One of many photographers will be aware of the legal risks of their profession, particularly those who have worked for newspapers or other media. But all types of commercial picture taking have their legal implications. One wrong choice on an assignment can mess up the shots and mean a client ends up with an inadequate set of pictures. Members of the public who later see themselves in pictures and were not aware a photograph was being taken at the time can also take offence and seek legal redress. This is why photographer professional indemnity cover is an important consideration for anyone working in the sector.
Indemnity cover, for those not familiar with it, is a straightforward type of insurance which pays out should you be accused of making a professional error. It covers your legal costs and even the cost of meeting compensation. It normally applies if you are facing an allegation that you have made a mistake, omission, or committed an act of negligence in your day to day work. It applies not just to photographers and similar professionals but to just about anyone who offers their advice and services on a consultancy type basis.
A typical example could involve a photographer being hired to take wedding pictures. A mistake with the lighting of some shots may lead to them being unusable, and the couple may take legal action to recover their costs and maybe even seek compensation. Indemnity cover will protect you by providing cash support for the legal bills associated with defending such a case. Of course many disputes are sorted out amicably, but sometimes the legal system is the only way some people believe a problem will be solved.
Therefore photographer professional indemnity cover is vital for many people as they would not be able to pay out the large sums associated with hiring a law professional and paying compensation if it is awarded. This type of cover normally also guards against claims that you have breached confidence or copyright in your work, that you have defamed somebody, and even if you have lost a client’s important data or documents, perhaps erasing a set of valuable pictures by mistake.
Indemnity cover can therefore potentially save some people thousands of pounds or more. You will need to agree a policy limit and can even negotiate an excess as with other forms of cover, depending on your chosen insurer. Public liability insurance may even be thrown in with some policies, and it is worth checking out the different features of different products which you may be able to find.
Photographer professional indemnity cover can even be arranged to protect you after you have ceased trading, guarding against any late-arriving legal claims which turn up perhaps after you have changed jobs or decided to retire. Such extras can also help prevent any vulnerable periods when switching insurer.
