COVID-19 and Cover Under Insurance Policies

COVID-19 and Cover Under Insurance Policies   Business Interruption Most Business Interruption cover is based on a specified list of diseases and has been since the SARS outbreak in 2003. These policies exclude business interruption due to new and emerging diseases, like COVID-19. Most policy wordings clearly identify the diseases that cover is offered for and, in addition, highlights that new and emerging diseases like COVID-19 are not covered.   The current COVID-19 outbreak is therefore not covered under a significant majority of business interruption policies.   Most business interruption policies traditionally focus on physical events such as a fire at a premises. Although contingent business interruption extensions for a range of non-damage scenarios are available, such covers typically have much lower limits, shorter indemnity periods and are not guaranteed to respond to novel causes of loss such as COVD-19.   We are aware of the comments made in recent

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Personal Trainers expanding their business – Important Insurance Considerations

There are many low cost insurance options out there for fitness instructors and personal trainers such as those offered by the professional bodies and trade associations or directly by some online insurers. For an individual working as a freelance personal trainer within 3rd party premises these may well be the best option, however there can be many limitations to such insurance policies and as your business expands or changes you need to be aware of the implications to avoid an uninsured claim. These are some of the key areas to consider: Taking on a premises – If you are operating a personal training studio or a gym, the risk for you and the insurer is very different to that of a personal trainer. Most claims in gyms arise from slips, trips and falls or faulty equipment. If you operate such a facility you need a policy which describes your business

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Increase to Insurance Premium Tax

As of 1st October 2016, Insurance Premium Tax will increase from 9.5% to 10%. Any Insurances arranged prior to the 1st October 2016 will be subject to the existing rate of 9.5% until the policy falls due for renewal. If you would like any further information regarding this change in legislation or the Insurance Act 2015, please feel free to contact us.  

Airbags in Trampoline Parks

Airbags are becoming more prevalent pieces of equipment within trampoline parks. At Independents we consult with all the main manufacturers and our client base of trampoline park operators to ensure that best practice is adopted within the industry. We see the importance of using an experienced manufacturer not only from a safety perspective but the ongoing support for maintenance and testing. Tomas Huting of BigAirBag® has made come commentary below however we recommend that you speak to your own manufacturer in the first instance. “At BigAirBag® we recognise that FOAM PIT AirBags become more and more popular in trampolines parks across the world. They offer great advantages over traditional foam pits in terms of hygiene, throughput and safety, yet they also invite us to learn new tricks and thereby meet new boundaries. Dealing with all sorts of different cultures, regulations and skill levels of end users, we feel a great

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