Professional Liability for Elevator & Escalator Specialists
When your professional judgment is wrong, GL won't protect you. Professional liability — also called errors and omissions (E&O) insurance — covers claims arising from your professional services: inspections, design recommendations, load capacity assessments, and system certifications.
When E&O Claims Happen
- You complete a modernization inspection and certify a system; later it fails and injures a passenger
- Your load capacity recommendation is wrong; the system is subsequently overloaded
- You spec the wrong drive type for a high-rise installation; costly rework required
- An annual inspection misses a code violation; regulatory penalties result
E&O vs GL — The Distinction
GL covers what your crew does. E&O covers what you decide or certify. For elevator contractors who do inspections, certifications, or design work, both policies are necessary.
Common Questions
Do all elevator contractors need E&O?
Contractors who do only installation work under an engineer's spec may be able to skip it. But anyone who does inspections, certifications, system assessments, or provides professional recommendations needs E&O coverage.
How are E&O limits set?
E&O is typically offered per-claim with an annual aggregate: $500K/$1M or $1M/$2M are common entry points for elevator contractors. Larger inspection firms often carry $2M/$4M.