What Businesses in Massachusetts Need Gym Insurance?
Most Massachusetts gyms and fitness centers, regardless of what activities they offer and what demographic they cater to, should have fitness club insurance. A small gym in Springfield, MA that only has weights and elliptical machines, and a major fitness center in Boston, MA that has several floors of rooms and equipment both need insurance because they’re both exposed to risks.
Thousands of people, including both young and elderly individuals, go to the emergency room each day for sports, recreational, and exercise injuries. There’s a good chance that a member or visitor will eventually suffer an injury requiring treatment, and ask the gym to pay for the treatment. Without adequate insurance coverage, a gym or fitness center could have a large bill to pay.
In addition to all-purpose gyms and fitness clubs, boxing, kickboxing and wrestling gyms, martial arts studios, and facilities that sponsor tournaments in these sports may also want a gym policy.
What Coverages Does Fitness Club Insurance Offer?
Fitness club insurance policies generally provide several property and liability coverages. Property coverages help protect things that a gym or fitness club owns, while liability coverages help insure a gym or club against claims that accuse it of being responsible for injury or property damage.
Some of the property coverages that gym policies provide include:
- Building Coverage, which is often necessary if a gym owns the building it’s in
- Contents Coverage, which may cover most of the items inside a gym’s facility
- Equipment Coverage, which can help cover equipment malfunctions
Liability coverages that might be available through a gym policy include:
- General Liability Coverage, which lots of businesses obtain for broad coverage
- Professional Liability Coverage, which may cover “errors and omissions” that employees (e.g. personal trainers and class instructors that are staff members) make while advising
- Product Liability Coverage, which can help cover incidents involving products (e.g. nutritional supplements or exercise equipment) that a gym sells
- Participant Liability Coverage, which can help cover injuries sustained by people who are actively exercising or participating in a class
- Spectator Liability Coverage, which might be necessary if a gym offers spectator events (e.g. swim meets, diving competitions, leagues, or sports tournaments)
- Supplemental Liability Coverage, which may cover other amenities or services (e.g. a rock-climbing wall, tanning beds, swimming pools, hot tubs, saunas, spa services, and massage services)
- Umbrella Liability Coverage, which gives a gym extra, secondary liability protection
The exact protections that a gym policy provides will depend on the coverages it includes, and the terms and conditions of those coverages.
Do Gyms and Fitness Centers Need Additional Coverages?
Gyms and fitness centers often need other insurance policies, such as cyber liability, workers compensation, and business interruption insurance. Sometimes these other policies are provided in a gym package policy, but they may also be obtained as stand-alone policies.
How Can Gyms and Fitness Centers in Massachusetts Get Gym Insurance?
Because there are many different risks and coverages to consider when looking for gym insurance, gyms and fitness centers should work closely with an independent insurance agent when they’re getting quotes for policies. An independent agent will be able to get customized quotes from insurers throughout Massachusetts and help a gym compare each policy’s coverages.
