RE: Insurance Question

["Barbara Philbrick" <caslon -at- alltel -dot- net>]

The only time I was asked to get E&O insurance, it was a ploy by agencies to
get rid of independent contractors and, ultimately, the firm that hired the
agencies dropped the requirement. Most writers are covered under general
business liability plans. E&O is expensive (>$1200 per year vs. $150 for
general liability). My insurance broker said it's primarily aimed at
printers (think about a print shop that screws up page 43 of a Lands End
catalog run and has to recoup the cost).

It did hack me that insurance companies get as much as they do from tech
writers for E&O, since the odds of paying out are low unless you are working
on high volume print stuff (I am never working on high volume stuff; most of
my work is online now, so E&O would be especially ridiculous). Also, my work
is signed off by subject matter experts before going to print, so there
would be shared responsibility.

My clients have generally not expected it; most of them don't even know what
it is.

Regards,

Barb


 

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+caslon=alltel -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+caslon=alltel -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of
Lauren
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2007 11:44 AM
To: 'Stuart Burnfield'; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Insurance Question

Thanks Stuart.

I didn't think about what the client would expect.  I imagine that it could
be a selling point to say that I am fully insured.  Agencies around here
have started to level off their cut to around 40%, but that is slightly less
when they facilitate corp-corp contracts.  I think the low-end of their cut
is probably 33% and I have heard that it can get to 75%.  I want to avoid
the agencies, so I guess I should consider the full coverage.

Thanks again,

Lauren
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf 
> Of Stuart Burnfield
> Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2007 11:22 PM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Insurance Question
> 
> Lauren, I have both GL and E&O insurance (called here Public Liability 
> and Professional Indemnity). I'd be very surprised if I ever need 
> them.
> 
> Here's another way to think of it though: there are some industries 
> and some employers who require this insurance. If you have it, you're 
> in their pool of potential contractors. If you don't have it, you're 
> not, unless you go then through an agency that provides the insurance 
> cover and takes a sizable cut of your fee.
> 
> So if you think that you might pick up a couple of extra contracts, or 
> get some contracts at a better rate through going direct, then it may 
> more than pay for the premiums.
> 
> It all depends on your local circumstances.
> 
> Stuart
> 
> 
>  > Does anyone have any thoughts about whether I might encounter a 
> case  > where I would need insurance in excess of General Liability?
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>

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