A consultant visiting a client site can create both advice-related and physical-accident exposures. Comparing professional indemnity with public liability helps identify which potential loss belongs in which insurance discussion.
The decision that deserves the closest review
Build two separate lists: allegations about the quality of your professional work, and accidents affecting other people or their property. Ask the adviser to address scenarios that sit near the boundary, including work involving equipment, installation or technical instructions.
A hypothetical example
A consultant’s inaccurate report and a damaged client laptop during a site visit are different events. Using both examples in an enquiry exposes the weakness of selecting cover solely because one product has a larger headline limit.
Professional-service allegations
Professional indemnity concerns allegations about professional services. Compare the accepted activities, claim and notification wording, prior-work provisions and exclusions. A higher limit cannot repair an activity that the wording does not accept.
Premiums, excesses and usable cover
Request quotations using the same business description, required limits and relevant dates. Put the annual premium, any instalment charges, excesses and important sublimits in one comparison. A cheaper premium can represent a different transfer of risk rather than the same cover at a better price.
| Comparison item | Question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Professional-service duties | Which section addresses professional advice allegations? |
| Frequency and nature of site visits | Which section addresses third-party injury or property damage? |
| Equipment use and client contractual requirements | Are installation or practical services excluded? |
Request the proposed wording and schedule, not just a price or certificate. Mark any difference that affects a real activity before deciding whether the premium saving is worthwhile.
Prepare an accurate insurance enquiry
Give each adviser a consistent description of the activities being insured. Include important contracts, changes since the previous enquiry and matters the insurer asks you to disclose. Do not guess answers merely to obtain a faster or cheaper quote; ask for clarification when the proposal wording is unclear.
Compare two events from the same client engagement
Consider an allegation that advice caused a financial loss, then a separate incident in which the consultant damages a client’s property during a visit. Present both to the adviser. Using concrete events makes the distinction between professional-service and third-party injury or damage questions easier to assess.
If a package contains both sections, compare their separate limits, excesses and exclusions. Explain employee, equipment and data exposures independently where they matter. The exercise is to identify a coherent combination for the real business, rather than choose a product because its name sounds comprehensive.
Include overseas work or sales in the UK business’s enquiry and confirm the accepted territories and jurisdictions.
A mistake to avoid
Choosing one policy because its name sounds broad enough to include both physical and professional losses.
Check what happens after the policy starts
Ask who to contact when activities change or a potential claim arises. Understand the notification and consent process before arranging repairs, appointing specialists or settling a complaint. At renewal, compare the new documents with the accepted business description; continuity of a familiar brand does not prove continuity of every term.
Questions before choosing
Can the two covers be bought together?
They may be offered in a package, but check each section’s wording, exclusions and limits independently.
Is the larger of the two limits enough for every event?
Check the section triggered by the event. A limit shown for one part of a package does not automatically apply to another part.
Sources and further reading
Research date: 6 October 2026. Refer to the current linked guidance and written provider or adviser terms when making a decision.