Fitness instructors who offer individual and/or group training at gyms and health clubs sometimes have certain insurance protections through their club. Even if you are covered by a gym’s insurance policy, however, it’s still often wise to purchase your own fitness instructor insurance policy. Here’s why.
Do I Have Enough Fitness Instructor Insurance Through My Gym?
You Can Be Personally Held Liable
First, simply working at a gym or health club doesn’t shield you from all potential lawsuits. You run a separate business if you’re an independent contractor, and your business can often be held financially liable for any injuries or harm that you cause.
Even if you’re a wage-earning employee of the gym (and not an independent contractor), a client may still sue both the gym and you if they have a claim to pursue. In many cases, lawyers will try to sue any party that might be held responsible for an incident.
By purchasing a fitness instructor insurance policy, you’ll make sure you have protection against a range of potential liability suits regardless of whether your gym offers coverage.
Your Gym’s Insurance Coverage Might Be Limited
Second, any insurance for fitness instructors that your gym does provide may not meet your desired protections. The limits may be lower than you’d like, or the insurance could have exclusions that prevent certain services you offer from being covered. Once in a while, a gym might even have a lapse in coverage that leaves its instructors completely unprotected until a new policy is put in place.
All of these situations can leave you more exposed to risk than you’d like to be. When you purchase your own insurance for fitness instructors, you can work with a specialized agent to make sure your personal policy has all the protections you want and need.
Your Gym or Health Club Could Sue You
Third, being sued by your own gym isn’t outside the realm of possibility. If you cause extensive damage to gym equipment, the repair or replacement costs could total thousands of dollars. Your gym might try to recoup those costs from you by filing a claim or suit against you.
In the event that you’re sued by your gym, whether the gym’s insurance policy would provide coverage for you might be questionable. Having your own insurance for fitness instructors policy would ensure you were protected against covered claims even if they were brought by your gym.
Your Gym Won’t Cover Off-Site Services
Fourth, don’t expect any off-site services that you offer independent of your gym to be covered by the gym’s insurance policy. If you offer classes in a local park, in-home exercise advice or other services on your own, those will probably only be covered by an insurance policy you purchase yourself.
Your Gym May Not Cover Products You Sell
Finally, some policies that provide insurance for fitness instructors come with product liability coverage. This coverage normally covers claims related to damage or injury that’s caused by sold or rented products, and it’s generally an important coverage if you sell in-home equipment or dietary aids.
Your gym may already have product liability coverage, but this likely only extends to products that the gym actually sells. If you recommend products and receive a commission for items that the gym sells, you might not need this coverage. If you sell products on your own and pocket the profits, however, you almost certainly should consider getting your own product liability coverage.
Find Fitness Instructor Insurance for Yourself
If you don’t have fitness instructor insurance, contact the independent insurance agents at World Insurance Associates to discuss your situation and professional insurance needs. Our agents are highly experienced with this type of insurance, and they’ll be able to help you determine whether purchasing your own policy makes sense in your situation. If it does, they can also help you find an affordable option that includes the right coverages for you.