The incomprehensible maze of insurance
I am in no way, shape or form an expert in insurance, however it seems to me that as interpreters and translators we really could do with some expert guidance in this area.
When based in the UK I had two types of insurance – professional liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance that came in a nice little package all wrapped up and very easy for me to deal with. However, as soon as I left the UK my cover ceased and I found myself with the issue of trying to find an equivalent policy in France.
For translation our need for insurance cover is fairly straightforward to understand – we’ve all heard the horror stories of the translator having to cough up for the costs of reprinting material or being taken to court for a loss of profit of a company due to some translation error.
However, when it comes to interpreting I’ve been struggling to find some clear advice on what coverage is actually out there. So, this post is my request for your advice on the matter.
I’ve found out a fair bit of information on the types of cover that exist in case you are taken sick and can’t attend an assignment, or are unable to work for a certain amount of time leading to a loss of earnings. But what about if we use the wrong term or make an error, it’s not the same as translation – there’s often no record of what we have said, but we still need protection against the potential fallout of making a mistake.
It seems to me after reading the fine print of a few insurance companies that any cover you take out as an interpreter might not really cover you for what you think, for example:
“Commercial general liability insurance offers broad coverage for lawsuits related to third-party bodily injury and property damage. For an interpreter, this might mean:
a client, vendor or delivery person slips and falls on your business premises.
you or an employee damages a client’s property.
you are accused of false advertising, slander or libel.” (source)
I don’t know about you but I do not have “business premises” and I’m generally working in a booth - not exactly touching the client’s property.
I have found this which looks more interesting:
“Interpreter professional liability insurance (or errors and omissions insurance) provides protection if a client sues you for negligence or other wrongdoing related to your work. Professional liability policies provide coverage for the following:
Actual or alleged errors
Omissions
Professional negligence
Breach of duty
Misleading statements
Claims resulting from the performance — or nonperformance — of professional services
A professional liability policy covers defense costs, settlements and judgments. Insurance companies offer customized policies that address the specific needs of different types of professional services firms.” (source)
I feel that further research needs to be done into the precise products offered to interpreters to assess if they truly meet our needs before jumping into the first policy you can find. Also, each insurance company has different terms so the perfect product may not exist in your country.
What insurance do you use if any? Does it really provide the coverage that you need or think that you signed up for?
Bonus - for a comprehensive explanation of the changes to social security in France check out this useful page by the SFT (in French)
