How lucky are you to be a fitness professional building a career out of a passion for health, nutrition, strength training, yoga, etc? It’s a dream come true—until someone sues you.
While worrying about liability and litigation are the last things on your list as you launch your new career, every fitness instructor needs personal trainer insurance to protect themselves. It’s a standard part of doing business.
At this point you’re probably thinking, “Not me. I’m a certified personal trainer, I know what I’m doing and nothing will happen.” But that’s the problem. Because you are considered an expert in the field, you could be subject to claims of professional negligence if in fact a client is injured and the individual alleges that you did not provide a safe and effective service. Providing nutritional advice (without being a registered dietician) can backfire, too.
There are also other grey areas, like sexual harassment, invasion of privacy or even slander. Who knows what’s being said—or who is listening—in the weight room or in the locker room, or even on social media. Even if an action is not intended to cross a line, we live in a litigious society that has many people ready to dial their lawyer at the drop of a hat.
It does indeed happen. Some of the recent U.S. negligence lawsuits (PDF) in the fitness industry include bodily injury, sexual assault, even death due to dietary supplement.
Charges of negligence or harassment, even those that are baseless, can wreak havoc on your personal training career.
And, while you may assume that because you work in a health club that you are covered by the company’s insurance, it is not necessarily true. Every fitness pro should have their own personal trainer liability insurance to protect themselves and their assets.
Any questions on what you need covered—contact us today!