional Liability Insurance

NickfromWI

NickfromWI

King of Splices
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
4,992
Location
Snowless California
Who here has it? What do you pay? I went without it my first year...but I really SHOULD have it.

Got a quote for $1,800. Getting a few others soon. I know most of you guys don't carry this, but out of those that do, what do you pay?

love
nick
 
Is that price for professional coverage not including your general liability coverage? Sounds like a lot of money to shell out, how much report writing and consulting are you doing? If it is a good percentage of your work I would definitely spend the $; however, if you are giving verbal advice on trees and writing job specs I would just get the general liability and include errors and omissions coverage for the additional cost,

jp:D
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3
I can't get anyone to specify if they think I need it. We don't do ANY free estimates. We charge a "consultation fee" to any property we go to. So in essense, 100% of our work comes from consulting in one sense. The reality is that most of that is just friendly tree advice. I would say 20% or less is something where they needed to hire a consultant of some sort (basically, someone who can fix the problem with tools other than a saw).

So, I'm not sure. I have errors and omissions already. I go to clients house, look at their tree and tell them if they should or shouldn't cut their tree down or if I think it is reasonable to cut the roots where they want them cut...

So really, I'm not sure...
 
I was told in Australia that if I provide advice for a fee I need professional liability.
I do chainsaw seminars for the old boys at the 'men's shed' if I were to charge a fee I'd have to have Prof L.
I guess if I render an opinion in writing on something and charge, I'd need it...like reports and such.
I find it a little confusing, as like you say, there is an errors and omissions clause in my Pub L already.
When I had an instance of herbicide damage on a property I take care of I had to be very careful what I put in writing in case I had to go to court and was wrong...my regular Pub L would not have covered me.
 
So can you clarify? You have E&O but not general insurance? How is your contractor's license active without it? Or am I misunderstanding "professional liability"?
 
sotc said:
So can you clarify? You have E&O but not general insurance? How is your contractor's license active without it? Or am I misunderstanding "professional liability"?
Click to expand...

It's the type of insurance you need when charging for your advice. Consultants, Trainers, that sort of thing.
 
I think Nick wants to see his insurance agent in a newer, bigger boat next year.

IMO the odds are overwhelmingly against ever needing to make a claim against said insurance. Therefore if it is optional and not mandatory then I would recommend just riding with what you have.
 
Skwerl said:
I think Nick wants to see his insurance agent in a newer, bigger boat next year.

IMO the odds are overwhelmingly against ever needing to make a claim against said insurance. Therefore if it is optional and not mandatory then I would recommend just riding with what you have.
Click to expand...

I used to think that, but when my insurance company found out I was doing safety audits, and training they camceled me and I had to get Pro insurance. For th new training company I have no choice but to get it.
 
Before the 30 Mile fire, FS fire management officers never carried personal professional liability insurance, but that went out the window when the govt. decided not to support an employee from civil liabilty suits. Now many do carry it at their own expense...and it has been recommended by some lawyers at OIG to FS trainers/certifiers, like I was, to consider it as well. I never did, but I maybe should have.
 
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  • #14
That's my prob, Willie. At first I thought e&o was what I needed. As I ask around, I can't seem to get a straight answer about what I need. Even the folks selling it aren't quite sure.

love
nick
 
Residents of Florida can testify to that when a majority of insurance companies just refused to pay claims after Katrina .Several of my wifes' relatives were on the short end of that stick .
 
My partners wife works for an insurance company and according to her, you are foolish not to have it. Ours was an additional $100 per year to add it on to our GL.

It covers you in many more situations than consulting, etc. Say you are on a property to look at a single tree in the backyard and you walk right past a small tree in front without even giving it a second thought. Two weeks later that tree drops a limb and injures someone. The injured persons lawyer or any of the insurance companies involved in could find out that you (a tree expert) were on the property and didn't recommend removal of the tree. That's where PL comes in. Or let's say you prune a tree and a month after it fails and damages a car.... That stuff happens more than you realize and PL covers you for that stuff.
 
I carry a million dollar liabilty rider simpley because I have several properties and a little bit of money .The rider is not all that costly however in order the have it you have to increase the limits of your other insurances such as auto ,home liabilty etc .They get you one way or another .
 
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  • #19
We paid $2,300 for gen liability last yr and they want another $1,800 to add prof liability to it.

If it was just another $100...yeah- go for it. But $1,800 is just a wee bit more than that.

love
nick
 
Nick, later tonight when I have some more time, I will pm you with the contact info for someone who will be able to help you. Just give me a few hours.
 
I wouldn't waste the money, insurance is a scam for the most part, just talk to the thousands of people still trying to collect from Katrina and the millions more who have to fight insurance companies to pay out for straight forward claims. They make you jump through hoops to process a claim and will hang you up on any detail they can find. GL with E&O is perfect for a small tree care company, if you become a hotshot consulting arb in ten plus years you may want to think about it, for now keep the money for all the unforeseen costs that WILL pop up, JMHO.

jp:D
 
NickfromWI said:
I can't get anyone to specify if they think I need it. We don't do ANY free estimates. We charge a "consultation fee" to any property we go to. So in essense, 100% of our work comes from consulting in one sense. The reality is that most of that is just friendly tree advice. I would say 20% or less is something where they needed to hire a consultant of some sort (basically, someone who can fix the problem with tools other than a saw).

So, I'm not sure. I have errors and omissions already. I go to clients house, look at their tree and tell them if they should or shouldn't cut their tree down or if I think it is reasonable to cut the roots where they want them cut...

So really, I'm not sure...
Click to expand...
Sounds like over extending one's self Nick, unless if you're in a region where lawsuits run rampant.
I just do the free estimate thing and let the customer make their own decisions and sign my quote, they're writing the check.
This might not mean dick seeing I'm from Canada, but my commercial $2 million liability insurance costs me only $1500 a yr, that includes my chipper, stumper, saws, powerbarrow, rigging and climbing gear also covered for replacement.
 
You guys would have a heart attack if you knew what we pay. Granted, it covers 13 trucks, but I just renewed and shopped it, bottom line, close to 25 grand. That includes General liability, inland marine, automobile and an umbrella that covers an additional 1 million in liability.
 
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