Individual Dance, Fitness, Martial Arts & Sports Instructor Insurance

Save Up to 38% While Getting Rock-solid Coverage from the Leading Health Club Insurance Program in the Industry!

• Pre-published rates offer instant quote and eliminate hassles and delays of completing a long application and waiting weeks just to get a quote.
• Coverage includes General Liability and Professional Liability.
• You are not required to join another expensive association to be eligible.

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Choose from the four plans below that best describes your situation:

1. Dance Instructor: Specifically designed to meet the unique needs of a U.S-based dance instructor directly supervising an individual or group engaged in dance activities.
2. Fitness Instructor: Specifically designed to meet the unique needs of a U.S.-based personal training, exercise, aerobic or yoga/Pilates instructor directly supervising an individual or group engaged in fitness and exercise activities.
3. Sports Instructor: Specifically designed to meet the unique needs of a U.S- based sports instructor who works on an independent contract basis and is directly supervising an individual or small group in instruction of sport-related skills.
4. Martial Arts Instructor: Specifically designed to meet the unique needs of U.S.-based martial arts and/or self defense instructors who work on an independent contractor basis training individuals in martial arts and/or self defense.

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Specialty Areas

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 General Liability and Professional Liability

General Liability insurance protects personal trainers against the following types of claims involving bodily injury, property damage, and personal/advertising injury:

• Injury resulting from inadequate supervision such as failure to properly spot trainee
• Failing to properly instruct the trainee on correct technique resulting in injury
• Injury resulting from use of substandard equipment or defective equipment
• Injury resulting from failure to design a proper workout program
• Slip/trip/fall injury due to wet area on floor or exposed electrical cord
• Allegations of slander, libel, or invasion of privacy
• Negligence that results in electrical short causing fire that damages building

 

General Liability policies should include a Professional Liability endorsement which may include coverage for certain allegations other than bodily injury and property damage. For example, a client could claim failure to progress with fitness goals due to improper instruction. Many of these types of allegations are groundless, but are costly to defend against.

Accidents and High Risk Activities

Accidents and medical emergencies can happen anytime, to anyone, anywhere. And while you may not be liable, chances are you’ll face situations where you have to defend yourself against claims made by clients. In addition to offering General and Professional liability insurance geared to personal trainers, we also offer specific risk management tools and advice for trainers working as employees and independent contractors, and that will help you minimize risks whether you work out of your home, your own studio, or another facility.

Fitness professionals must be knowledgeable in assessing health risks for their clients. Screenings should be systematic and addresses signs and symptoms of disease, risk factors and family history. The client and trainer fill our portions of the screening forms, and both sign an agreement as to goals and training methods based on the assessment.

One example of such a screening is the PAR-Q & You form, which is a well-recognized pre-exercise screening measure for low-to-moderate exercise training. This is broad tool that may overlook the client’s important health information. However, a “yes” answer by the client to any of the questions requires the trainer to obtain a medical release form from the client’s physician. Clients should also sign an informed consent/release of liability form.

Below are activities considered outside the expertise of personal trainers, and therefore not eligible for professional liability coverage. Certified athletic trainers and trainers under the age of 18 are also not eligible.

• Acrobatics instruction
• Coaching of organized competitive athletic teams
• Cycling (other than stationary)
• Sports skills instruction
• Instruction/activity on open water (i.e. lakes, ponds, ocean)

Business risks not related to training

Many small business operators are so busy building the business that they don’t take time to ensure the safety and security of everything for which they’ve worked so hard. There are hidden risks few business operators thing of until it’s too late. Let us help you determine what type and how much coverage you need to adequately cover yourself, your clients and your business in the event of an accident or catastrophic incident.

Employee vs Independent Contractor

Personal trainers can work as employees in health clubs, studios and fitness organizations or as independent contractors. There are perks and downfalls to both options.

Should you form a Limited Liability Company?

A business designated as limited liability company (LLC) enjoys the limited liability features of a corporation and the tax benefits of a partnership. Depending on the state of registration, an LLC can consist of a single owner or two or more individuals (known as members). An LLC isn’t taxed as a business. Instead, the profits and losses pass through the business to the member(s). The members report profits and losses on their personal tax returns.

LLC Advantages

• Limited liability means that the members are protected from personal liability if the LLC if the LLC is sued. However, the “limited” in limited liability means members are protected from their passive negligence when other employees are directly negligent; however, owners are not necessarily protected from allegations of their direct, personal negligence.
• Less registration paperwork is required and smaller start-up costs involved than a corporation.
• Profit restrictions are fewer because members distribute profits however they want. They decide the profits and loss percentages each member earns.

LLC Disadvantages

• In many states, the LLC is dissolved when a member leaves. The other members are required to fulfill any remaining business obligations to close the business. They can then decide whether or not to register a new LLC. However, there can be a provision in the original business agreement that the life of the LLC will be prolonged in the event of a member’s departure.
• LLC members are considered self-employed. As such, they are required to pay self-employment tax contributions toward Medicare and Social Security. These taxes take into account the entire net income of the LLC.