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So I am currently switching jobs and the small company I work at might need me to do a little consulting/freelancing for them while they find someone to replace me.

I am not really scared of them trying to sue me since I know them all on a personal level but I would still like to cover my back.

Is there some type of legal document I could have them sign saying basically if I write bad code they can't sue me? I am based in the USA.

I would rather not get insurance since this would be something that is temporary and would only be like 20 hours of work.

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  • " if I write bad code they can't sue me" ... don't write bad code?
    – user152
    Commented May 26, 2016 at 14:15
  • Why do you think they would sue you if you had a bug in your code? What are you coding? If it's for some military/medical application (so someone's life is on the line), then you're definitely (1) going to need to meet some standards and have the code pass a spec by an authority and (2) going to need liability insurance. If it could lose someone copious amounts of money, then that code better be tested thoroughly. In both cases, this shouldn't just fall on you, it probably would be a good idea to discuss who is responsible for testing the code. But I'm not a lawyer, perhaps you should ask one.
    – user152
    Commented May 26, 2016 at 14:22
  • Have you considered just letting your current contract (perhaps modified to 0-hours) run on for a bit? It's not that weird to have two employers.
    – PixelSnader
    Commented May 27, 2016 at 15:13

2 Answers 2

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Yes, absolutely there is. You simply (ha!) need to get them to agree to add the following clause, or some variation thereof, to whatever written agreement you make with them.

[The company] agrees to indemnify and hold [you] not accountable for any loss or damage that occurs from their work, whether directly, indirectly or otherwise.

Now, the tricky part of that is that they may choose not to agree. At that point you'll want to get liability insurance. There are no end of potential suppliers and the cost, unless you're developing military or medical software, is likely to be in the tens of dollars for more cover than you could ever theoretically need.

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Consult with an attorney. We're not attorneys here.

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  • Right but there could always be someone who has had to deal with something similar here ;)
    – boidkan
    Commented May 25, 2016 at 22:11
  • Whilst this may theoretically answer the question, it would be preferable to back it with references to credible sources and/or academic research. Unbacked posts attract downvotes and disputes.
    – Be Brave Be Like Ukraine
    Commented Jan 12, 2021 at 9:49

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