Special deals on indemnity insurance
IN THESE litigious days, freelance journalists need professional indemnity and public liability insurance in place to cover their activities. Increasingly, publishers are requiring writers to indemnify them if the author’s material leads to any legal claim such as libel, breach of copyright, breach of confidentiality and any form of negligence.
Even if a freelance writer hasn’t signed a contract with a publisher that specifically indemnifies the publisher, the writer can still be held legally responsible for the material he or she writes. And it’s not only writers who need specialist insurance: photographers are regularly being asked to produce evidence of Public Liability Insurance cover before being allowed to attend events.
Responding to this trend, the Guild has been in negotiations with Imaging Insurance – which already provides insurance policies for the National Union of Journalists – resulting in the creation of two policies specifically tailored to the needs of working journalists. The first is a Writers’ Professional Indemnity Insurance, which includes cover for reporters, feature writers, technical writers, scriptwriters, book authors and broadcasters working across the journalistic spectrum.
This policy includes cover for claims in areas such as negligence, libel and slander, unintentional infringement of copyright, joint venture liability and unintentional breach of confidentially.
Cover is also provided for defence costs and expenses in any legal action, the unintentional loss of documents, the cost and expense of providing legal representation and expenses resulting from the withdrawal or destruction of published material.
There are various levels of cover and a number of options allowing members to customise the policy to suit their situation. It provides for worldwide cover subject to EU jurisdiction – which means that policyholders are covered for cases brought against them anywhere in the world under EU law.
Premiums start at £368.19 for an overall limit of indemnity of £50,000 with a £250 excess. If members choose to increase the excess, discounts of up to 12.5 per cent are available on the annual premium.
The second, a Journalist policy, has been designed specifically for writers and photographers and is designed so that the policyholder can choose from a full range of household and business insurance cover enabling their home and business to be covered under a single policy customised to their individual requirements.
It features buildings cover which includes: remuneration for loss, destruction or damage and the full rebuilding costs of any building (home or business), garage or outbuildings used by the journalist, protection for the loss or damage to photographic, video and home-based business equipment as well as protection of equipment taken away from the premises.
Defective equipment
The policy can also provide compensation for the loss or damage (including due to defective equipment) to photographic, video and film images, sound recordings and manuscripts including the cost of reinstating the material, the cost of re-shooting, re-recording or re-creating material. A business interruption section provides for the loss of income caused by the loss or damage to business equipment or buildings.
When it comes to covering the policyholder’s legal liabilities to others, the policy offers Public and Products Liability Insurance that protects the journalist, his or her employees and business from claims for accidental bodily injury or damage to property arising out of the business activities. The standard minimum limit of liability for this type of insurance is £1-million and automatically includes legal and other costs resulting from a claim. There are also options to increase the limit of liability to £2-million, £5-million and £10-million either short term or for the full period of insurance.
Those who employ other people in their business are required by law to hold adequate Employers’ Liability Insurance. The policy also offers cover for this and applies to all full-time, part-time and temporary employees.
Finally, the professional indemnity section covers legal liability for failing to produce work to a professional standard, libel and slander, breach of copyright, breach of confidentially and dishonesty of employees.
Premiums start at £213.98. Worldwide cover can be provided but cover is excluded for legal liability claims emanating from the USA and Canada.
All quotes and cover are arranged by phone and email. More details are available from David Jayne at Imaging Insurance. Tel: 01784 486890.
Email: david@imaginginsurance.co.uk; web: www.imaginginsurance.co.uk.