Does public liability insurance cover damage to property of the insured itself?

No. An AVB covers damage to third parties' property and persons. Damage to the insured's own assets falls under a business contents or property insurance, not under the AVB.

Does the AVB cover employees who are injured at work?

Many AVB policies include employer's liability (werkgeversaansprakelijkheid) as a standard extension, covering employee injury during work. However, the specific scope varies by policy, so the wording should always be checked.

What is the minimum AVB coverage a B2B contract typically requires?

Requirements vary by industry and contract size, but common thresholds in the Netherlands are 1 to 2.5 million euros per occurrence for service contracts and higher for construction and infrastructure. The contract itself sets the applicable threshold.

Can a subcontractor's lack of AVB cover expose the main contractor?

Potentially yes: if a subcontractor causes third-party harm and is uninsured, the injured party may look to the main contractor on the basis of the main contractor's own conduct or a direct tort claim. Requiring subcontractors to maintain AVB cover and to name the main contractor as an additional insured reduces this exposure.

Is pure financial loss covered by a standard AVB?

No. A standard AVB covers bodily injury and property damage to third parties. Purely financial loss, such as a client's lost profit caused by an error in a service, is excluded and falls under professional indemnity insurance.

Public/general liability insurance

Cover for damage a business causes to third parties' persons or property during operations.

Définition

Public or general liability insurance (in the Netherlands the AVB) covers a business against claims for personal injury or property damage caused to third parties in the course of its activities. Employer's liability for harm to staff is typically included. The policy does not cover purely financial loss or professional advisory errors; those fall under professional indemnity insurance. Many B2B contracts require the supplier to carry this cover.

Exemple

A cleaning firm's public liability insurer pays for a client's laptop that an employee knocked off a desk and broke.

Pourquoi c'est un risque pour l'entreprise

A business without adequate public liability cover can face claims that exceed its balance sheet from a single incident, particularly where personal injury is involved. Contractual insurance requirements that are not monitored can leave a client exposed when a supplier causes harm but carries inadequate or lapsed cover. Financial-loss claims and professional errors are not covered by an AVB, so a business that advises as well as operates may have a coverage gap if it relies on the AVB alone.

Comment le gérer

Verify that your AVB policy limit is sufficient for the scale of operations and the third-party assets you work near or with.
When contracting with suppliers, include an insurance clause requiring them to maintain AVB cover and to provide a certificate of insurance on request.
Check whether your AVB excludes specific activities relevant to your business and arrange top-up or sector-specific cover if needed.
Complement AVB cover with professional indemnity insurance if your work involves advice, design or other professional services that could cause financial loss.

Références juridiques

BW 7:925 Dutch Civil Code: insurance contract Droit néerlandais

Sauf mention contraire, les références renvoient au droit néerlandais (Burgerlijk Wetboek, le Code civil néerlandais) ; les instruments de l'UE tels que le RGPD s'appliquent dans toute l'UE. Il s'agit d'informations générales, pas de conseils juridiques. D'autres juridictions traitent ces concepts différemment. Vérifiez le texte en vigueur et votre situation avec un avocat qualifié.

Foire aux questions

Questions courantes sur ce terme.