28 Sept 2020
Can I be blamed for my client's clueless actions?
* With Jack
* Even as someone responsible for the website and not the product itself, there is nothing stopping an unreasonable client from blaming you if they get into trouble for their online presence
* Whatever your role and the service you offer, with every project there is the risk of a client being unhappy with the work you’ve done. However, that risk is heightened with clients that have exhibited red flags like this one
* Whilst you should have processes in place to ensure client's sign-off on your design, copy etc, there is nothing stopping the client from saying "That was your job and why we hired you. You didn't do the job we expected you to do"
* When things go wrong, it’s easy for people to become defensive and shift the blame elsewhere. Clients are no different
* At With Jack we've seen similar case where the freelancer's copy had a typo and, despite it going through quality control by the client, they didn’t pick up on it and blamed the freelancer
* This is one of the reasons why professional indemnity insurance exists—to defend you against claims of actual or alleged negligence
* Your professional indemnity policy might be able to help you defend these allegations by giving you access to legal experts who will negotiate with your client on your behalf. If damages have to be paid, your insurance could cover the cost of those too