News & Info

While public liability insurance is not legally required in Ireland, most businesses have this insurance in place. Public liability insurance is used as financial protection for a company if they’re found to be liable for an injury or loss to someone as a result of their business.

For businesses that offer personal care such as cosmetic procedures, this insurance would be required to compensate clients if they are injured as a result of errors in the procedure.

However, not all businesses have this type of insurance. This can make it difficult for someone to receive compensation to pay for medical expenses, or other costs incurred, as a result of an injury sustained from that business’ practice.

Solicitor Elaine Hickey has encountered such businesses who have not held insurance. These businesses have been unable and unwilling to pay compensation to clients who have been injured on their premises due to negligent treatment.

She explains: ‘We, and indeed our clients, have been dismayed to discover reputable, successful businesses that do not have the insurance policies in place. I think most people assume that all registered businesses, especially those offering services that can have an impact on your personal well-being, must have insurance. But we’re seeing that this is not always the case. This is concerning for us, and indeed for our clients, who have been injured because of the negligence of some of these companies.”

Unfortunately, there is no national insurance register to check if a business is fully insured or not. If you are considering a cosmetic procedure, or anything that could put your health at risk, check in advance if the service provider has public liability insurance. This may be noted on their website, or you could ask to see proof of insurance.

An insured business will have no problem in providing this, If the business is unwilling to supply proof of insurance, this could be a red flag that they might not have cover.

Importantly, shop around and make sure you are comfortable with the provider of the service before you commit to going ahead with any procedure.

“If you are having any kind of invasive procedure, fully research the business and the person who will be doing the procedure. If possible, meet them in advance to go through any questions you might have, and get an understanding of the risks involved,” explains Elaine.