Blogging Insurance

What Type of Blogger Insurance Do I Need?

What Does Blogger Insurance Cover?

Even if you’re not a “big-name writer,” you could get on someone’s radar for a high-dollar lawsuit. Don’t consider it a compliment, either. It’s all too easy for large companies and even readers to sue you for libel, copyright infringement, defamation, and more.

Plus, even if you’re found not guilty, you still have to pay for a lawyer to defend you.

The good news? Insurance for bloggers can be found at an affordable price. We can help you find a policy that can protect your freelance business and offer some peace of mind when writing.

Here are a couple of important policies that we typically recommend to bloggers.

General Liability Insurance

When you think of general liability insurance (GL insurance), you probably think of policies that protect construction workers, general contractors, and workers in accident-prone industries. Well, bloggers can benefit from GL insurance too.

If someone visits your at-home office for an interview and gets injured, you could be at risk for a lawsuit. Plus, there is some legal precedent for holding bloggers accountable when a product they recommend injures a reader. Who would have thought? But it’s all the more reason to consider protecting yourself with General Liability blogging insurance.

In addition, you’re also at risk for libel, defamation, copyright infringement, and much more. Let’s look at a quick example.

Let’s say a food blogger, also known to be a local celebrity, writes a review of Nick’s Nachos, a local Tex-Mex restaurant. Unfortunately, the review isn’t so great. The blogger says the chips were stale and the restaurant was not worth the trip or cost. As a direct result of the review, Nick’s Nachos loses 30% of their annual revenue.

When Nick’s Nachos restaurant owner realizes that the blog post cost him significant business, he sues the blogger for libel.

If you’re a blogger, that example might suggest it’s time to strongly consider securing business insurance as soon as possible.

Here’s just one reason why. According to an industry benchmark study, the cost for reputational harm (e.g. slander or libel) can cost $35,000 on average.

Just imagine paying that out of your own pocket. Could you do it? Most bloggers can’t. And an expense like that might be enough to put the average freelance blogger’s business under water (and much more). But with blogging insurance, you’re covered up to your policy limits.

You can expect most general liability policies for bloggers to cover:

• Third-party property damage (aka clients or vendors)
• Third-party bodily injury
• Medical expenses
• Personal and advertising injury
• And more

General liability insurance usually does not cover:

• Personal property damage
• Professional services
• Employee injury and workers compensation
• Damage to your work
• Motor vehicles during business use
• Intentional injury or damage
• And more

Trust us, it can be worth the extra cost to get peace of mind, and especially worth it if you face a costly lawsuit.

Business Personal Property Insurance

As a blogger, you likely have a computer, but maybe you have a top-dollar camera too. These items might be crucial to your success. After all, can you imagine writing all of your content with pencil and paper? Forget it.

But computers and digital cameras aren’t meant to live forever. Sometimes accidents happen and they can get damaged, whether it’s by water, coffee, your toddler, or something else. If your lifeline for work (aka your laptop and/or camera) gets seriously damaged while you’re on the job, you’re likely responsible for a replacement, unless you have personal property insurance. If you already have personal property insurance as part of your blogging insurance, you can get reimbursement for your damaged property.

Talk about a breath of fresh air, especially if your business finances have been tight lately. It’s nice to have peace of mind, knowing you’re covered in the event of most accidents.

Why Do I Need Blogging Insurance?

The answer is simple. Blogging insurance can help protect you if you face a general liability claim, involving either an injury or accident, or more likely, a reputational claim. We can help you find a policy with the coverage that fits your needs at an affordable price. When you compare that to the cost of a lawsuit, insurance can be well worth investing in.

Sometimes, you can even write off blogging insurance on your income tax return. As always, it’s best to talk to an accountant before doing so.

In addition, blogging insurance can help you replace damaged property, including a laptop, digital camera, and other property that you use for work, up to your policy’s limits. That’s a nice added benefit.

If you have a customer-facing website, you can showcase that you’re insured too. It can make your customers feel more confident when hiring you. After all, if something happens, they know they may be entitled to compensation for any damage.