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How Much Does Personal Trainer Liability Insurance Cost
The fitness industry has grown exponentially in recent
years. According to statista.com[1], 54% of all respondents go to a gym at least
a few times a week meaning the demand for health and fitness professionals is
at an all-time high.
A personal training career requires an
entrepreneurial spirit, physical fitness and the desire to help people become
the best, healthiest and fittest versions of themselves. As a personal trainer,
you help your clients achieve this by instructing them on proper form during
exercises, creating routines for them to follow, and offering nutritional
advice.
As with any profession, mistakes and
misunderstandings happen. But with a personal training business, mistakes can
lead to injury and possibly even death.
Client injuries can occur from something as simple as
miscommunication about technique, or a client’s failure to disclose medical
circumstances or conditions.
A personal trainer doesn’t have to do anything wrong
to get sued. The perception of wrongdoing is enough to name you as a defendant
in a lawsuit.
Consider that any one
of these activities can lead to a lawsuit:
- Offering
nutritional advice
- Failure to correct
form that leads to injury
- Designing an
inappropriate exercise routine leading to injuries
- Malfunctioning of
equipment that injures the client
That’s why it is
important to consider some form of protection for your business if things were
to go wrong. Let’s take a look at some of the ways having Personal Trainer
Liability insurance can provide peace of mind.
Professional liability
insurance for personal trainers
What is professional liability
insurance for personal trainers?
As the name implies, Professional Liability insurance is designed to
cover your professional actions and advice.
This insurance provides legal coverage in the event of a claim. The
policy covers the cost to defend your case however actual or alleged the claim
may be.
Difference between General Liability and Professional Liability
insurance
Many people think a General Liability insurance policy also covers them
for any kind of professional incidents. This is not the case.
A General Liability insurance policy focuses on “general” claims such
as a slip and fall or damage to someone’s property. General Liability insurance
doesn’t respond to claims
that arise out of your professional duties.
How much does personal trainer liability insurance cost?
The cost of a Professional Liability policy depends on a few factors,
including things like your location, experience, and certifications.
A standard liability limit on the Professional Liability policy is
$1,000,000. However, you can purchase policies with higher limits if you
provide services such as medical exercise coaching, or you work with special
needs clients.
The cost for Personal
trainer liability insurance is affordable and typically starts from $400 a month.
Why You Need Your Own Professional Liability Policy
If you are working for a fitness club, you might be thinking – won’t
the gym’s policy cover me?
Not always. Here’s why:
Working outside of the club: The gym’s insurance won’t cover you for any
work outside of the gym, So, if you train a client in your spare time, you are
not covered by the gym’s policy.
No individual coverage: The gym’s insurance will not provide coverage
for you individually. So, if a customer names both you and the gym in a
lawsuit, the gym’s policy will not extend to cover your defense.
The Cost of Not Having Professional Liability
Insurance
Without Professional Liability insurance, you could be responsible for
the cost of an attorney, legal fees and a share of the settlement. A typical
lawsuit costs a business owner between $3,000 - $150,000. Legal fees alone can
exceed $10,000.
A Professional Liability Claim
Professional Liability lawsuits can happen anytime and to anyone.
Consider this lawsuit between a client, personal trainer and the gym where they
worked together. Take note that the trainer was named separately as a defendant
in this lawsuit.
Chetan Vaid v. Equinox Fitness and Joseph Dominguez
The client, [2]Chetan
Vaid, a former member of Equinox Gym, was awarded more than $10M in a recent
personal trainer negligence case.
The client suffered a
stroke after following his trainer’s rigorous exercise routine. While
performing the exercises Mr. Vaid experienced blurry vision and felt
dizzy.
Later that night, Mr.
Vaid went to the emergency room after his symptoms persisted. Doctors
discovered he suffered a
carotid artery dissection, which caused a stroke.
The lawsuit alleged that Mr. Dominguez caused the stroke
by pushing his client to complete the exercises despite the distinctly alarming
symptoms.
Conclusion
A career as a personal trainer can be rewarding both psychologically
and financially.
However, working with multiple customers a day on something as
sensitive as their health can be risky.
A lawsuit can force you to put your career on hold and have major
mental and financial impacts on your business. Having the proper Professional
Liability insurance is essential to protecting your livelihood.
BizInsure can provide you with instant quotes as well as human support
on the other side of the screen (or the phone!). Click here to receive your quotes instantly.
[1] Statista. Statistics & Facts on Health
& Fitness Industry [online] Available at:
https://www.statista.com/topics/1141/health-and-fitness-clubs/ [Accessed 05 08.
2018r]
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