Also known as E&O insurance, this is coverage available to protect freelance translators against liability for any errors and omissions they may create during the process of translation. The American Translators Association offers E&O insurance through one broker, and there are lots of others out there.
The insurance exists to protect freelance translators against liability for any errors or omission they commit while translating.
Henry Philips, CEO of HAVA Translating Inc.
The first question is answered by clients, whose needs must be respected and serviced by freelancers. If a client wants its translators to have E&O insurance, then the translators either have to have the insurance or have to negotiate their way out of the requirement. Many translators do just that, informing the client that they do not carry such a policy and have no plans to do so. Many clients then simply accept the translator as is, though some insist the translator get such insurance before any work can begin.
However, this is rare. Most translation agencies and companies in the U.S. do not expect or require freelance translators to carry E&O insurance. An examination of the expectations of approximately 100 translation agencies and companies currently or recently in business found that none of them required E&O insurance.
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