As a trusted insurance provider for personal trainers, we see a wide range of liability insurance claims. From injuries to property damage, our personal trainer insurance policy helps protect our members from a whole host of claims related to fitness training. Our policyholders can relax knowing we’ve got them covered.
While we could present a whole host of personal trainer liability claims examples, we broke down the most common types of claims into specific categories. Here are some examples of common claims covered by personal trainer insurance.
Professional Liability Claims
Professional liability claims are directly related to your work as a personal trainer. These are often called malpractice claims due to professional negligence, errors, or omissions that harm a client while training. Because personal fitness coaching is physically demanding and works directly with heavy equipment, professional liability claims are typically bodily injuries resulting from alleged errors on the part of the trainer.
Naturally, we won’t go into detail about every possible type of injury that could occur during a training session. Instead, we’ll cover a few common injuries that fall under the umbrella of professional liability claims. During a personal trainer session, an error in judgment, bad advice, or a forgetful mistake could lead to a dangerous situation or accidental injury. Here are a few common examples of injuries that occur during a personal training session.
Strains and Sprains
Strains and sprains are perhaps the most common injuries that can occur during a fitness training session. The physically demanding nature of personal training often leads to intense physical exercise and quick movement. If a client over-exert themselves while exercising, they could injure themselves due to sudden motion or excessive force.
A sprained ankle or strained tendon could be a painful injury requiring medical attention. If a client sustains one of these while under your direction, they could demand compensation for their medical expenses and injuries.
Pulled or Torn Muscles
When a muscle is stretched beyond its limits, it could cause a pull or tear, says the Mayo Clinic. Oftentimes, muscle pulls are caused by improper form or overexertion. For example, if you’re working with a client on a HIIT cardio session and the client overreaches in a movement, it could result in a pulled or torn muscle. This injury could require medical attention and extensive recovery time.
If a client pulls or tears a muscle during a training session, they could insist you pay for their expenses.
Broken Bones
While they can be less frequent than sprains and strains, broken bones are possible injuries trainees may sustain during a session. If a client lifts heavy weights during a session, uses equipment improperly, or drops a kettlebell, the result could be a bruise at best, but at worst, it could result in a broken bone.
Naturally, there could be other contributing factors to an injury during a training session. For example, if a client has brittle bone disease or low calcium, their bones may be more susceptible to injury or breakage. Regardless, if your trainee sustains a broken bone during a session, it could lead to a malpractice lawsuit.
Joint Injuries
During a fitness training session, your client will use their joints to lift weights, perform cardio exercises, and build strength. As they move, their joints could be overexerted and sustain an injury. Common joint injuries include shoulders, hips, wrists, and ankles. Placing excessive strain on the joints during a workout could lead to joint issues, stiffness, or injury. Such injuries could have long-term effects on your client.
Back Injuries
Deadlifting, bench presses, squats, and other resistance exercises are excellent for strengthening muscles and producing fitness results. However, utilizing heavy weights for resistance training comes with the risk of injury. Resistance training can cause strain or injury to the spine and back muscles when lifting too much or using improper form.
Back injuries can have a range of effects and severity. If clients overexert themselves and injure their back, it could be a difficult recovery and painful experience.
Aggravated Conditions
Some clients will have underlying conditions that are aggravated by intense physical activity, like HIIT cardio or other intense motion. These types of ailments could be related to the respiratory system, muscular dysphoria, or the cardiac system.
Although every personal trainer should be aware of these potential liabilities prior to training, the trainee may not be forthcoming or aware of the conditions themselves. Even if the client is unaware of an underlying condition, they could hold you legally responsible if their condition is aggravated during a personal training session.
Aggravated conditions and other injuries are just a few of the many common professional liability claims we handle on a daily basis. However, professional liability claims are only a fraction of what our personal trainer insurance policy can cover.
General Liability Claims
General liability insurance covers claims related to non-profession-specific accidents and injuries. These types of claims are sometimes called slip-and-fall cases, as these are some of the leading causes of general liability claims.
As its name suggests, a general liability claim is something that may occur in nearly any professional environment. Frequently, these claims are due to harm, damages, or injuries sustained on your premises or during a training session. In many cases, general liability claims are filed due to facility issues, negligence, and poor conditions.
It’s important to note that general liability claims can happen to anyone and in any professional workspace. In other words, general liability claims are universal risks and hazards across industries. While we could go into exhaustive detail about the types of general liability claims we’ve covered in the past, we’ll condense them down into a few more common categories.
Here are a few typical general liability claims we’ve seen filed:
Injuries from Falls
Slips, trips, and falls are some of the most common types of general liability claims filed. These can occur from a range of different facility issues or negligent maintenance. The studio or gym is often a bustling place with several moving parts. Properly maintaining floor conditions and a safe workout space is critical for personal trainers. Without upholding high facility standards, your gym or studio could become a hazardous place for your trainees.
Slips and falls can happen due to wet floors, floor hazards, or misplaced equipment. For example, if a client is walking in for a training session and trips on a dumbbell that was not properly stored, they could fall and injure themselves.
In the above example, the trainee could hold you financially responsible for their injuries and related expenses.
Bodily Injury
Slips and falls are not the only types of general liability injuries that could occur. Cuts, burns, scrapes, punctures, and any other kind of injury you can think of could occur due to facility issues or negligent maintenance. Because general liability claims could be widely varied, we view it as an essential part of a complete coverage package.
Get the Total Package of Personal Trainer Insurance
Of course, Insure Fitness Group can help cover much more than these common claims. Our all-inclusive policy helps protect your finances and career from every angle. You can rest easy knowing your finances are well-protected and your career is secure should the worst happen. Get personal trainer insurance today and experience total confidence in your personal trainer coverage.
