When Planning School Events, Liability Risks Come First

The end of the school year seems to be getting closer and closer by the day. Organizations like PTAs will likely plan activities for teachers and students. These activities might take place on school property or elsewhere.

Special events merit special safety precautions. They also often can benefit from the added security of liability insurance policies. Liability insurance can protect the organization and the school itself in case the event leads to harm to someone else. With coverage, the school can react quickly to ensure the proper control of any damages.

Why You Need Liability Protection?

Let’s say your PTA decides to host a field day for students at the end of the year. Students might be able to get out of class, have fun, eat and socialize. Given this exceptional environment, there’s always a chance someone could get hurt.

For example, if there’s a baseball pitch, someone might get hit on the head with a stray ball. They might sustain a head injury, requiring medical intervention. The injured party might hold the organizers or the school responsible. They might even sue for damages. In such situations, liability insurance can come in handy. It can help the school or PTA organization cover the damage costs.

Getting the Right Liability Protection

Sometimes, a school’s general liability insurance will cover PTA organizations. In other cases, special events might fall outside the realm of the school’s coverage. Organizers should make sure they always have appropriate insurance before staging events. Coverage they might need includes

• Bodily injury liability: Covers liabilities resulting from injuries or deaths to a third person.
• Property damage liability: If the event causes damage to someone else’s property, this coverage can help you compensate them.
• Rented space liability: If you damage a property you make use of, you might owe money to the owner.
• Product liability: If you produce or sell items, they might cause harm to someone else.
• Medical payments liability: If a volunteer or other worker gets hurt, this coverage can help cover their medical bills.
• Advertising injury liability: Helps in case promotions or other actions by the PTA lead to libel, slander or other accusations.

Usually, liability policies can become very specific. The PTA might benefit from supplemental defense costs coverage, harassment liability, sexual misconduct liability and non-owned auto coverage. Organizers should coordinate with school officials and their insurer to make sure they have the proper special events coverage. Ensure that your full scale of coverage can effectively cover the event.