Public Liability Insurance: Effective Protection Against Professional Liability Risks in Public Service
3 Apr 2025
4
Minutes
Katrin Straub
Managing Director at nextsure
A moment of carelessness at work can quickly lead to substantial compensation claims. Professional liability insurance offers essential protection in such cases. Learn how to optimally protect yourself.
The topic in brief and concise terms
A professional liability insurance is essential for civil servants and employees in the public service, as they can be held personally liable for damages caused by gross negligence in the course of duty, and the employer may seek recourse.
The cost of professional liability insurance is small compared to the potential financial damage and depends on the specific professional group and the associated risk.
When choosing your professional liability insurance, ensure it has a sufficiently high coverage amount (at least ten million euros recommended) and includes important services such as key loss and recourse claims.
Service Liability Insurance: Key Facts for a Quick Overview
The professional liability insurance protects civil servants and employees in the public sector. It covers personal, property, and financial damages while on duty. Often, it complements the personal liability insurance. The costs vary significantly depending on the professional group. Annual premiums can range from nine to seventy-nine euros. This coverage is crucial as the employer can demand recourse in the event of gross negligence. Comprehensive protection safeguards against existentially threatening claims. The necessity of such coverage is often underestimated.
Practical Relevance: Why Professional Liability Insurance is Indispensable
In everyday professional life, small mistakes can quickly lead to significant financial consequences. A teacher overlooks a hazard during a school trip, resulting in a student's injury. Without suitable public liability insurance, the treatment costs might have to be covered privately. An administrative officer makes an error in a permit, causing a citizen financial loss. Such financial damages can quickly amount to five-figure sums. The public liability insurance examines claims and provides coverage if justified. It thus offers essential protection against the financial repercussions of professional oversights. Personal liability insurance does not cover such professional risks. Hence, specific coverage for professional activities is essential.
Here are some typical incidents covered by public liability insurance:
A police officer causes a traffic accident with personal and property damage during an operational drive.
An employee in the youth welfare office neglects their duty of supervision, resulting in harm to a child.
A tax officer delays the execution of a tax assessment, leading to the tax debt becoming statute-barred.
A teacher damages expensive measuring equipment in physics class due to insufficient explanation of the experimental setup.
The loss of an official master key necessitates the replacement of the entire locking system.
These examples illustrate how quickly high costs can arise in everyday professional life. Therefore, solid coverage is essential for many occupational groups in the public sector.
Expert Knowledge: Understanding Legal Foundations and Coverage Depth
The liability of civil servants and employees in public service is regulated by law. According to Article thirty-four of the Basic Law (GG), the state or the employer is generally liable. However, in cases of intent or gross negligence, the employer can seek recourse against the employee. This is also enshrined in Paragraph seventy-five of the Federal Civil Service Act (BBG). The distinction between simple and gross negligence is often crucial. Courts assess this on a case-by-case basis, with gross negligence representing a particularly serious breach of duty. Professional liability insurance usually also covers damages caused by gross negligence. However, damages caused intentionally are usually excluded. The sum insured should be chosen to be sufficiently high; experts often recommend at least ten million euros. Some providers even offer coverage sums up to sixty million euros. Our expert tip: Carefully check what services are included in your policy, for example, the loss of service keys or damage to service vehicles. A comprehensive consultation helps to avoid coverage gaps.
Costs and Services: Find the right plan for your professional liability insurance
The premiums for professional liability insurance are low compared to the potential damage. The costs depend on the professional group and the associated risk. Teachers often pay lower premiums than, for example, police officers or bailiffs. Many insurers offer professional liability as an additional component to personal liability insurance. This can be a cost-effective solution, available from just a few euros per month. When choosing a tariff, pay attention not only to the price but especially to the included services. Important aspects are:
The amount of coverage for personal, material, and financial damages.
The inclusion of key loss (service keys, code cards).
The coverage of the employer’s recourse claims.
The area of validity (e.g., during foreign assignments).
Any excess in the event of a claim.
Some tariffs also cover damage to fiscal property or the use of service vehicles. A careful comparison of different offers is advisable. nextsure assists you in identifying the optimal protection for your needs. Investing in a good professional liability insurance safeguards your personal assets from significant financial burdens.
More useful links
Wikipedia offers a comprehensive article on official liability that explains the basics of this special form of liability in public service.
On Gesetze im Internet, you can find the exact wording of paragraph 839 of the Civil Code (BGB), which regulates liability for breach of official duty.
Article 34 of the Basic Law (GG), which deals with liability for breach of official duty, is also available on Gesetze im Internet.
The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) regularly publishes press releases on various topics that may also be relevant to public service.
The dbb civil servants' association and tariff union offers a detailed article on liability in public service in its lexicon.
The German Bundestag provides information on the liability of federal ministers and other relevant topics in its text archive.
The Ministry of Justice of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Justiz.NRW) offers comprehensive information on official liability.
FAQ
Wer benötigt eine Dienst Haftpflichtversicherung?
Beamte und Angestellte des öffentlichen Dienstes benötigen eine Dienst Haftpflichtversicherung. Dazu zählen beispielsweise Lehrer, Polizisten, Verwaltungsmitarbeiter, Richter und Soldaten, da sie für dienstlich verursachte Schäden bei grober Fahrlässigkeit persönlich haften können.
Was passiert, wenn ich keine Dienst Haftpflichtversicherung habe?
Ohne eine Dienst Haftpflichtversicherung müssen Sie für Schäden, die Sie im Dienst grob fahrlässig verursachen, mit Ihrem Privatvermögen haften. Dies kann, insbesondere bei Personenschäden, zu existenzbedrohenden finanziellen Belastungen führen, da der Dienstherr Regressansprüche stellen kann.
Deckt meine Privathaftpflicht auch Schäden im Dienst ab?
Nein, die private Haftpflichtversicherung deckt in der Regel nur Schäden ab, die im privaten Bereich entstehen. Für Schäden während der dienstlichen Tätigkeit ist eine separate Dienst Haftpflichtversicherung erforderlich.
Wie hoch sollte die Deckungssumme meiner Dienst Haftpflichtversicherung sein?
Experten empfehlen eine Deckungssumme von mindestens zehn Millionen Euro, besser sind dreißig bis sechzig Millionen Euro, pauschal für Personen-, Sach- und Vermögensschäden, da insbesondere Personenschäden sehr hohe Kosten verursachen können.
Was bedeutet Regress des Dienstherrn?
Regress bedeutet, dass der Dienstherr (Arbeitgeber im öffentlichen Dienst) von Ihnen Schadensersatz fordert, wenn er für einen von Ihnen grob fahrlässig verursachten Schaden aufkommen musste. Die Dienst Haftpflichtversicherung schützt Sie vor diesen Rückforderungsansprüchen.
Sind auch Vermögensschäden durch die Dienst Haftpflichtversicherung abgedeckt?
Ja, eine gute Dienst Haftpflichtversicherung deckt auch reine Vermögensschäden ab. Das sind finanzielle Nachteile, die Dritten entstehen, ohne dass eine Person verletzt oder eine Sache beschädigt wurde, beispielsweise durch eine fehlerhafte Beratung oder eine versäumte Frist.
