Insuring College Athletes and Others for Accidents and Injuries
College sports are supposed to be fun, but they can also be dangerous for anyone. Players themselves might get hurt, but other victims might be coaches, volunteers or even spectators. For colleges, this is a huge liability, which is why the team often must assist with the costs of these accidents. Most teams carry expansive accident, medical and liability insurance to apply to these losses.
However, getting the right policy will depend on many different factors. There are also numerous accident and medical benefits on the market. That is why one of the trusted agents at Bene-Marc, Inc. will work closely with you to determine which plans are best for you. We offer professionally designed policies that we can customize to your college’s unique organizational risks and liabilities.
Understanding Intercollegiate Sports Teams
Many colleges (of all shapes and sizes) have multiple intercollegiate sports teams. These might be football, basketball, tennis, soccer and any number of other teams that play under the school’s colors. Intercollegiate teams travel to other schools within their sports association in order to play. There are many different college sports associations across the country that manage the rules, coordinate play and otherwise standardize team conduct.
During any type of play, accidents could happen. As a result, players might get hurt. This is a risk that every college sports player is likely aware of. However, what many people don’t realize is that there are many other people who might be at risk of injuries, too. These might include coaches, team managers, volunteers, guests on the field and other spectators.
Of course, while no team wants these accidents to happen, there is no guarantee that they won’t. While teams will likely have strong risk management programs in place, these are no guarantee that injuries will not occur. When they do, they might get incredibly expensive. The injury could cause the victim significant medical bills, lost income and other financial challenges. Additionally, the college and the team itself might experience reputational damage.
However, your team’s insurance coverage will likely create avenues to help you compensate injured parties for their losses. The policies that you might need to buy include:
- Basic & Catastrophic Accident Coverage
A basic accident policy can kick in if someone gets hurt during play or practice, but their own health insurance might not prove adequate for the injuries they sustain. In this case, they can turn to their accident plan for additional coverage.
Though most colleges require team members to have health insurance, there are still cases where a player might be uninsured. This coverage might also be able to help them out in these cases, too, as long as the injury occurred during play.
Catastrophic accident insurance takes this benefit much further. If a team member gets severely hut, in a way that could significantly impact their lifestyle, then catastrophic coverage can step in. Its benefit is that it will provide not only assistance with medical bills, but also help with other expenses that can help the injured party live a normal life.
Though some sports associations provide this coverage, others do not. Therefore, check with your association before enrolling in coverage.
2. Accidental Death and Dismemberment Coverage
There are times when someone might get killed or severely maimed as a result of sporting accident. Sometimes, these might be staff members. These parties are often close to the sidelines and could be sitting ducks for accidents. Therefore, should they get killed or otherwise severely injured, then this coverage can step in to compensate them or their loved ones.
A basic or catastrophic injury plan is a great benefit for student athletes. However, it does not replace standard health insurance. After all, accident policies will only pay for injuries sustained during play. What if a student athlete gets sick, has a car accident, or sustains an injury that needs physical therapy? In these cases, their standard health insurance is the best way for them to get help.
Many intercollegiate athletic organizations offer a health benefits package to players if they cannot obtain health insurance on their own. Therefore, the team can always stay healthy.
Finally, your team will assume responsibility for the safety of players, spectators and others. That’s why if something happens to them on your watch, they might try to sue you for their losses.
A general liability insurance plan is the policy that will help you cover the bodily injuries, property damage and other harm that third parties sustain as a result of your negligence. This is the coverage that will help you compensate a spectator who gets hurt during a game, or a player who sues you because they allege that the team didn’t provide them with appropriate protection.
All coverage for team medical benefits will differ in their terms, limits and exclusions. This can impact when, how and how much money you can claim from your policy. Therefore, don’t hesitate to work with one of our agents to put together the quality medical benefits for your team’s needs.
