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Need Liability Insurance

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Nikolai Sklobovsky

New member
I was asked by a venue to come out with a liability insurance. I thought I'd ask here...

For those of you who have one and happy with it:
  • who are you with?
  • what are your terms/options?
  • what is your premium?
Thank you very much for the info!
 
E

Eric Hiss

Member
I have a complete business package with the Hartford. It has all risk for my gear but also covers a lot of other things including liability. Not sure but it seemed to be the same price as PPA or ASMP member deals.
 
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Greg Rogers

New member
Nik, I'm not a pro photographer so my advice is likely worthless....however I own a company supplying the aircraft, defense, and medical / surgical implant businesses. My potential liability is in the millions, more likely tens or hundreds of millions.. I figure if I get sued, I'm done anyway, so I've never (and I'm not a a rookie.....been at this for 35 years) going to take out liability insurance..

Not sure this applies to a pro photographer, but sometimes we can worry too much. I'm a pro at that, at least. (Uh, I mean worrying too much, not having a thing to do with photography)

This likely has not a darned thing to do with what you are asking.

-Greg
 
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Kathy Rappaport

pro member
Insurance Poor

Well, Greg, I take a very differing view since I am insurance poor - I'd rather have it and sleep at night knowing that in our heavily sue happy society that if some one wants to sue, I won't be penniless trying to defend myself. I will be penniless because I have a bad case of gear acquisition syndrome (lol).

However, most photographers who shoot events are required to provide proof of coverage to the venues we shoot at! Hotels don't want to be sued because someone trips over your lightstands.
 
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Nikolai Sklobovsky

New member
Greg,
it's mostly what Kathy said... Venues won't deal with you if you don't have LI.
Loose analogy can be a California Driving Code: you are not allowed to drive the car in CA unless it's insured. It doesn't mean every single one is insured, but if you get caught - you're in trouble...
 
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Greg Rogers

New member
Kathy, Nik...

I understand. I spend well over $100K per year on insurance, much of it liability (not photography related). I perhaps should not have opined because I really (not being a pro) do not understand liability as it refers to the pro photographer

If I have a point, it would be this....we can never insure ourselves enough, and it gets to be mind-racking figuring out when to stop.

All I meant to do was add a point of how do we make the decision to stop worrying? I don't think I did a very good job of that! I wasn't so much meaning so much to add an answer, yet another question for perusal.

Kindest regards,
-Greg
 
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Greg Rogers

New member
After several hours of contemplation, I'm not too happy with my post.

I responded as a small business owner, not as a pro-photographer (which I will never be). I'm also not thrilled with myself for mentioning the amount of money I pay for insurance. On re-read...hits me as rather arrogant. (I'll bet Asher could opine regarding medical malpractice insurance.....also beside the point)

All I'm trying to say is that it's a horrible thing trying to figure out how much insurance we need. The question asked was perhaps over my head as it relates to being a pro-photographer, however...whatever our profession, I suggest we all share the same question. How much insurance?

I've spent years dealing with lawyers, insurance agents, etc on this question and the answer I've come up with is.....there is no answer. I guess we must do whatever we can afford, and if it let's us sleep better at night it is probably worth it. That's the best advise I've every been afforded (by an insurance agent, of all things! That's how I make my insurance decisions, more or less.

This is a very difficult question. All I'm attempting to do is throw in 30 years of experience in business and suggest that the answer is.....that there isn't an answer.

Apologies if my post(s) offended anyone. Again, it's just such a difficult question.

Best regards,
-Greg
 
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Nikolai Sklobovsky

New member
Greg,
no worries, I think we all understand you were trying to help and had some experience of your own to share. Luckily $1M LI seems to be pretty much standard, doesn't cost an arm and a leg and venues are happy with it. Best of all, it still covers the house, although it's getting dangerously close..:)
Cheers!
 
K

Kathy Rappaport

pro member
Greg.

I took no offense to you post. My daily life is dealing with business issues for other people. I've done that for many years as a Business Manager and I get asked regularly about insurance limits. There is an answer. It's based on how much risk you are willing to assume yourself and how much of your own money you are willing to risk in the event of a hazard.. Those who are risk adverse take more insurance then those who have the cash or guts to go it alone. It's called self-insurance.

As far as professional liability for a photographer, there are a lot of scenarios:

Some one trips over your gear
Your camera fails during the kiss at a wedding
Your compact flash was corrupt
You hit someone accidently with something and injure them
Your computer crashes and images are lost
You employee is sexually harrassed by the father of the bride
Your lights cause a fire
yada, yada, yada....
 
G

Greg Rogers

New member
Nic, Kathy..
Thank you both for your lighthearted replies. I got a particular kick out of some of Kathy's possible disasters. I know none of them are funny, but reading them.....they are. In reality, they are not.

I'm actually learning here. I never really considered the potential financial liabilities of the pro-photographer. I might or might not have alluded here to to the one wedding I shot 35 some years ago for a relative. It was a favor. I lost sleep until the prints came back from the lab and were at least acceptable. I only worried about letting down my cousin.

Never gave a thought to getting paid for a job and blowing it! (et al)

-GC
 
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Nikolai Sklobovsky

New member
Update

Got the liability insurance through the PPA.
$2M coverage, $320/year.
Amazingly, it took less than 24 hours to complete, from my initial request for quote to getting the proof of insurance faxed to me. Yes, I called them a couple of times and asked to expedite the requests, but they were very nice to comply with those requests, too:)
Yay, PPA!
 
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