Collapse of Temporary Structure Exclusion In Sports
General Liability insurance policies for sports and recreation organizations sometimes contain a potentially dangerous exclusion entitled “Collapse of Temporary Structure Exclusion.”
Presumably, the purpose of this exclusion is to protect the General Liability carrier against paying a claim in the event of collapse of bleachers or similar structures such as tents, signs, billboards, and fences that are temporary in nature.
Unfortunately, the exclusion does not define “temporary”. Does “temporary” mean a one time event? A season? A Year? Are any bleachers that can be moved considered temporary?
Bleacher collapse is a serious event in terms of both the number of spectators that can be injured and their severity potential. Because of the seriousness of these bleacher collapse incidents, sports organizations can’t afford to have this ambiguous exclusion on their General Liability policy.
Source: John Sadler
