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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

Anybody have Commercial General Liability Insurance? I'm about to enter a contract that requires that I have at least 250K of it. The contract should justify the expense, but I was wondering if anyone had recommendations.
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Philip Banks · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:57 am Post subject:

If it requires the insurance and it IS insurance you do not need then the contract should cover the cost. I do not have it, there is no need for it.

Deirdre · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:12 am Post subject:

Are you opening a shop or office to serve the general public?
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

No, I'm not Deirdre. This is a very tighly-run company that deals primarily with consulting and engineering firms as contractors. They can't let it go that I'm just a guy with no overhead recording my voice, it's a very fixed rule for them.
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Deirdre · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:49 am Post subject:

Are you going to be using their facilities?

If you have homeowners' insurance, and your studio is at home, that should bloody be fine for these guys.
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Eddie Eagle · M&M Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 2393

If you plan on having a client come to your studio, it's advisable to have some sort of liability insurance in the case of an accident occuring on your property results in personal injury. A simple slip of the foot and the bonk on the head can create law suits.

Philip Banks · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:03 pm Post subject:

My guess is that an insurer will hit you for a minimum premium for this of around $300- $500. If the contract does not provide you with your usual margin plus the premium then it's in your interest to walk away.

If you are doing ten session for them at $150 per session revise you quote to $200 per session. I understand big company mentality and so the sticking to their guns is fine but it is THEIR choice not yours so they must pay and indeed must understand why that is the case.

To be clear on this; there is nothing you as a Voice Over working remotely can do which would result in a liability claim for which you could be held legally liable (negligent in law) resulting in a successful, moreover admissable claim on any insurance you hold now or are likely to arrange.

Deirdre · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:19 pm Post subject:

There's probably some hard-and-fast rule they have that all their vendors must be insured this way.

So silly to have it be a rule irrespective of the vendor's situation.
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

I'm not going to get into the numbers, but if the insurance is only $500 then it's a drop in the bucket compared to the project, and in the contract it looks like they sweetened things beyond the initial numbers we discussed, so I'm okay with paying for it myself. I'm prepared to eat that expense, I just wanted to know if there's anything I should look out for.
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Philip Banks · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:57 pm Post subject:

No, any general liability insurance (in UK it's called Public Liability insurance) will do the trick.

Bruce · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:17 pm Post subject:

I'd contact two and maybe three business insurance brokers and get their take on what you need. I'd like to think it will be quite inexpensive for just a gentleman and his microphone(s). I mean how much trouble can you get into?

B
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Philip Banks · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:23 pm Post subject:

This LANCE we're talking about here! You obviously didn't think that one through properly!

bransom · DC Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 650 Location: St. Louis, MO

Many corporations will only deal with you as a company if you meet a number of criteria including business liability insurance. Without it, you can only be hired as a part-time employee with taxes withheld. Just depends on how anal their HR & Contracts departments are.

I carry the insurance on my little graphic design company (it's an LLC that consists of me plus 2 part-time employees and several contract/freelancers) and it costs me just about $300 a year for $1 million per incident/$2 million aggregate. It's well worth it as it allows my company to be treated as a vendor to some really large client corporations.

bobsouer · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:32 pm Post subject:

Lance,

Like Bob, I have a $1 million per incident/$2 million aggregate liability policy on my (even smaller) voiceover business. It runs me about $150 per year because it's bundled with some other insurance policies through a single company.
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

Thanks bransom and bobsouer...I was hoping it would be a cheap and cheerful insurance issue. I might as well pick up the 1m insurance option to help with other clients, since I tend to lean towards the corporate side of things.

Philip is right...my studio is a hard-hat area. Especially since I got the SP CS5. That thing is pushing over two pounds! Shocked

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