Personal trainers, running coaches, fitness instructors, and other exercise professionals like you are called upon to be the teachers, motivators, and even accountability partners to help all kinds of people achieve their different physical fitness goals. Yet, as is the case with every other type of business, there are always risks involved—from client claims of bodily injury to property damage to professional mistakes. Read on as this blog explores why insurance for personal trainers is needed.
Types of Insurance Trainers Need
Regardless of whether you’re training clients on a freelance basis, working in multiple gyms, or teaching virtual fitness classes, there’s a chance you’re vulnerable to insurance claims. At the very least, all personal trainers should have general liability insurance and professional liability insurance. Let's take a closer look at each.
General Liability Insurance for Personal Trainers
General liability insurance typically covers legal and settlement costs associated with third-party claims of bodily injury, property damage, and advertising injury. An example of a third-party bodily injury would be if a client tripped over a piece of equipment during a training session and broke their ankle. An example of third-party property damage would be if you dropped a weight while demonstrating an exercise and it smashed their phone. In these cases, your general liability policy would cover any resulting legal, settlement, medical, or property repair/replacement costs.
Professional Liability Insurance for Personal Trainers
Professional liability insurance—sometimes referred to as errors and omissions insurance—protects you when you’re accused of having given poor advice or not doing your job correctly. In the case of personal training, if you did or failed to do something and it led to your client’s injury, you could be found negligent. Some examples would be not having a client fill out a basic health questionnaire, providing poorly maintained equipment, or adding too much weight to a barbell. If any of these mistakes caused an injury, professional liability insurance would cover the associated legal and settlement costs.
Additional Insurance for Personal Trainers
If you run a larger training business—perhaps you own a physical fitness center or employ a team of instructors and trainers—you may need additional insurance coverage. Consider if any of the following may apply to you:
- Commercial Property Insurance - If you own or rent a physical space for your personal training business, this insurance covers the building and property if damaged by certain accidents, events, and hazards.
- Workers’ Compensation - If you have employees, you’re required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance. This covers workers injured on the job as well as work-related illnesses.
- Commercial Auto Insurance - Do you have a vehicle you use for business purposes, such as driving to and from a client’s house for training sessions? A commercial auto policy covers accident-related expenses resulting from injuries, death, or property damage.
- Cybersecurity Insurance - Are you storing your clients’ medical information or credit card numbers? This policy covers financial losses caused by data breaches, hacking, ransomware, and other cyberattacks.
- Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) - Many insurance agencies—including ours—offer several of these types of insurance bundled into a BOP.
As someone who’s committed to living a healthy lifestyle and improving the physical fitness of others, we likely don’t have to overemphasize how important it is to protect your own safety and well-being as a personal trainer or business owner. Ensure that your livelihood is covered by the right business insurance policies in case of an incident. Not sure which options are the best match for your unique situation? Contact World Insurance today to get the right coverage.
This article is not intended to be exhaustive, nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as legal advice. Readers should contact legal counsel or an insurance professional for appropriate advice.