What is Personal Trainer Insurance?
Being a personal trainer can be a personally and financially rewarding career, but it’s one that comes with certain potential risks. Namely, personal trainers are exposed to a variety of potential liability risks. Personal trainer insurance helps personal trainers in Massachusetts protect themselves from many of the liability risks they face.
Personal trainer insurance is a specialized form of insurance that’s uniquely designed for personal trainers and similar professionals. These policies are typically written as package policies that come with several individuals coverages which are bundled together.
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Who in Massachusetts Needs Personal Training Insurance?
The majority of Massachusetts professionals who work as personal trainers or fitness instructors ought to have personal training insurance. Few (if any) people in this field are free of risk, and personal training policies are usually best able to mitigate the risks that come with this type of work.
Do Personal Trainers Who Work for Gyms Need Personal Training Insurance?
Personal trainers who are employees of gyms may have insurance coverage through their gym for services that are provided as an employee. Whether coverage is provided depends on the gym’s particular insurance policy, and any coverage that is provided normally doesn’t extend to work performed outside of employee duties (e.g. side gigs, private consulting, etc.). In some cases, there may be no coverage provided.
Trainers who work at gyms but are paid as independent contractors normally are less likely to receive insurance through the gym they work at. In most of these cases, trainers are responsible for procuring their own personal training policy.
An insurance agent who specializes in personal training insurance can help trainers sort through their employment status and gym’s insurance policy. With a knowledgeable agent’s assistance, trainers can accurately and easily determine whether they need to get their own personal training policy.
(Employees usually receive a W-2 at year’s end for filing income taxes, and independent contractors usually receive a 1099-MISC for filing income taxes.)
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What Coverages Does Personal Training Insurance Provide?
The exact coverages that personal training policies offer sometimes vary, but most policies primarily focus on protecting against liability risks. Some liability coverages that policies commonly make available area:
- General Liability Coverage, which may cover common accidents, false advertising claims and defamation claims
- Professional Liability Coverage, which may cover errors made in work that result in injury or property damage
- Product Liability Coverage, which may cover injuries or property damage that are caused by sold products
Why Do Personal Trainers Need Professional Liability Coverage?
While all of these coverages are generally important, professional liability coverage is often especially important for personal trainers. Should a trainer give incorrect instructions or advice that results in a client suffering a serious injury, the trainer might be held responsible for medical costs and other expenses associated with that injury. Professional liability coverage normally covers these types of claims.
Are Personal Trainers Covered When Working in Clients’ Homes?
Whether a personal trainer policy covers training activities that take place in clients’ homes or other non-gym settings depends on the specific terms and conditions within a policy.
A knowledgeable agent can review a specific policy’s terms to see whether this sort of coverage is included. If such coverage is needed but not included, the agent can probably help adjust the policy’s coverages or find another policy that does provide coverage for non-gym settings.