Fitness trainers come into contact with members of the public on a regular basis whether they’re gym-based or otherwise. And anyone who comes into contact with members of the public should have public liability insurance to protect them.
But what does public liability insurance for fitness instructors cover, why do you need it and how much does it cost?
Public liability insurance cover
Public liability insurance covers your legal liability to pay compensation to a third party that alleges something you have done or failed to do has caused them to be injured, or caused their property to be damaged.
In addition to paying any compensation awarded against you, it also pays any associated expenses incurred by the claimant as well as any wages that they have lost. The legal costs are also covered.
The public liability insurer will have a legally-trained team that specialises in compensation claims and will defend you against any such claims that have been made against you. This means that you don’t need to worry about having to deal with potentially complicated legal matters.
Public liability insurance for fitness trainers should also include malpractice insurance which is an important cover extension.
Malpractice insurance
Although public liability insurance covers compensation claims arising out of things that you have done or failed to do, it does not cover compensation claims arising out of any advice that you have given.
This is a major gap in cover. It means that if someone is injured as a result of a fitness plan that you have prepared for them, you would be uninsured if they made a compensation claim against you because their injury had arisen as a result of your advice.
Malpractice insurance covers claims for bodily injury, mental and psychological damage from both physical procedures and from advice, or a combination of the two, and so it is important that fitness trainers make sure their public liability insurance policy contains this cover extension.
Why do you need public liability insurance?
Compensation claims can be extremely costly to settle. Even a relatively minor injury can result in a five-figure sum being payable. Serious injuries that result in permanent disablement can reach £250,000. Once the associated expenses, lost wages and legal costs are factored in the cost of the claim becomes even higher.
Additionally, compensation claims for injuries often involve complex legal arguments and require knowledge of legal precedents to handle them properly. Knowing what sort of compensation is appropriate for a particular type of injury means you need to constantly monitor what settlements are being made to claimants.
Most fitness instructors would struggle financially if they were faced with a bill for this level of compensation. And they’d struggle to deal with the legal issues that a compensation claim involves. Public liability insurance removes these two problems for you.
How much does public liability insurance for fitness instructors cost?
The cost of public liability insurance varies depending upon a number of factors:
- What you are doing
- How much of it you are doing
- Your experience/qualifications
- Your track record
If you are involved in high-risk fitness training, the cost of your public liability insurance will be higher because the chance of a compensation claim being made against you is greater. Similarly, if you are working with high net worth individuals, the cost of your public liability insurance will be higher because if a compensation claim is made against you, that claim could cost more to settle.
Your experience, qualifications and track record also make a difference when it comes to your insurance premium because, if you are experienced and qualified, it is less likely that you will do something that will lead to a claim. Your previous claims history will also indicate how likely it is that you will be involved in future claims.
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