In reply to hamsforlegs:
> My terminology could be out here, but I'm pretty sure that you can be liable without being negligent. They are two different things.
You can. Civil liability simply means that you are responsible for the payment of damages etc.
You can be liable due to:
1. Contractual responsibility (e.g. you said you would pay for something but didn't).
2. Deliberate actions. (you set out to damage something that wasn't yours).
3. Negligence. (you failed to take reasonable precautions and someone suffered)
4. Strict liability. Where you are in a position that any harm suffered is automatically your responsibility.
PII does not cover the 1st two (and generally not the last), but is explicitly about covering negligence claims. Some policies (civil liability insurance) are much broader in range.