Wondering how to protect yourself as a personal trainer? This blog covers key steps, from securing liability insurance to setting clear boundaries and using contracts. Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, we’ll guide you on safeguarding your career and reputation. Let’s keep you and your business safe while you focus on helping clients!
Why Clients Sue Their Personal Trainers
Of course, there can be several reasons why a client may sue their personal trainer. In cases where there has been a liability violation, breach of contract, or other such issues, the client may feel they have a right to compensation. Let’s take a further look at each of these issues.
Liabilities
Liability is the risk of having to pay for something the law says you’re responsible for. In the realm of personal training, liabilities can be the potential for bodily harm to a client, such as an injury, chemical reaction, or aggravation of a medical condition. If an incident with a client results in one of these, it may give them the motivation to file a liability lawsuit against you.
Insure Fitness Group covers the two essential types of liability in our personal trainer insurance policy. With complete coverage for each of these areas, you should be well-protected from a lawsuit due to a liability issue.
The types of liability that our policy covers include:
- Professional Liability: Professional liability is the direct result of your work as a personal trainer. These are typically physical injuries such as broken bones, torn ligaments, strained muscles, aggravated conditions, or severe medical distress. Because of the intense nature of personal training, the risk of professional liability is more significant than in some other wellness-related professions.
- General Liability: General liability claims are often called “slip & fall” claims, as those are among the most common injuries in the category. These injuries are not directly related to your fitness instruction and could occur in any occupation. For example, if a client trips over a loose area rug in the entryway and injures themselves, they could potentially hold you liable for a general liability claim.
Preparing Legal Protection for Personal Trainers
Now that we have covered some of the reasons a personal trainer might be facing a lawsuit let’s look at how to prevent and prepare for one. There are several safeguards a personal trainer can put in place to protect yourself. By shoring up your defenses, you can potentially stop a lawsuit from happening beforehand. In addition to communicating and managing expectations with your clients, here are some additional preventative measures you can take.
Contracts and Release of Liability
We’ve already discussed having a contract with your clients, but what should that contract contain? While legal documents should always be made with an attorney, every contract should include several elements to make your clients fully and legally aware of your services and obligations.
A few components you should consider having in your new client documents include:
- Explanation of services: First off, you should tell your clients what they can expect as far as your services. This section should include any modalities you will instruct, the expected exercises you will coach on, and the physical expectations of your personal training.
- The setting for training: Here is where you specify the location of your classes or sessions, the equipment you will use, and any environmental elements that your clients may come into contact with while under your instruction.
- Potential risks: In this section, your contract will spell out the potential risks that are posed to your clients by engaging in your services. Be thorough in this section and as detailed as possible. The more you inform your clients of the risk prior to their first session, the better legal standing you will have.
- Acknowledgment of client’s health: Here, your clients will acknowledge that they are in a healthy condition and physically able to engage in physical activity.
- Recognition of personal volition: Have your clients acknowledge that they are making the decision to undergo physical activity and agree to your terms of their own free will. This means that no one is forcing them to sign your contract or employ your services.
- Release of liability: Finally, a release of liability acknowledges the previous information has been read and understood, and the client agrees to waive any liability specified in the contract.
With a good lawyer preparing a contract with these elements, you are building up your defense against a lawsuit before it even happens.
Protecting Yourself with Personal Trainer Insurance
Unfortunately, even if you do all you can to prevent a case, you may still face one over your career. The time to think about what to do in the event of a lawsuit is not in the midst of it. On the contrary, preparing ahead of time with personal trainer insurance is one of the best ways to protect yourself as a personal trainer. Not only will fitness instructor insurance help keep your finances secure when facing a lawsuit, but it also offers peace of mind for the future.
We’ve discussed what can go wrong as a personal trainer. Knowing that you have safeguards in place for yourself and your finances means you are prepared for whatever comes your way. In addition to being a valuable asset while facing a legal issue, Insure Fitness Group’s personal trainer insurance has much to offer regarding coverage and benefits.
Protection for Liability Lawsuits
If a client gets hurt and files a lawsuit against you, personal fitness instructor insurance can help cover the costs of a liability claim. Say a client overexerts themselves and has an injury while in a session with you. They could hold you liable for their medical expenses, time away from work, legal fees, etc. If you’re left without coverage, it could be overwhelming.
Personal trainer insurance is the protection you need to secure your finances and career. With coverage for professional and general liability, our insurance policy for personal trainers has you completely covered.
Get Insured Today
Quick recap. We’ve covered why a client may sue their personal trainer, how to prevent it, and how personal trainer insurance can protect you if the worst happens. Now the only thing left to do is make a decision. Get insured today if you are ready to get comprehensive coverage and protect yourself as a personal trainer. Coverage starts immediately, and it only takes a few minutes to sign up.
