David Bell | Mar 19 2020 00:00

Professional Liability vs. Errors and Omissions Insurance – What’s the Difference?

Understanding the difference between professional liability insurance and E&O insurance.

  As a business owner, you may be looking into your insurance options. As such, you may have come across the terms €˜professional liability insurance' and €˜errors and omissions insurance'. To the untrained eye, these two policies can appear to be different coverages. If you aren't sure what these terms mean for your business, we're here to help!   Professional liability vs. errors and omissions insurance You may be aware that many industries use the terms €œE&O insurance€ and €œprofessional liability insurance€ interchangeably.   Professional liability insurance is a term used to describe the policy covering consultants, engineers, accountants, and architects.   E&O insurance is used to describe the policy covering the real estate, technology sectors.   What does it cover? On a basic level, professional liability insurance covers you when you are accused of not having done your job correctly. Businesses that provide professional services typically need professional liability insurance because those services come with risks. A client could hold your business liable for:
  • Breach of contract
  • Work oversights and errors
  • Providing substandard work
  • Missed deadlines
  • Negligence
  If these professional mistakes result in financial losses for your client, they could sue you to recoup the expenses. In this case, professional liability/E&O insurance could help to cover:
  • Attorney fees
  • Court costs
  • Settlements or judgments
  Keep in mind that even if you did nothing wrong and the claim against you was unjustified, there can still be huge costs associated with these types of claims.   We're all human - we make mistakes sometimes. With professional liability insurance, it's possible to arm your business in advance.   Ready to get started on your reliable  business insurance ?  Contact  Bell Black Insurance. Serving Idaho Falls, Island Park, Driggs, Victor, Swan Valley, Ashton, and the neighboring communities in Idaho, as well as Jackson and Star Valley in Wyoming; we are ready to get you covered today.