Skip to main content
  • Claims Center
  • Contact Us
  • Español
  • Brokers & Agents
Hiscox Insurance
Menu Toggle
  • Home
  • Small Business Insurance Toggle Menu Toggle Menu
  • Why Hiscox Toggle Menu Toggle Menu
  • Resources Toggle Menu Toggle Menu
  • Policy Management Toggle Menu Toggle Menu
  • Claims Center
  • Contact Us
  • Español
  • Brokers & Agents
  • About
  • Get a Quote Get a Quote
  • About
  • Get a Quote Get a Quote
  • Blog Home
    Start Your Business
    Grow Your Business
    Protect Your Business
    Celebrate Courage
    Search

    Small Business Insights

    Sign up to get the latest small business news delivered right to your inbox.
    Protect Your Business
    Man on laptop wondering why he needs insurance as a freelancer

    Freelancers liability insurance: What you need to know

    Industry Spotlight | Insurance 101
    By: Hiscox Blog

    Share Image

    Embed Image

    Copy

    Share Article:

    Being a freelancer is a lot like being a cowboy in the wild west.  You have all of the freedom and flexibility to roam where you want to. You don't have to answer to anyone, you can decide which projects to take and you get paid well for the work that you do. On the other hand, when something goes wrong it lands on you, whether you are at fault or not.

    Do I need Freelance insurance?

    Among the types of freelance businesses that should have freelance liability insurance are web designers, graphic designers, programmers and photographers. Any business that provides a service or gives advice would benefit from the peace of mind that freelance liability insurance offers. Whether you’re a Mompreneur, who wants more time with the kids or just someone who prefers to make their own schedule, freelancing can be a great way to make a living. But you need to know how to protect your business, and freelancer insurance can help with that.

    Example Consulting/ Freelance professions we provide freelance insurance to:

    • Accountants & Bookkeepers
    • Business Consultants & Management Consultants
    • Photographers
    • Manufacturer Sales Reps
    • Insurance Agents & Insurance Inspectors
    • Property Managers
    • Real Estate Agents
    • Many More...

    How Professional Liability Insurance protects Freelancers

    One way that freelancers can protect themselves if something goes wrong is with a professional liability insurance policy. Professional liability insurance, sometimes called error and omissions or E&O coverage, can protect you against claims that you  incorrectly provided a contracted service or that the work you did was faulty in some way.

    Freelancer Professional Liability claim example

    A freelance graphic designer took a project that included the design of a logo for a start-up technology company. The designer submitted several designs for the client to choose from. The client requested that elements of two different proposed designs be combined into the final logo. The designer didn't realize it, but the final design bore a striking resemblance to the logo of another company in the technology space. The established company sued the start-up for copyright infringement, and the start-up sued the designer. A professional liability policy could have covered the designer for the cost to defend against the suit as well as any settlement or judgement.

    How Professional Liability Insurance protects Freelancers

    In addition to professional liability insurance, freelancers should consider general liability insurance. A general liability policy covers property damage or bodily injury to someone else. If you meet with clients in your office, or if you go to a client’s office or job site, a general liability policy will protect you if a client slips and falls on your icy side walk, for example, or if someone trips and falls over your laptop bag while you’re at a client site.

    How General Liability Insurance can cover your equipment

    Freelancers, perhaps better than anyone, know that they are only as good as their equipment. If your freelance business includes equipment such as computers, printers, copiers and so forth, a business owner's insurance policy combines general liability coverage with coverage for these items.

    For example, You are finishing up a long day of photographing your client's conference. As you are loading your camera bag into your car, it slips out of your hand and hits the pavement. You open your bag to find that your 70-200mm lens and your portable hard drive are damaged. When you get home you discover that you can't even pull your photos off the hard drive. Your Hiscox Business Owners Policy could provide coverage for your damaged lens and hard drive and help cover the cost to recover your data from the damaged drive.

    Get Freelancer Liability Insurance today!

    As a freelancer you help your clients improve their performance by solving problems and improving processes. At Hiscox we make it easy for you to get professional liability insurance that's tailored to your field. Get a fast, free quote now and get that Hiscox confidence behind your consulting/ freelance business. If you prefer, you can call us at 1-866-283-7545 and speak with a Hiscox licensed agent regarding freelance insurance and general liability policies. 

    This post was originally published in 2015, and was updated on 7/16/2018 to provide updated claim examples and further additional content regarding freelancer insurance.


    Protect Your Business

    Protect the business you’ve worked so hard to build. Get a fast, free quote and your business could be covered today.

    Get a Quote
    Get a Quote
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Related Articles

    4 Min Read
    Yorkie being groomed by professional at a salon

    Everything you need to know about additional and named insureds

    Insurance 101

    Have you heard the terms 'named insured’ and ‘additional insured,’ and ever wondered if there's a difference? We break it all down for you in this post. 

    Read More

    5 Min Read
    Small business owners in capes, protecting what they've built from impacts of recession

    Ideas on how to make your business recession-proof

    Management | Entrepreneur

    Here’s what you need to know about the recession and some things you can do to reduce its impact on your small business.

    Read More

    4 Min Read
    sole proprietor learning what insurance policies are best for her business.

    Useful information on the best insurance for sole proprietors

    Insurance 101 | Entrepreneur

    As a sole proprietor, were you aware that you should have business insurance? Get the details on what type of policies are best for your small business needs.

    Read More


    We’re here to help.
    We provide tailored insurance for the specific risks you face, so you can take the right risks to grow your business.
    Get a Quote
    Get a Quote

    Footer menu 1

    • What We Cover
      • Business Insurance
      • General Liability Insurance
      • Professional Liability Insurance
      • Errors and Omissions
      • Cyber Security Insurance
      • Workers Compensation
      • Other Coverage
    • Who We Cover
      • Small Business Owners
      • LLC
      • Sole Proprietors
      • Entrepreneurs
      • Side Hustle
      • Contractors
      • Home Businesses
    • For Our Customers
      • Refer a Friend Program
      • Covid-19 Response
      • Claims Center
    • For Business Owners
      • Save with our Partners
    • About Hiscox
      • About Us
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
      • Hiscox Corporate
      • Investors
      • Foundation
      • Newsroom
      • We Stand Together
      • Affiliate Partner Program

    Footer menu 2

    • Accessibility
    • Site Map
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Legal Notices
    • Español

    Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    Feefo Reviews: Hiscox rated 4.7/5 with 1,067 reviews between January 1, 2022 - January 1, 2023

    © 2023 Hiscox Inc. All rights reserved. Underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc., 30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 1760, Chicago, IL 60602. As of December 31, 2022, HICI had admitted assets of $1,458,861,470 and policyholders surplus of $380,056,863. Total liabilities were $1,078,804,607 (inclusive of $529,538,410 of loss reserves) and paid-up capital stock was $4,242,000.

    icon-facebook
    icon-youtube
    icon-twitter
    icon-linkedin