Why Social Workers Need Professional Liability Insurance

As a social worker, you care deeply about other people. Whether you work with children, adults, or the elderly, you may want to consider professional liability insurance to keep your business protected and going strong.

Understanding the Risks Social Workers Face

Because you deal with sensitive information and complex issues, including mental health, the welfare of children, family conflicts, and even substance abuse, you may be exposed to risks unique to social workers. 

Negligence claims

If you’re a social worker, a client can accuse you of failing to handle their case properly. They can even sue you for negligence. Even if the lawsuit is unsuccessful, you may have to cover the legal costs to defend yourself. 

Errors or omissions in their work

We’re all human. People make mistakes — even the best social workers. When mistakes do happen, like forgetting to submit paperwork for a client’s legal benefits, you could be putting your business at risk. If a client loses rights to housing, or if you fail to support paperwork during a divorce, your client could blame you for the monetary loss. Fortunately, professional liability insurance, also sometimes called errors or omissions insurance, can help protect you.

Breach of confidentiality and allegations of misconduct

If you accidentally share sensitive information regarding a client, you could be at risk for a breach of confidentiality. This is especially true if the information shared is health, legal, or other personal information. 

It’s also possible that you could face claims of misconduct. Even if it’s a false claim, you may still have to pay legal costs to defend yourself. 

How Professional Liability Insurance Can Help 

Professional liability insurance can help cover the cost of hiring a lawyer, settlements, and other legal costs. Without insurance, you may have to pay out-of-pocket for these expenses. 

Additional benefits of professional liability insurance.

Insurance offers financial protection, but it also offers peace of mind and reduced stress. With liability coverage, you can rest easy knowing that you’re protected if you face a claim. Professional liability insurance also:

• Enhances your reputation and credibility. A policy can help increase trust among your clients.
• Minimizes business disruption. It can prevent you from losing work or your business from shutting down.
• Helps comply with legal and contractual obligations. You may be required to carry professional liability insurance to be licensed. 

Choosing the Right Professional Liability Insurance

At Simply Business, we make choosing liability insurance for social workers like you easy. When you compare policies, you will want to look at:

We’ve helped more than 1 million customers worldwide from the right policy, at the right price. Our fast and easy online process can help you compare quotes in just a few minutes. If you have questions or need more help finding a policy, we have agents who can help. You can reach out to a member of our team Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) at 844-654-7272. 

Protecting You is a Priority

We want to see your social work practice succeed. That’s why we offer a Resource Center with detailed information regarding professional liability insurance, as well as other guides, tools, and tips for small business owners like you. 

While you’re there, you may want to look at:

• How to Find the Right Small Business Insurance Policy
• Professional Liability Insurance Cost: How to Avoid Sticker Shock
• What is Professional Liability Insurance? A Guide for Small Business Owners