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Public Liability

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Public Liability Insurance is often the core product of any business insurance solution, regardless of the business size. From Sole Traders to Companies, every business interacts with a third party in one way or another. But, its not the be all and end all of insurance, its an important first step, but like any insurance product, it targets specific risks and excludes many others.

We understand running a business means dealing with risks you cannot always control. From apprentices to the most seasoned operators, mistakes and accidents happen. Even when you are not directly at fault, you might still face legal action and the cost of defending yourself. At its core, Public Liability Insurance targets physical damage that your business causes to third parties, and the corresponding legal defense costs or settlement costs in response to the event. This is often evident in property damage, or physical injury caused to a third party. Now like any insurance product, the insurers Product Disclosure Statement, or PDS, must be taken into consideration to fully understand the extent of coverage, and what type of situations are excluded.

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How is public liability insurance priced?

Insurance brokers like Bluewell do not set the product premium. This cost is created by the insurance company and their process of underwriting the risk. The risk in this case, is that the policyholder will make a claim which forces the insurance company to pay. Their pricing process includes assessing your business size, type of goods or services provided, location, level of coverage, excess amount, internal risk management policies & procedures, historical data for similar operations, and your individual insurance and professional background. The processing time of this underwriting process has dramatically improved in recent decades especially with the usage of instant quoting systems from insurance companies. Other times this still can be a manual process that may take days or weeks. Brokers also charge a brokerage fee for their service and ongoing assistance. For information on our fee structure can be found in our Financial Services Guide.

Servicing a wide range of industries, our team has helped thousands of clients secure the right level of public liability coverage. Bluewell Insurance Brokers helps business owners across Australia find the right type of public liability insurance. We offer protection ranging from low- risk business liability insurance covers for offices and consultants, through to higher risk occupations such as asbestos removalists and crowd controllers. No matter your trade or profession, we can take a look.

Compare public liability insurance

Public liability insurance is required for most businesses to cover their legal accountability for damage they may cause to a third-party property, or if they are found legally liable for injury for a third party, often found in lease agreements or worksite contracts. Some occupations such as plumbers in Victoria or electricians in Queensland are required by law to have public liability insurance.

For example:

  • If a tradesperson was drilling a hole through a wall and the drill hit electrical wires and started a fire, this type of insurance would cover the handyman for the third party property damage he is found legally liable for.
  • In relation to third party injury, if a cleaner was to leave a bucket lying around or spilt water, resulting in a member of the public falling and injuring themselves, this option would cover them for the injury caused to the third party.

How can we help?

Bluewell provides insurance cover for all sorts of potential liabilities, ranging from small claims for property damage through to personal injury claims worth thousands of dollars. Our clients have peace of mind, knowing they have effective coverage at a competitive price, no matter the circumstances. The National Insurance Brokers Association found that on average, insurance brokers saved 11 hours of research and implementation for clients to source and set up their insurance policy compared to not using a broker. How much is your time worth?

The process for acquiring coverage varies between occupations, as does the cost. For example, in compiling a public liability quote for a tradesperson, we will simply collect details over the phone. This information is then used to assess the quote and any industry-specific changes the insurers have made to the policy. For more complicated operations, like manufacturing or industrial work, this will often require an application form to be completed to gather the relevant information for submission to an insurer.

If you’re not sure where to start, we encourage you to give our team a call on 1300 669 664. We can provide more information and a no-obligation quote for public liability insurance.

We also provide internal claims support to assist with organizing an initial claims submission and following up with your insurer. As of 2025, our internal data shows nearly 75% of our claims were more than $2,000, with the larger claims often involved with personal injury to a third party. The average claim size we assisted with was $39,000.

Small Business Public Liability Insurance

We understand that being a sole trader or running a small business is tough. You need to keep costs low while ensuring your legal obligations are met. In the Insurance Council Of Australia’s 2025 report they found more businesses are taking on higher excess levels, ultimately taking on more financial risk themselves, in exchange for lower annual premiums.

If you need Small Business Public Liability Insurance, talk with us today about how we can help you to get the right coverage at a price that works for you. We have access to multiple Australian insurers, including companies you may not even have heard of. Some insurance providers only deal with Public Liability Insurance Brokers. Quite often these companies offer public liability insurance which are competitive and may provide better coverage than the policies available in the retail market. You can access these value-for-money policies through Bluewell, while saving yourself the time of shopping around!

Public Liability Typical Exclusions

As mentioned earlier, not every risk is covered under public liability insurance. Most notably, any risk that is covered under a different general insurance product, is often excluded from a public liability insurance product. These typically include:

  • Breach of professional duty or impacts related to professional negligence
  • Costs associated with a cyber event or cyber liability
  • Damaged caused while operating a motor vehicle
  • Product recalls or guarantees
  • Damage to property owned by you
  • Injury to your employees
  • Statutory fines or penalties
  • Environmental damage

And many more. It is recommended to read your insurers Product Disclosure Statement to understand and become familiar with the exclusion on your insurance policy. It is important to remember what the intention of the policy is, and what risks it is specifically targeting. Insurance companies can add additional exclusions or conditions to their coverage which are often found on your policy schedule. The clauses may overwrite their PDS wordings, or further expand on the conditions and should be read in conjunction with the PDS. At Bluewell we are happy to discuss your documents and policy restrictions and help you understand the conditions in laymen terms.

What happens when a claim occurs?

First thing – don’t panic! At Bluewell we have a dedicated inhouse claims team. The quickest way to start the process is to get your documents in order. The insurer will want to see proof of damage, the demands from the third party, the agreement or invoice between the parties, and your description of the timing and events. We can then create a formal submission for your insurer to review, the more information we have upfront, the less time they spend back and forth trying to understand the situation. Once reviewed, the insurer will confirm if the situation is covered under your policy and if they will provide cover.

Public Liability Insurance QLD

Bluewell provides speedy insurance quotes for Queensland-based businesses. We have been managing the Public Liability Insurance needs of Queensland businesses since 2009. Being based in Queensland, we always strive to ensure our clients receive value-for-money coverage and service, tailored to their needs. It’s interesting to note that QBE started in Queensland in 1886. It now services clients in countries around the world. With access to global insurance companies such as QBE, Bluewell can help you source the best Public Liability Insurance.

Public Liability Insurance NSW

Bluewell has been offering Public Liability Insurance for businesses based in New South Wales since we opened our doors in Coogee, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, in 2009. We provide competitive rates and can help you build your business with covers from top Australian insurance companies. We know how to get your NSW-based business the cover that will see you through if the worst ever happens.

Just some of the occupations and industries we have helped in the past to find Public Liability Insurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sometimes but not always. More often you would find requirements in work contracts or lease agreements. For example, trades often need it to work on building sites. Some occupations such as plumbers in Victoria or electricians in Queensland are required by law to have public liability insurance to be licenced.

Common limits are 5, 10, or 20 million. The right choice depends on your contracts, industry, and budget. This reflects the maximum amount the insurance company would pay over the duration of your policy. This can also be flexible mid-term if you need to increase cover to meet a new contract requirement.

No. Staff injuries are covered under Workers Compensation Insurance, which is mandatory if you employ workers.

Yes, most policies include product liability automatically. This covers claims relating to products you sell or supply, however the insurer needs to be aware of your operation and the items you sell. You cannot assume they know your business, and you have a duty of disclosure to notify the insurer of any circumstances that may influence their decision to insure you.

Some policies can extend to subcontractors, but not always. Insurance policies are designed to protect the policy holder from financial loss, not third parties. It’s important to disclose whether you use subcontractors and how they are insured. In the event of a claim, your insurer will often try to pass liability onto the subcontractor if they are involved in the incident. Remember your policy is there to protect you, not anyone else.

First thing we suggest is to discuss it with your current home insurance provider. Depending on the extent of your operation, they may not cover your situation, or include additional conditions. For business insurance policies, insurers need to be aware its your residence, and often want to know access points for customers, or if it’s a sectioned area of your dwelling. Also note, as its your home, you might not be able to claim against any property damage as its not considered a “third party”.

There are a couple ways to reduce the cost of your insurance premium. A) be insured for a lessor amount. The smaller the coverage amount, the less the insurance company will charge. B) Increase your excess level. This means more out of pocket cost for you if a claim occurs, but insurers will often discount the annual premium. C) Keep staff in-house. Insurers add premium costs when you use subcontractors, primarily due to having to cover them for personal injury while working for you, whereas employees are covered by a workers compensation policy.

The insurance providers we work with require payment of the annual premium upfront. We understand this isn’t always the easiest option for businesses from a cashflow or budgeting perspective. We partner with Premium Funders who assist with setting up monthly repayments for your insurance premium. The Premium Funders pay the insurance companies your annual premium upfront, in full, and in exchange, charge an interest rate for their service. You then repay the premium funder over the duration of the policy. This provides a win-win for everyone – the insurance companies get their premium, and your payments are spread out. Each premium funder has their own terms and conditions and clients are expected to read and agree to these conditions prior to using the services of a premium funder.

No, public liability insurance is a specific general insurance product. “Business Insurance” is not a specific product type, but often referred to a collection of insurance products bundled together for marketing purposes.

For business insurance policies such as public liability insurance, the insurance companies issue a document called a Certificate of Currency noting the policy holder and product limits. This is often the document requested by landlords or principal contractors. We can issue this document to our clients once we receive confirmation of payment.

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