Why PTOs Need Sports Insurance

A parent-teacher organization (PTO) is likely one of the most prominent social groups associated with a school. The PTO is often the organizer of most student body and community activities; sometimes, that will involve hosting sporting events. Field days, charity sporting events and more—they all might be organized, funded and supported by PTOs.  

However, by taking responsibility for sporting events, the PTO also assumes the risks associated with them. It is impossible to prevent accidents and other challenges from occurring at these events, but you can be prepared for them if you have the right insurance. 

PTOs need several types of insurance, and many of these policies can apply to sporting events. When putting together your policy package, the experts at Bene-Marc, Inc. will be there to help you get the perfect combination of coverage. 

What Does Sports Insurance Cover for PTAs?  
All sporting events are going to have risks associated with them. These include player injury risks and risks of spectator injuries, property damage and lawsuits brought by various parties. The responsibility for these accidents might fall on the shoulders of the PTO, and even when the problem is an accident, the costs will be high. 

To safeguard your organization against these ramifications, consider your insurance policies as your lifeline. Your policies will be there to help you avoid some of the financial consequences of unavoidable, unpreventable accidents.  

All the same, getting sports insurance for your PTO will require attention to detail. All plans will need to be customized to the needs of the policyholder. For example, suppose you organize sporting events for elementary schools. In that case, you will need to consider that young children are often more prone to accidents. On the other hand, if you oversee high school events, you must recognize that older children might play contact sports, leading to different injury risks. Neither risk is more significant than the other; still, their differences will merit special consideration when putting together an insurance package. 

Sports Coverage for PTOs 
Some of the sports insurance plans that may come in handy for PTOs include: 

• General liability insurance—Sometimes, you might unintentionally cause problems (e.g., bodily injuries or property damage) for another party, such as a spectator. If that party sues you over their losses, then this coverage can assist you with settling the costs. 
• Medical payments coverage—There is always a chance that a participant could get hurt while playing a sport. This coverage can offer them compensation for their medical bills, separate from the injury coverage provided by a general liability plan. 
• Premises medical coverage—If a spectator at an event gets hurt, even if they are not actively playing the game, this coverage can compensate them for their losses. 
• Excess accident insurance—An excess accident policy is an optional coverage that will provide additional medical coverage past standard medical payments coverage limits.  
• Directors and officers (D&O) liability—When someone files a lawsuit against the PTO, they might sue PTO leaders personally. A D&O plan will help the directors protect their own assets from loss because of the suit. 

• Property/equipment insurance—Various belongings, including sporting equipment, could sustain damage in hazards (e.g., fires or severe weather), be stolen or get lost unexpectedly. This coverage can help you replace those items.  
• Crime insurance—While PTO property is often insured against theft, internal acts of dishonesty (e.g., embezzlement) often have limited coverage. Crime insurance helps compensate the PTO for the stolen money so that a robbery won’t create a significant financial setback.  
• Rented premises liability insurance— Should your organization rent a space to host an event, then there is a chance that you might damage that property. As a result, you might have to pay for the losses. This coverage can help you do so. 
• Non-owned auto liability coverage—When operating a vehicle on behalf of the PTO, your personal auto insurance might not protect you if you are at fault for an accident. Non-owned auto liability coverage will provide the necessary coverage for these costs. 
• Sexual misconduct insurance—Unfortunately, predators could use PTOs as access points to target victims. Should allegations of such incidents arise, lawsuits might follow. This coverage can provide the assistance to help you fight the suit. However, coverage may be limited if the involved parties are found guilty of illegal activities. 

The limits, deductibles, and other policy terms will need to be calculated based on the organization’s needs. You will want your plans to prevent a financial loss in case of a significant claim arises. Therefore, you will want to consider your property value, net worth and financial liabilities when choosing the proper policy limits.  

By speaking to your Bene-Marc agent about your precise coverage needs, you can rest assured that your plans will provide assistance at the right times.