The most common causes of tradesmen insurance claims

Who likes dwelling on what could go wrong? Not us. But if you’re going to spend your working life as a self-employed tradesperson, you can’t hide from the risks involved. 

At Rhino Trade Insurance, we spend countless hours processing claims for our customers. This means we have a pretty good idea of what risks tradespeople most commonly face.  

Without further ado, here are the top reasons behind insurance claims on UK-held trade policies.

Property damage

This is one of the most common reasons for tradesmen insurance claims. 

Property damage among tradesmen is far from rare. Whether it’s dirt and debris, accidental damage from power tool use or simply knocking something over while you’re on the job. No matter how careful you are, you can still end up causing harm to customer property in your care.

Public Liability Insurance is crucial for any tradesperson – not to mention a condition of many client contracts. With Public Liability Insurance, you can claim the cost of reimbursing the customer direct from your insurer, so your business’ bottom line won’t be affected. 

Third party compensation claims

We all know that trade work comes with plenty of hazards, but it’s not just you who’s at risk of coming to harm on the job.

If a customer or member of the public gets hurt as a result of your business activities, it will be you who is liable for compensating the person for the injury, inconvenience and expense caused. 

Whether your customer got splinters from your newly-laid floor or something far more serious, every tradesperson needs robust Public Liability Insurance in place so you and your business will be protected from the financial implications if a third-party claim is made against you. 

Accidents on the job

Another top reason people in the UK claim on their trade insurance policies involves accidents in the workplace. The most common workplace accidents involve lifting, carrying and handling. Back, wrist and foot injuries are common, and these types of injuries affect around 120,000 of us annually in the UK.

Next up are slips, trips and falls, with over 100,000 of these being reported in the UK each year. Also common are falls from height and injuries from machinery, which certain trades (such as roofers, scaffolders and builders) are at a higher risk of.

Accidents like these add up to a whole lot of lost income for anyone who’s self-employed. 

Without benefits like sick pay, Personal Accident Insurance steps in to save the day for self-employed tradespeople. 

Theft and vandalism

The UK is seeing more and more theft and vandalism, and pricey tools and unattended job sites are often targets.

A leading cause of insurance claims for people who work in the trades, barely an hour goes by in the UK without a van being ransacked for tools or a job site being sabotaged.

Tools in transit insurance is a godsend for anyone working for themselves who relies on tools to earn their daily bread. With tool theft now one of the most common causes of tradesmen insurance claims, it’d be daft not to have tools insurance yourself.

Weather-related claims

You can control a lot of things in life, but the weather isn’t one of them. Here in the UK, we put up with a changeable climate, with flooding and high winds possible for most of the year.

Whereas some people brave the storm safely tucked up in their offices, the weather can really do a number on tradespeople. Anyone from builders and bricklayers to gardeners can find their projects, premises, equipment or materials totalled by adverse weather, leaving them seriously out of pocket in the process. 

Various policy types cover weather damage, from vehicle cover to contractor’s all-risks insurance. Chat to us today about how we can protect your livelihood from the worst of the British weather.

Professional mistakes

It’s common for tradespeople to offer advice, designs or plans in the course of their work. This means that errors, mistakes, omissions and even negligence are always a possibility, and unhappy clients will be very quick to bring a claim against your business if they’ve lost out financially thanks to you.

Who has the cash to defend a costly court case? Few tradespeople, which is why Professional Indemnity claims are common when it comes to tradesmen insurance. Professional Indemnity Insurance will cover your back here, meaning that the cost your customer is seeking to rectify your mistakes will be borne by your insurer, not you. 

Claims related to vehicles

For every tradesperson, there’s a trades vehicle. Whether you’re driving a customised 5-tonne double-cab Transit or your van is a dead ringer for Del Boy’s, you probably can’t work for even a day without your trusty wheels.

Automobile crime is an unfortunate part of modern life, and it seems to be on the increase in the UK.

This is why work vehicle theft, damage or vandalism are common and a leading reason for claims made on trade insurance policies, so Van Insurance is a must for just about anyone with their own small trades business.

Why choose Rhino Trade for your tradesman insurance needs

We could talk all day on this topic, but we’ll keep it short.

Rhino Trade Insurance are industry-leading experts in trade insurance, and we firmly believe that our cover is the most competitive and comprehensive in the game.

We offer tailor-made insurance policies for just about any trade under the sun. Our policies are simple to understand, free from pointless jargon and most importantly, they pay out fast when you need them to.

With Rhino, you can get your documents almost instantly. You can get cover in your lunch break and still have time to eat, surf the socials and read the paper before you start again for the afternoon. 

And finally…

When you work in a trades industry, risk comes with the territory. 

Don’t think, “It won’t happen to me”. We are in the insurance game – and we’re here to tell you that it could. 

Don’t let the risks put you off your chosen trade career. The best thing you can do to protect yourself against all manner of unfortunate incidents is to get insured. Be smart – contact Rhino Trade today.