When you start out as a photographer, there’s a ton on your plate. Well, to be fair, even when you’re a well-established photographer, there’s still a lot on your plate! But when you’re getting your business put together, there’s plenty that needs to be done.Aside from the more obvious things – like getting all the necessary gear, marketing your products and services, and creating a workspace – there are other tasks to be completed that are just as essential for your long-term success.
One such task is getting the proper insurance for your business, including liability insurance. The question is, why do you need liability insurance as a photographer? Here are a few of the top answers to that question.
Liability Insurance Covers Injuries
Here’s a nightmarish scenario for you… Let’s say you’ve booked a high-end gig at a fancy hotel. You’ll be taking portraits of event-goers as well as candid shots of patrons as they mingle at the event. Everything is going smoothly until one of the light stands you’ve set up for portraits falls over, injuring one of the people you’re photographing.
As a result of the incident, the person suffers a broken leg and promises that you’ll soon hear from their lawyer regarding a lawsuit. If you don’t have liability insurance, such an occurrence could easily spell financial disaster for your business. However, if you have liability insurance, like a general liability policy from Next Insurance, you’ll be covered.
Liability Insurance Covers Medical Expenses
Sometimes when an injury occurs, the injured simply want money to pay for medical expenses rather than going to court with a lawsuit. And while avoiding court is great, medical expenses can certainly add up. Fortunately, if you have liability coverage, you don’t have to worry about paying for someone’s medical expenses if they’re injured as a result of your actions. For example, if the person injured in the scenario above has $3,500 in medical expenses, your liability insurance will pay for it.
What About Property Damage?
Using the same example as above, let’s say that when your light stand falls that it doesn’t just injure a person but also cracks a couple of the marble tiles on the floor. The hotel staff informs you that the cracked tiles will need to be replaced and reset, and that you will need to foot the bill for those repairs since it was your gear that caused the damage.
A few weeks later, you’re hit with a flooring repair estimate of $4,500. Again, without photography insurance, that money would have to come out of your pocket. But, if you’re covered by a general liability policy, you’ll be covered. In fact, some insurance companies offer robust coverage – like a $1 million limit with a $0 deductible – for a price that’s affordable. That’s peace of mind that no photographer should be without!
How About When Mistakes Occur?
Another area in which having liability insurance is a godsend is when mistakes or accidents occur. Assume, for example, that you book a wedding for the second week of the month. However, in the chaos of the workday, you accidentally enter the date as the third weekend of the month. When you don’t show up on time to the gig, the angry couple calls, wondering where you are. With no time to rectify the situation, there’s nothing you can do. Instead, the couple has to find a last-minute fill-in for you, and sends you the bill afterward.
Again, liability insurance will cover such occurrences to help protect your business and your bottom line.Here’s yet another situation in which liability insurance can save your bacon… Let’s say you use your photos for marketing purposes, and that you get written permission from each client before you use their likeness in your marketing materials. But let’s also say that one of the clients from whom you got permission doesn’t like the images you used of them. As a result, they sue you for violating their privacy.
Whether they have a legal foot to stand on or not, you’ll have legal fees incurred. Fortunately, photographer’s liability insurance has you covered. In other words, liability insurance is like an umbrella for you and your business. It protects you from legal actions that result from accidents, injuries, and other claims against you. Sure, the hope is that you never need your insurance, but in the event you do, it could end up saving your business from certain financial disaster.
With that in mind, I can’t emphasize how important it is to do some research about photographer’s insurance. Though there are many insurance companies that offer photographer’s insurance, in my book Next Insurance is the best of the bunch. Not only do they offer smart options for covering your business, but they also offer affordable options (and even have monthly payment plans!).
Additionally, there’s no middleman to worry about with Next Insurance. You go to their website, get a quick quote, pay for it online, and can even print out proof of insurance cards right then and there. There’s simply not an easier, more streamlined way to get the insurance coverage you need!
