Is there anything that I can do to prevent my premium from increasing? There are many actions with little or no cost that can be done. Tip 39 – Do you check that your contractors are insured? Over the years I have experienced a number of cases where a Third Party successfully sues a retailer for an injury which has clearly been caused by a contractor working on their shop premises. You would understandably assume that if yourself or your staff are not responsible for the occurance that you can’t be held liable. Wrong! The law allows what is commonly referred to as “the one percent rule” apply where no insurance is in place for the responsible party. This allows a judge to decide to attribute 1% of responsibility to the “innocent” retailer simply because it happened on their premises and even though the contractor is considered to be 99% responsible, the fact that the contractor is uninsured forces the insurer of the shop to pay 100% of the claim. This is perceived to be protecting the innocent injured party. Never allow any contractor to carry out any work of any kind on your premises unless they have provided you with written verification from their insurer that they have both current Public and Employers Liability insurance. Always remember – call us to discuss any/every incident. We will advise and guide you.