If you are currently working as a personal trainer, or you are ready to get started on a new career journey, you are probably aware of the positive difference your skills can make for people who are interested in improving their health, strength and longevity. Whether you work out of a studio, in a commercial space, in your own home, or travel to meet your clients where they feel most comfortable, you can help people improve their lives and health. However, working directly with clients and advising them on fitness and nutrition leaves you open to legal risks that could affect your ability to keep your business operating.
With the right Ontario personal trainer insurance policy, you can rest easy knowing you are protected against paying out of pocket for legal fees, medical expenses, equipment replacement and dozens of other unexpected costs. Your insurance company will reimburse you should you experience a financial loss due to an insured incident.
Ontario personal trainer insurance, also known as fitness trainer insurance and personal training insurance, is a form of business insurance that protects your personal training business from financial disaster. While we trust that you are being cautious and understand what you are doing, there is always a risk of injury, no matter how well-thought-out everything is. Without the right personal trainer insurance coverage, you could be forced to pay out of pocket to replace your equipment in the event of a fire or cover legal fees and expenses for medical care if a client injures themselves while following your advice. Those costs can be devastating to a business and can even put an end to your career if you don’t have a solid personal trainer insurance policy. When you work with a Morison Insurance broker to get the best coverage possible, you can sleep soundly, knowing you are protected against whatever comes your way throughout your professional life.
Whether you are a freelance fitness instructor, a mobile personal trainer who visits clients at their homes or various parks or gyms, or you have a permanent base at a gym or studio, you need the right Ontario personal trainer insurance coverage. Fitness instructors who lead classes also need coverage similar to personal trainers. This is also true if you’re a wellness coach, group fitness instructor, or own any type of fitness business. Each policy will vary based on your unique needs, and the experienced brokers at Morison Insurance will find the perfect combination to ensure you are fully covered. Personal trainer insurance is necessary for those who work in professions such as:
Please note that this is not a complete list of people who will require personal trainer insurance. If you have any questions about what types of protection would be best for you or to get a personal trainer insurance quote, speak with a Morison Insurance broker.
If you want to protect your business from unexpected expenses, personal trainer insurance is necessary. It is important to have clients complete a personal trainer questionnaire which can provide some protection, you can still be held partially responsible. This protection includes incidents like a client injuring themselves doing exercises you recommended, covering your costs if you are a victim of cybercrime, or replacing stolen equipment. Any of these things happening to you can damage your business, especially when you’re just starting out. Personal trainer insurance can save you from being blindsided by unexpected expenses, allowing you to continue unimpeded.
Personal trainer insurance provides coverage including commercial general liability insurance, professional liability insurance, equipment breakdown insurance, commercial property insurance, and more. What a personal trainer insurance policy covers depends on what you need to be protected against and the risks you are likely to encounter. That varies according to how you operate your business. This means that every Ontario personal trainer insurance coverage plan is unique, and you’re best covered by a policy suited to your specific needs. Navigating the details of building the best insurance package with the right liability coverages for you can be confusing, especially if you aren’t an insurance expert. Count on the reliable team at Morison Insurance, and we’ll work tirelessly to make sure you have exactly the coverage you need, no more and no less. However, please keep in mind this is not a complete list, and there are many miscellaneous personal trainer insurance coverages that might also be a good fit for you, depending on your situation.
This is a basic building block of your personal trainer insurance policy that covers legal fees and settlement costs should you be sued for claims related to personal harm, third-party bodily injury or property damage. If something is damaged and needs to be repaired or replaced, or someone is injured during a personal training session, commercial general liability insurance gives coverage for liability claims. For example, your client could trip over a piece of equipment you left on the floor and suffer a physical injury that requires medical expense payments and other accident-related expenses. If a covered legal claim is made, you may avoid having to pay those legal expenses out of pocket, even if the claim is unfounded.
Also referred to as errors and omissions insurance, a professional liability insurance policy is similar to commercial general liability insurance in the fact that it offers liability protection, but the details are different. While commercial general liability coverage protects you from the financial burdens of accidents for which you are not at fault, professional liability insurance offers coverage against claims made by clients who allege they have suffered losses that stem from professional negligence. Claims of negligence can include bad advice, misconduct, failure to deliver a promised service or breach of contract with your personal training services. Examples would be if you promised certain results to a client, such as losing a certain amount of weight in a specified timeframe, and they followed your instructions but didn’t get the results you said they would. Or, maybe your client had an old injury you were aware of, and you pushed them too hard during training, causing them to reinjure themselves.
While you are likely doing everything in your power to prevent this, mistakes happen, and it is smart to keep in mind that you are not immune to these errors. Those situations can lead to allegations of negligence or bad advice that will land you in legal hot water and could result in costly charges if proven in court. It can also protect you from claims of a competitor accusing you of causing them an advertising injury, such as slander or copyright infringement. Professional liability coverage means you don’t have to pay those insured losses yourself and will be able to recover from the setback so you can keep your business operating. Having this as part of your personal trainer insurance policy will also protect you from having to pay legal costs in the case of false or frivolous accusations if the charge is covered by your policy.
If you own a building, such as a studio or gym, or you own equipment, you need commercial property insurance, also known as business property insurance. This protects your business if your equipment or studio is damaged or lost due to an insured event such as fire, vandalism, or theft. You can’t do your job without your training equipment or a location to work at. This means damage caused by fire, other potential disasters, or business equipment that is lost to theft can greatly impact your ability to generate income. You need to get back on your feet quickly, but you probably don’t have enough funds lying around to purchase brand-new exercise equipment or restore a fire-ravaged building. That’s where your commercial property insurance comes in. It gives you the financial protection necessary to replace damaged or stolen equipment and get your commercial space back in working order to get back to doing what you do best.
It’s worth noting that if you operate solely out of a studio in your home and your business is registered to your home address, you do need home-based business insurance. A home insurance policy will not cover you in the event of a disaster or theft related to your business equipment.
In today’s world, storing or transmitting sensitive information online is unavoidable. Between exchanging emails and holding digital files that include clients’ personal information, such as credit card details, there’s plenty of online bookkeeping. While this is more convenient than a file cabinet, it also leaves many business owners, including personal trainers, vulnerable to cybercrime. If you need to keep information such as credit card numbers on file, you could be targeted by a cybercriminal who will steal that information. Needless to say, that leaves you open to serious liability problems if you don’t have commercial cyber insurance to back you up. Cyber-crime insurance covers expenses related to cyber breaches, ransom information, and the repair of damaged security networks.
If you manufacture, distribute or sell a product as part of your personal training services, it’s very important to get product liability insurance to protect against claims of bodily injury or property damage caused by your product. This type of insurance covers or could apply to nutritional products, wearable technology or training equipment and covers the cost of damages for issues such as defects in design, marketing or manufacturing, along with other problems such as incorrect labelling.
Workout equipment is often now highly technical to help target more specialized muscles and, in other cases, to target multiple muscle groups at once. While this can make workouts more efficient and effective, this equipment could break down suddenly at no fault of your own. If this happens, equipment breakdown insurance will allow you to replace this equipment without paying for it out of pocket. Keep in mind, however, that this will only cover you for mechanical breakdowns for which you are not at fault, and it will not cover you in instances where you were using the equipment improperly, broke it on purpose, or failed to maintain it properly.
Recently, the demand for online classes and training sessions that are conducted digitally has skyrocketed. This trend became even more prominent due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, and after experiencing the convenience of home workouts, many people decided to continue to get fit in the comfort of their own homes. Many people can’t or don’t want to meet in person and prefer to communicate through a screen. That’s understandable, but it can also pose unique challenges and risks to a personal trainer. While virtual sessions are very convenient, it’s much more difficult to correct a client’s form or ensure they are using the correct techniques when you can only see them from one angle. In most cases, online training sessions will be covered under your personal trainer insurance policy as part of commercial general liability. However, it’s important to make sure your broker is aware that you participate in online training so they can ensure you are fully covered. Please speak with your Morison Insurance broker to ensure that you are properly covered. Also, personal trainers should be aware that many insurance companies make a distinction between sessions that occur over a video call and pre-recorded sessions where the trainer is not physically or digitally present when the client performs the exercises.
It’s common for personal trainers to travel to their client’s homes or meet them at other locations, such as parks or local health clubs. Whether or not you are covered at any location where you might choose to do personal training work depends on your policy. If it only covers you in-studio, then your coverage won’t apply to other locations. But if you have mobile coverage or a combination that includes mobile work, then you can rest assured that you will be protected by your insurance company. That’s why it’s important to be clear and thorough when speaking with your broker about everything your business operation entails.
It’s understandable that you want to know the price of personal trainer insurance so you can work it into your budget. However, your policy costs will vary depending on the coverage you need and the services you provide. It’s important to get the best, most comprehensive coverage available so you are fully protected against a wide range of risks. The factors that will influence your insurance premiums include:
The best way to find out more about how much you can expect to pay for an Ontario personal trainer insurance quote is to chat with a friendly Morison Insurance broker. When you give them some information on your unique business operation, they can hunt down the ideal coverage combination at competitive rates and make sure you have an adequate level of protection against liability issues and lawsuits.
You can get a personal trainer insurance quote and get started on the process of building a robust personal trainer insurance policy by calling the expert brokers at Morison Insurance. As a family-owned and operated business, we understand the importance of building long-term relationships with our clients and treating every last client like they’re a member of our family. You can trust us to work hard on your behalf to find the best Ontario personal trainer insurance policy available and to deliver the highest standards of customer service. Contact us via the form below for an online quote, or call us today at 1-800-463-8074 to speak directly with a qualified insurance broker.