Videographer Liability Insurance

Suppose someone at an event you are working at trips over your light stand and sustains injuries or property damage; This will result in a lawsuit, which necessitates video production liability insurance.

Many types of videographer liability insurance are available. But the most useful are general liability insurance, public liability insurance, and professional liability insurance.

General Liability Insurance For Videographers

	CoverWallet	NEXT (Best)	Thimble	Hiscox	Full Frame	The Hartford	Progressive
Per occurrence limit	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000/$2,000,000	$300,000/$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
Aggregate limit	$2,000,000	$1,000,000/$2,000,000	$1,000,000/$2,000,000	$600,000/$2,000,000	$2,000,000	$2,000,000	$2,000,000
Products and completed operations aggregate limit	$2,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	Included	$1,000,000
Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	Included	$1,000,000
Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit	$100,000	$100,000	$5,000	$100,000	$300,000	Included	$300,000
Waiver of subrogation included?	Yes	No	Included	Can be included	No	Included	Included
Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included?	Yes	No	Excluded	Can be included	No	Included	Excluded
Equipment breakdown floater included?	No	Yes	Yes	Can be included	Yes	Included	Yes
Can you get a certificate of insurance online?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Included	Yes
Name additional insureds?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Included	Yes
Deductible	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0

Before hiring you, clients might request general liability insurance.

General liability insurance grants coverage for bodily injury claims and property damage claims. Clients will ask you to get this and name them as additional insureds. Here are some situations where you’ll find this videography insurance useful:

You were hired as a videographer for a cycling event. While following the cyclists using a motorbike, the brakes stopped working. As a result, you rammed some of the participants and they got injured
A car company hired you to make a film about their displays. The C-stand was improperly installed. As a result, it toppled over and hit one of the client’s car displays

The general liability policy of professional and freelance videographer insurance packages doesn’t only cover claims for bodily injuries or property damage as it comes with add-ons. Expect to see these included in the policy’s terms:

Tools and equipment coverage
Rented premises liability coverage
Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage

Public Liability Insurance For Videographers

Public liability insurance for videographers is meant to protect your business in the event that a member of the public files an injury claim or was to claim you damaged their property. The policy will cover the legal fees accrued in the defense against the claim. In the event that the claim is ruled in favor of the complainant, the policy will cover the compensation or reimbursements.

Note that public liability insurance is rarely sold in the USA. Commercial insurance companies in the US offer this as part of a general liability policy. However, in the UK, you’ll commonly find public liability insurance instead of general liability insurance.

Professional Liability Insurance For Videographers

	CoverWallet	NEXT	Thimble (Best)	Hiscox	Full Frame	The Hartford	Progressive
Per occurrence limit	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000/$2,000,000	$1,000,000	$200,000	$1,000,000	$500,000
Aggregate limit	$2,000,000	$2,000,000	$1,000,000/$2,000,000	$1,000,000	$200,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
Name additional insureds?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Waiver of subrogation included?	Yes	No	Yes	Can be included	Yes	Yes	No
License defense coverage included?	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Deductible	$500	$500	$500	$50/$10,000	$500	$500	$500

General liability insurance doesn’t cover exposures that are caused by your negligence, inexperience, or oversights. And so, only having this doesn’t guarantee comprehensive protection.

You need to purchase professional liability insurance that covers the gaps of a general liability policy. Use the table above to compare the professional liability insurance of companies we recommend.

A professional liability policy is the videography business insurance that provides protection if clients file a claim because issues resulted from your services. Below are some situations where you’ll find this useful:

You accidentally deleted the files for a film production project. As a result, you failed to deliver the output on time and the client lost money
You were hired for a party. One of the kids tripped and got electrocuted because you failed to isolate the wiring of a video equipment
A client was unhappy because the video recording you made for them was poorly edited and had poor sound quality. He then filed a claim and accused you of overinflating the cost of your service and faking your portfolio

Video production business insurance packages might allow you to choose between a claims-made professional liability policy and an occurrence based professional liability policy.

The per occurrence professional liability insurance is the better option because it provides coverage during and after its policy duration, so long as the covered peril happens while you’re an active policyholder.

Sexual abuse and molestation coverage might be included in a videographer’s professional liability policy. Another add-on to professional liability insurance is media liability coverage which grants protection if your video production is offensive, has violated intellectual property rights, etc.

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Commercial Property Insurance For Videographers

	CoverWallet	NEXT (Best)	Thimble	Hiscox	The Hartford	Progressive
Building coverage limit (minimum)	$50,000	$170,000	$25,000/$500,000	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000
Contents coverage limit (minimum)	$50,000	$20,000	$25,000/$500,000	$25,000	$50,000	$25,000
Outdoor signs	Excluded	$2,500	Excluded	$2,500	Included	Included
Accounts receivable	Excluded	Excluded	$5,000/$10,000	Excluded	Included	Included
Money and securities	Excluded	$2,500	$1,000	Included	Included	Included
Lock and keys	Excluded	$2,500	Excluded	Included	Included	Included
Business interruption floater	Excluded	Included	Included	Included	Included	Included
Equipment breakdown floater	Excluded	Included	Excluded	Included	Excluded	Excluded
Inland marine insurance floater	Excluded	Excluded	$10,000	Excluded	Included	Included
Employee dishonesty floater	Excluded	$5,000	$2,500	Excluded	Included	Included

Similar to a photography insurance program, videography insurance program will offer a commercial property policy if you own an office, studio, or any other building that’s used for commercial purposes.

Use the table above to compare the commercial property insurance of companies we recommend.

Commercial property insurance ensures that you survive in case your office or videography studio gets damaged or destroyed because of:

Fire
Theft
Vandalism
Malicious mischief
Civil commotion
Lightning
Volcanic action
Sinkhole collapse
Aircraft
Impact
Vehicle
Falling objects

When any of the above perils happen, commercial property insurance will give you money equal to the actual cash value or replacement cost of the building.

Of course, this videography business insurance doesn’t only cover your studio or office. Coverage also applies to video cameras, laptops, tripods, lighting, props, microphone, audio cables, and valuable documents. However, note that this is only the case if damage or destruction happened within the premises of your business.

Business Owner’s Policy For Videographers

	CoverWallet	Thimble	NEXT (Best)	Hiscox	The Hartford	Progressive
General liability aggregate limit	$2,000,000	$2,000,000	$1,000,000/$2,000,000	$300,000/$2,000,000	$2,000,000	$2,000,000
Commercial property coverage limit	$50,000	$500,000	$250,000	$50,000	$50,000	$25,000
Optional policies can be added?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Name additional insureds for free?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
BOP discount?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Professional and freelance videographer insurance plans allow you to bundle general liability and commercial property insurance into a business owner’s policy.

So basically, a business owner’s policy is a fusion of general liability insurance and commercial property insurance. By buying this, you get immediate coverage against liability lawsuits and business property damage.

What makes a business owner’s policy great is that it offers a 5%-10% discount. This is something that you wouldn’t experience by buying general liability and commercial property insurance as stand-alone policies.

Note that a business owner’s policy isn’t available all the time. Your business profile will determine your eligibility for this coverage. Use the table above to compare the business owner’s policy of companies we recommend.

Video Production Equipment Insurance

	NEXT (Best)	Thimble	Hiscox	Full Frame
Aggregate limit	$3,000/$10,000	$2,500/$5,000	$5,000/$25,000	$5,000/$75,000
Covers hired and borrowed equipment?	$5,000/$10,000	$2,500/$5,000	No	No
Miscellaneous equipment also covered?	$5,000/$10,000	No	No	No
Offered as an endorsement to general liability insurance?	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Deductible	$500	$500	$0	$0

Videography equipment can be as expensive as filmmaking equipment. You will incur significant financial losses if your video cameras, laptop, drones, and other devices get lost or damaged.

Video production equipment insurance allows you to cover equipment repair or replacement expenses without incurring financial losses. Use the table above to compare the features of this insurance, as underwritten by the best companies

The coverage of this videography business insurance applies when video cameras, drones, laptops, and other devices get damaged or lost due to:

Fire
Theft
Vandalism
Operator error
Impact
Electrical shorts
Electrical surge
Mechanical breakdown

There are some salient points you need to remember about this coverage. First, this insurance doesn’t cover normal wear and tear. Second, tools and equipment under financing might not be covered. Third, depending on which insurance company you work with, video equipment insurance might cover borrowed or hired equipment.

Videography Commercial Auto Insurance

You use a cargo van or any other similar vehicle to transport equipment and personnel to different project sites. And so, it’s crucial for you to get commercial auto insurance. Commercial auto insurance has the following functions:

Auto liability coverage-Auto liability coverage in commercial auto insurance will cover medical expenses and reimbursements if your videography business’s vehicle causes an accident. Also, this will cover administrative costs, settlements, compensatory payments, and other legal expenses if concerned third parties decide to take things to court
Physical damage coverage-Physical damage coverage has two types; collision and comprehensive. Comprehensive physical damage coverage will cover your videography vehicle’s parts repair or replacement if it got damaged due to fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils. On the other hand, collision physical damage coverage will cover parts repair or replacement if your videography business’s vehicle incurred damage after colliding with a car or object
MedPay/personal injury protection - MedPay/personal injury protection covers the driver and passengers of your videography business’s vehicle. MedPay covers funeral and medical expenses. On the other hand, personal injury protection covers funeral expenses, medical expenses, after-hospital visits, rehabilitation, lost income compensation, etc.

Workers Compensation Insurance For Videographers

Work-related injuries can happen while you’re working with employees to capture videos. Of course, other injuries are simply unavoidable as they’re a result of day to day tasks.

Work-related injuries continue to be one of the most costly exposures when running a business. And so, be smart and invest in workers compensation insurance.

Workers compensation insurance initially covers full-time and part-time employees. However, insurance companies allow you to name yourself as an insured.

So how does this insurance work? When you or an employee sustains a work-related injury or disease, workers compensation will kick in and cover these costs:

EMT service
Medical treatment
Hospitalization
Medication
Rehabilitation and retraining
Lost wages
Funeral expenses and allowance to dependents in case of death

Understand that authorities will impose stiff fines and penalties if your part-time and full-time employees are not covered by workers compensation insurance. If you’re working with independent contractors, interns, or volunteers, then you can skip getting this coverage.

Cyber Liability Insurance For Videographers

It’s very problematic if the raw footage and other important files for an output get wiped. In such a scenario, cyber liability insurance can help.

Cyber liability insurance comes with an electronic data loss coverage. This will cover the extra expenses for recovering data that got lost because of data breach or human error.

Aside from covering data loss, cyber liability insurance can also help if your computer gets hacked because of a cyber attack or cyber security issue. Things commonly covered are:

Public relations expenses
Attorney fees and other legal costs
Professional services for containing the breach
Lost revenues

One Day Videographer Insurance

	Thimble	Full Frame
Per occurrence limit	$1,000,000/$2,000,000	$300,000/$1,000,000
Aggregate limit	$1,000,000/$2,000,000	$600,000/$2,000,000
Products and completed operations aggregate limit	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit	$5,000	$100,000
Coverage duration	Up to one month	1-3 days

One day videographer insurance is a short-term general liability policy that lasts for a minimum of 24 hours. This is the best insurance for videographers that only work as side hustlers.

Of course, you can extend the coverage up to several weeks if needed. Note that the features of one day videographer insurance vary depending on which insurance company it came from. That said, use the table above to compare the features of this coverage from companies we recommend.

Wedding Videographer Insurance

Your client’s wedding insurance won’t provide coverage for the unexpected costs and financial losses if an accident happens during the wedding because of your fault.

Wedding videographer insurance is a specialty insurance plan made for videographers that solely work on wedding events.

This insurance package grants coverage for three days or one year depending on your choice. Policies included are general liability, tools and equipment, cyber liability, and professional liability insurance.

Videographer Insurance Cost

	Cost per Month	Cost per Year	Deductible
General liability insurance	$22	$264	$0-$500
Professional liability insurance	$32	$384	$500-$1,000
Commercial property insurance	$30	$360	$1,000-$2,500
Business owner’s policy	$50	$600	$500-$1,000
Commercial auto insurance	$60	$720	$1,000-$1,500
Workers compensation insurance	$75	$900	$2,000-$5,000
Cyber liability insurance	$73	$876	$500-$1,000
Video equipment insurance	Cost usually added to general liability insurance	Cost usually added to general liability insurance	$500

The average videographer insurance cost is $22 per month or $264 per year for a $1 million general liability insurance. This assumes that you’re a videographer with 5 employees and make $500,000 or less per year. Costs vary depending on several factors, such as duration of coverage, claims history, business history, location, number of employees, annual revenue, and annual payroll.

You can get a further idea about the cost of premiums by taking a look at this table that shows how much the best videographer insurance companies charge for a $1 million general liability policy:

	Cost per Month	Cost per Year	Best for:
NEXT	$15	$180	Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for videographers
CoverWallet	$17	$204	Videographer insurance quotes comparison online
Thimble	$20	$240	Videographer insurance by the hours, days, weeks, or months
Hiscox	$25.41	$304.92	Videographer insurance with worldwide coverage
Hill & Usher	$31	$372	Highly tailored insurance for videography studios
Progressive	$54	$648	Customizable videographer insurance
Full Frame	$59	$708	Freelance videographers
The Hartford	$62	$744	Business owner’s policy for videographers

Don't forget to compare quotes online. Comparing quotes is one of the best ways to find the best coverage and avoid getting scammed. Start by clicking the "Get Quotes" button on this page.

Compare Cheap Videographer Insurance Quotes Online

Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!

Best Videographer Insurance Companies

When looking for a videographer insurance company to work with, you want to look out for insurers whose policy can protect your videography business against costly claims, equipment mishaps, and more. Don't let unplanned events damage your reputation or get in the way of your videography business. Here are the best videographer insurance companies to consider working with. Read to know their pros, cons, and monthly pricing for a $1 million general liability coverage.

NEXT Videographer Insurance

Pros

Best overall
Get an online proof of insurance and send as a text message, email, or social media post
Fastest general liability insurance for videographers
Great customer service and reputation
Issues an online proof of insurance instantly
Outstanding value for money
Bundle two or more insurance policies and get a 10% discount

Cons

Couldn’t find any

NEXT’s videography insurance offers commercial auto, general liability, workers compensation, and commercial property insurance. You have the option of bundling two or more policies into a business owner’s policy for a 10% discount. Choose NEXT because it provides a live certificate of insurance you can send as a text message, email, or social media post.

Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for videographers

Average cost: $15 per month

Our rating: 10/10

CoverWallet Videographer Insurance

Pros

Provides four coverage options
Stable rates
Get insured and pay premiums online
Streamlined online policy management

Cons

Policy cancellation takes a long time to process

Coverwallet will ensure you through its insurance for video production services. This is a tailored insurance coverage offering four coverage options-general liability only, general liability and commercial property insurance, business owner’s policy with workers comp, and a custom plan.

Don’t forget that CoverWallet is ready to help you find the best coverage. Use this company’s online quotes comparison platform to see the offers and pricing of other companies providing tailored coverage for videographers.

Best for: Videographer insurance quotes comparison online

Average cost: $17 per month

Our rating: 10/10

Thimble Videographer Insurance

Pros

Affordable pricing with policies starting at $17 per month

Ease of use with quotes being processed online in less than 60 seconds

Coverage amounts of between $1,000,000 to $2,000,000

You can purchase coverage by the hour, weeks, days, or months

Cons

You can’t reach customer service by calling

Founded only in 2016, Thimble, known in the past as Verifly, is the newest kid on the block. Their videographer policy is underwritten by Markel Insurance Company and Global Aerospace Inc., both of which hold good AM Best ratings.

The videographer insurance policy from Thimble is good because of the insurer's level of flexibility. You do not have to pay for a year of coverage as you can purchase an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly policy. Thimble offers:

General liability
Professional liability
Additional covers including drone insurance

Note that with these policies, you are able to add extra insureds, like the venue administrator, for free. Additionally, you will get waivers of subrogation when you purchase the cover without any additional costs.

Best for: Videographer insurance by the hours, days, weeks, or months

Average cost: $20 per month

Our rating: 9/10

Hiscox Videographer Insurance

Pros

Worldwide coverage
14-day money-back guarantee
Automatic policy renewal

Cons

You need to call an agent to avail other business insurance policies

Hiscox’s videographer insurance offers a business owner’s policy and cyber liability insurance online. Hiscox’s business owner’s policy offers a general liability coverage with a $300,000-$1 million per occurrence limit and $600,000-$2 million aggregate limit.

The commercial property coverage of the business owner’s policy provides a minimum $25,000 for the building and its contents.

As for Hiscox’s cyber liability insurance, this has a $250,000 per occurrence limit and a $250,000-$1 million aggregate limit.

Best for: Videographer insurance with worldwide coverage

Average cost: $25.41 per month

Our rating: 9/10

Hill & Usher Videographer Insurance

Pros

The standard policy can be a million or higher
Free, customizable quotes are available online
Comprehensive insurance policies are available

Cons

Not as digital-friendly
Policies are underwritten by a third-party
No one-day videography policies

While Hill & Usher is a full-service insurance agency, its policies are underwritten by third-party insurers, including Zurich, Travelers, Firemen's Fund, and The Hartford. Still, their specialty photography insurance plan, Package Choice, is one to beat.

This package offers various coverage options depending on a number of factors, including whether the videographer has their own private studio or not. They work with you to ensure that your policy best meets your business needs.

Best for: Highly tailored insurance for videography studios

Average cost: $31 per month

Our rating: 8/10

The Hartford Videographer Insurance

Pros

A pool of coverage options
Longstanding insurer with more than a century of experience
Each client is assigned an agent from the point of a quote request

Cons

No one-day videography policy on offer

The Hartford was established in 1810 and has built a solid reputation offering a number of insurance products for vehicles, homes, and businesses.

The Hartford is the most traditional insurer on this list. Its employee coverage stands out as it combines worker's compensation and employer’s liability. If you are a small business looking for an insurer you can grow with, The Hartford is a safe option.

It is noteworthy that The Hartford offers a Business Owner's policy as part of their photography insurance offering. Further, you get a cover to cushion you in the event that your income is interrupted.

Best for: Business owner’s policy for videographers

Average cost: $62 per month

Our rating: 8/10

Progressive Videographer Insurance

Pros

Extensive experience and a strong reputation
Online quotes are processed in a few minutes
Multiple coverage options offered

Cons

Processing a quote is tedious as you've got to give a considerable amount of personal and business information

One-day videography insurance is not offered

Progressive has been in operation since 1937, during which time they have diversified their insurance product pool to include photography and videography insurance. Once you contact Progressive, you are provided with an agent who'll work with you to customize your photography business insurance. The insurer boasts an A++ rating and has a robust financial standing. Thus, you can rest assured that claims and reimbursements will be paid on time.

Best for: Customizable videographer insurance

Average cost: $54 per month

Our rating: 8/10

Full Frame Videographer Insurance

Pros

Option of one-day insurance policies or yearly plan
Tailor-made to meet your videography business
24/7 access to your policy documents

Cons

Iowa, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts are excluded from coverage

A newer company without much of a reputation

Full Frame Insurance offers photographers and videographers policy plans for as low as $59. These policies are underwritten by a partner, Veracity Insurance Solution. You do not have the option of tailoring your coverage to meet your specific business needs. Still, you have the option of multiple add-ons. Policies you can get from this company are general liability, professional liability, cyber liability, equipment insurance, and more.

Best for: Freelance videographers

Average cost: $59 per month

Our rating: 7/10