Enquire Business Insurance
Professional Indemnity
Protection for Your Professional Reputation and Work
Professional indemnity protects professionals and consultancies against legal liability for negligence, errors, or omissions in the services they provide to clients.
03
Cover options
29
Underwriters
24/7
Claims support
Quick overview
Also called Errors & Omissions cover, it protects professionals against claims for negligence, error, or omission in the advice, services, or designs they provide. It pays your legal fees, court costs, and any compensation awarded.
Why it matters
Why Is It Important?
Professional work carries responsibility, and a claim can create significant legal and financial costs even when you believe you have done nothing wrong. Professional Indemnity Insurance gives professionals an additional layer of financial protection while they focus on serving their clients.
Cover for the advice and work you sell
Professional indemnity — also called Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance — is a form of liability insurance that protects you and your business against claims from clients for errors in the advice, services, or designs you provide. Given how expensive it is to defend legal action, it is a vital part of business insurance for firms of every size across a wide range of industries.
A professional sells expertise, not a product
A professional is anyone selling their specialist knowledge based on qualifications or experience, rather than selling a product — sometimes it is a mixture of both. Clients rely on that expertise for sound advice, from accountants to IT specialists and personal trainers to advocates, and can take legal action when they believe the advice caused them a loss.
Who it's for
Who this cover is for
- Doctors, healthcare providers, and medical professionals
- Advocates, accountants, and auditors
- Engineers, architects, and chartered surveyors
- Financial advisers, mortgage brokers, and investment managers
- Insurance agents and brokers
- Business, IT, and management consultants
- Marketing, advertising, PR, and web professionals
- Recruitment consultants, valuers, estate agents, and translators
Cover options
Your cover options
Choose the option that matches your needs. Exact terms, limits, and extensions vary by insurer and policy.
01
Errors & Omissions
Covers liability for professional mistakes, errors, or failure to perform duties.
02
Defence Costs
Covers the legal costs of defending a claim, even where the claim is groundless.
03
Court-Awarded Damages
Covers compensation awarded against you by a court or agreed in settlement.
Protection
What this cover protects against
What applies to your policy depends on the cover level you choose and any extensions added.
gpp_maybe
Incorrect advice
A client acts on advice or a recommendation that turns out to be wrong and suffers a loss.
rule
Errors & omissions
A mistake, a missed step, or a failure to perform the professional duty you were engaged for.
schedule
Missed deadlines
A filing or submission is late — for example a tax return missed, leaving the client with a penalty.
folder_off
Loss of documents
Client records or documents in your care are lost or damaged.
lock
Breach of confidentiality
Confidential client information is disclosed without authority.
balance
Defamation & IP
Defamatory statements, or breach of copyright or intellectual property, in the course of your work.
Key benefits
What you get with the cover
Financial security
Covers legal fees, court costs, and compensation — including fines your client incurred because of your mistake — so a claim can't force your business to close.
Win more tenders
Many clients and tenders require proof of PI cover up to a set limit before you can bid.
Business continuity
Claims management and professional support let you keep running the business while a claim is dealt with.
Credibility and reputation
Clients and investors are more willing to work with a firm whose services are backed by PI cover.
Peace of mind
Work freed from the fear of a costly error, with practical and financial support if a claim does arise.
Exclusions
What's not covered
Dishonest, fraudulent, or criminal acts
Deliberate or reckless breach of professional duty
Claims or circumstances already known before the policy started
Bodily injury and property damage (covered under public liability)
Trading losses, insolvency, and disputes over your own fees
Work done before the retroactive date, where no prior acts cover applies
This is a general list. Your policy wording sets out the full exclusions that apply.
Getting covered
What you'll need
To take out cover
- Copy of ID / passport
- Professional registration or licence where applicable
- Business / professional details
- Description of services provided
- Estimated annual turnover or income
- Previous insurance / claims information where applicable
Requirements may vary depending on the insurer, type of cover, risk involved, and individual circumstances. Our team will advise you on the specific documents required for your policy.
Glossary
Common terms explained
Errors & Omissions (E&O)
Another name for professional indemnity — cover for financial loss a client suffers from a mistake or omission in your work.
Claims-Made Basis
Cover responds to claims first made against you during the policy period, regardless of when the work was done.
Retroactive Date
The earliest date of past work the policy will respond to. Work before this date is not covered.
Prior Acts
Work done before the current policy started, covered where it falls after the retroactive date.
Run-off Cover
Cover taken out after a business stops trading, protecting former owners, partners, directors, and staff against future claims for past advice.
Indemnity Limit
The maximum the insurer will pay for any one claim, or in total during the policy period.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
The essentials on professional indemnity — what it covers, what you'll need, and how claims work. More on the FAQ page.
See all FAQsWho needs professional indemnity?
Anyone who provides professional advice, services, or designs to clients. Some professional bodies — for advocates, surveyors, brokers, financial advisers, architects, accountants, and healthcare professionals — make it a condition of membership and set a minimum limit.
What kind of claims does it cover?
Incorrect advice, errors and omissions, missed deadlines, loss of documents, breach of confidentiality, defamation, and breach of copyright. For example: an architect specifies an unsuitable material and the work has to be redone; an agency prints the wrong contact details and the client reprints; an accountant files a return late and the client is fined.
What does claims-made basis mean?
Your policy responds to claims first made during the policy period. Claims for work done before you took cover are covered only if the work falls after the retroactive date.
I'm retiring or closing my practice — do I still need cover?
Yes. Legal action can still be brought for advice given in the past. Run-off cover protects former owners, partners, directors, and staff against those future claims, and a buyer may require it as a condition of the sale.
Is professional indemnity mandatory?
It's legally or contractually required for some professions and a standard requirement in many professional engagements and tenders. Check your regulator and professional-body rules before you start trading.
Flexible cover
Cover that follows your practice
The right indemnity limit depends on your clients, your contracts, and any professional-body minimum. If you wind down or sell an advice-giving business, run-off cover keeps you protected against claims for past work. Our advisors help you set the limit and arrange run-off where you need it.
More Business Insurance Enquire 
Enquire Enquire
Related cover
Enquire Enquire Business Insurance
Goods in Transit (GIT)
Protect Your Goods While They Are on the Move
Enquire Business Insurance
Workplace Injury Cover (WIBA)
Protect Your Employees. Protect Your Business.
Ready When You Are
Why Get Professional Indemnity Through Cush?
We help professionals across Kenya compare cover from trusted underwriters and understand exactly what their policy does and doesn't respond to. Protect your profession with the right professional indemnity solution from Cush Insurance Agency.