Club Activity Liability Insurance

[KE5UMC]

Our club carries a liability insurance policy for field day and other special events, but it only protects us for injury or loss to a third party, not our members.  Does anyone have a policy that covers your members for injury or other damage while participating in club sponsored events? 

Thanks....

K5BJW

[W8JX]

Our club carries a liability insurance policy for field day and other special events, but it only protects us for injury or loss to a third party, not our members.  Does anyone have a policy that covers your members for injury or other damage while participating in club sponsored events? 

Thanks....

K5BJW

Interesting question. I am sure it exists if you are willing to pay extra for it. But by nature most policies protect policy holder from claims from those not part of policy. If you are using a property not owned by club you could get its owners to get a liability coverage for injuries on it that would cover every one. 

[WI4P]

Various kinds of clubs purchase Club Accident Insurance to protect their members for injuries they sustain while involved in club activities.  These are not Liability Insurance policies, but are policies providing accidental death and dismemberment coverage and accident medical insurance coverage.  As a licensed insurance agent I have written (but no longer write) many policies of this type.  One source of such coverage is National Casualty Insurance Co., an A+ rated member of the Nationwide Group.  You can purchase this coverage on line directly from National Casualty at annual rates between $2.40 and $6.00 per member depending on limits.  Policy minimum premiums  apply.

On the liability side, most members will find that their Homeowners or Renters Insurance will protect them for their personal liability arising from their participation in club activities.  Inexpensive Personal Liability Insurance policies are also available.  It might also be possible to endorse the Club Liability Insurance policy to include members as additional insureds.

John Philips, CPCU, WI4P

[KE5UMC]

Thank you, John, that is exactly the information I was needing....

K5BJW

[WI4P]

Thank you, John, that is exactly the information I was needing....

K5BJW

Glad I was able to help.

73, John WI4P

[KC2QYM]

If amateur radio club members realized how underinsured or non-insured their clubs were they would never participate in any events that required them to climb, lift, pull, erect, drive, cook, etc. The fact of the matter is that many clubs are led by people who have no understanding of liability issues and how exposed they are if someone has an accident and injury at one of their events. A member who experiences an injury during a sanctioned event and makes a claim against their club would end up out of pocket. Sure, they may be able to sue the club for its assets which in most cases are next to nothing. Club executives have a responsibility to advise their members about their insurance coverage and how it extends to their members in case of an accident they are involved in. Since most don't do it and many don't carry adequate coverage, you as a member should think twice about your active participation in events where you are exposed to such risks.

[KC4ZGP]

Hmmm.....and another thread asks, why clubs fail...hmmm

[W8BYH]

Years ago I was a member of an amateur repeater club that maintained a 170' tower on private property (the 'back lot' of a founding member). The tower had obviously seen better days. It was a hand-me-down from the county and as far as anyone could remember it had no maintenance, such as guy wire tensioning, since it was first put up almost 20 years previously. I had the temerity it ask if we had insurance on it. I got some odd looks. Why would we need insurance?

In the end we held a fund raiser and got enough money together to hire a crew to bring it down before it fell down on it's own. That was almost a decade ago. To this day a lot of old timers are convinced the tower was just fine and would still be standing today if we hadn't cruelly cut it up.

A lot of amateurs have a vague sense that either state law, the FCC or the ARRL will protect them from ignorance or lack of reasonable caution. They feel their 'licensed amateur' status gives them a special glow in the eyes of the law.

It's guys like that who make sure ambulance chasers can keep making the lease payments on their Jaguars.

[KM4JDM]

The ARRL offers a policy for affiliated clubs that would seem to cover most of these scenarios.  Our club has been reviewing the topic of liability insurance for participation in community service events (which also seem to be covered).

http://www.arrl.org/affiliated-club-benefits

[KE5UMC]

Thanks for the information....we already have this same coverage thru ARRL, but it does not cover members who are injured as a result of an accident while engaging in club activities.....only third parties are covered for injury.

[WI4P]

UMC.  See reply #2 dated April 24