insurance fitness

Professional Liability

Professional liability insurance is similar to malpractice insurance for physicians and attorneys. It protects you from conduct known as professional negligence, or negligence in your duties, that results in a loss to the client (Connaughton & Eickhoff-Shemek 2003). (See “General Liability or Professional Liability?” on page 11.) When you dispense professional advice by demonstrating exercises, instructing classes or supervising fitness areas, you are holding yourself out as someone who is skilled and knowledgeable, and the client is relying on that skill and knowledge (McBride 2002). Any loss suffered to the client as a result of that reliance must be compensated.

Professional liability insurance policies must be purchased separately from general liability policies. Because the duties of fitness professionals in today’s litigious society are uncertain and undefined, professional liability insurance is a must for all personal trainers, especially independent contractors.

You can purchase a professional liability policy from a private insurance company. As an IDEA member, you may be able to obtain coverage through Fitness & Wellness Insurance (). Coverage is expressed as dollars per claim or per incident, and your coverage depends on the amount of protection you purchase.