Educating new gunowners about firearm safety is an important job, but it can carry some unique risks. If you’re a firearm instructor, you probably know it’s a good idea to obtain insurance to help protect yourself and your livelihood. But you may wonder what kind of insurance you need and how it will protect you.
Two of the most common types of small business insurance are general liability and professional liability. Each one protects against different risks. Here’s what to know about these two liability insurance options.
What Is General Liability Insurance?
In many cases, general liability insurance is the first line of defense against a third-party claim alleging damages. It can provide benefits to a third party if they are physically injured or their property is damaged and they claim that you are responsible. In short, general liability coverage protects your business and its assets from the cost of many types of lawsuits and settlements.
However, the key to this liability coverage is in the term “general.” There are all sorts of unique and specific risks a business can face depending on what it does. General liability insurance is intended to serve as protection from the ordinary risks that affect most businesses. Some common situations where general liability would apply include a customer tripping over a rug or a tree branch falling on their car in the parking lot.
For firearm instructors, the risks are different, but similar protections apply. A general liability policy for an instructor can offer protection if a third party is injured or damage happens to the range during your instruction.
What Is Professional Liability Insurance?
Professional liability is another type of protection available to small businesses and professionals. It shares some characteristics with general liability, such as helping to cover the cost of claims related to injuries or damages in situations where you are accused of being responsible.
But coverage for professional liability is unique, in that it focuses on specific areas related to your professional expertise and activities. For an architect, that might mean how building plans are drawn or construction is managed. If a mistake is alleged and an injury or financial loss results, the architect could be sued and would need to rely on professional liability coverage to help cover the cost of any legal fees, defense costs, judgements or settlements.
For a firearm instructor, professional liability relates specifically to how you teach firearm safety. If you were to make a mistake while instructing, such as giving out incorrect information or forgetting to go over an important detail, you could face a lawsuit from a student who injured themselves or someone else based on that instruction. Even if your instruction is clear, correct and complete, there’s still a risk of being accused of negligent training. A professional liability policy can help protect against both these types of claims.
Which Liability Coverage Is Right for You?
Lawsuits against firearm instructors happen often enough that most ranges, clubs, programs and events now require instructors to have insurance before you even walk through the door. In some ways, that’s for the best, since a lawsuit involving firearm instruction can be extremely costly if you don’t have the right protection.
To be fully protected against all the liability risks an instructor faces, it’s really best to have some form of both general liability protection as well as professional liability protection. This way, you can be protected from incidents that occur while you are instructing as well as claims of negligent training after your instruction.
To meet these needs, Lockton Affinity Outdoor has developed a single insurance policy for instructors that can provide protection for both general liability and professional liability claims.
How Can Firearm Instructor Insurance Protect You?
For instructors, coaches and range safety officers, Firearm Instructor Insurance can provide much-needed protection against claims involving premises liability, property damage and negligent training.
This policy covers you for both the classroom and range instruction activities that you are certified or credentialed to teach, both during your instruction and afterward if a claim of negligence is alleged. A range of affordable options are available, with $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate protection available for just $300 per year, before applicable taxes and/or fees.
Getting the coverage you need is simple with Lockton Affinity Outdoor. Firearm Instructor Insurance is available for purchase online with just a few clicks.
If you have more questions about coverage for you and your business, we’re happy to help. Give us a call at (844) 401-9444 or visit us online at LocktonAffinityOutdoor.com.