How Management consultant indemnity insurance can take care of unwanted legal hurdles

July 19, 2009 · Filed Under Management Consultant Indemnity Insurance 

Insurance might not be much of a first priority for many fledgling businesses, but the right kind of cover can be vital in a crisis depending on someone’s line of work. The legal pitfalls for firms are numerous these days, and a greater legal awareness means that some people could be more likely to sue if they feel they have been wronged by a business. Management consultants can arguably be particularly at risk because they regularly deal in high profile advice which can make or break a business. Depending on their circumstances, they could face legal action if any advice on training which they issue causes a dispute or is alleged to have not been worthwhile. Management consultant indemnity insurance can act as a protective shield against legal claims, by effectively picking up the cost of defending them.

Mistakes can be costly if the client loses money, and suffers what is known as a financial injury. Many disputes can be sorted out amicably without getting lawyers involved, but occasionally a court case ensues and this often means hiring legal help to defend a case. Unless somebody is a trained solicitor or confident that they would be able to defend themselves effectively, they are going to need professional advice.

This of course can be expensive, particularly for longer and more detailed cases. Management consultant indemnity insurance policy holders can simply claim on their cover in the event they face legal action, meaning the insurance company pays for the legal bills, not them. Even if someone loses the case against them, any compensation which happens to be awarded in favour of the complainant will be covered by the protection.

However, it is important to understand what this kind of insurance will and will not pay for. Normally indemnity cover protects against allegations that someone has acted negligently, made a mistake, or omission in their general business. This is not the be all and end all, as most policies also protect somebody in the event they are accused of unintentionally breaching intellectual property rights, losing or damaging a client’s important data or documents, or even if someone is accused of acting dishonestly, and an employee of the policy holder is facing allegation they have stolen from or defrauded a client.

Management consultant indemnity insurance also comes at different levels, as policies don’t pay out indefinitely but only up to a set limit. This can run into hundreds of thousands or millions of pounds if necessary, and this will depend on the size of the business and the type of clients they deal with.

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