Professional liability insurance — also called Errors & Omissions (E&O) — is the coverage most interpreters and translators ask about first. For many professional-services roles these two terms refer to the same kind of coverage. It is generally intended to help respond to claims that allege a mistranslation, missed nuance, garbled communication, or breach of confidentiality connected to the interpreting or translation work itself.
What it is generally intended to address
For interpreters and translators, professional liability (E&O) is typically used to respond to allegations connected to the work, such as:
- a claim that a mistranslation or misinterpretation affected a medical, legal, or business outcome;
- an allegation that a nuance, term, or instruction was missed or garbled during an assignment;
- a dispute over the accuracy or completeness of a written translation;
- an allegation of a breach of confidentiality involving information learned during an assignment.
In the event of a covered claim, this kind of coverage may help with the costs of responding — which can include defense costs — subject to the terms of the actual policy. Whether any particular matter would be covered depends entirely on the policy language and the facts.
Illustrative scenarios
These are general illustrations only — they do not imply that a similar claim would be covered:
- A patient alleges that a mistranslated medication instruction contributed to an adverse outcome during a hospital interpreting assignment.
- A party in a legal proceeding disputes the accuracy of interpreted testimony.
- A client asserts that a written translation contained material errors and seeks to recover costs.
- A client alleges that confidential information discussed during an assignment was improperly disclosed.
In situations like these, professional liability (E&O) is the coverage that would typically be looked to first.
Who this is built for
Medical interpreters, legal and court interpreters, conference interpreters, community and social-services interpreters, sign language / ASL interpreters, video remote and over-the-phone interpreters, and translators are all welcome to request a quote.
Packaging and limits
Professional liability and general liability can often be packaged together on the same policy, which many interpreters find convenient. Liability limits from $500,000 up to $10,000,000 may be available, subject to the carrier and your state. If you are not sure what limit fits, you can ask us to recommend one.