Personal trainer insurance: cover yourself in time

The get fit season is great news for personal trainers, who will be inundated with new clients and work opportunities. However, an increased workload also means more responsibility; and without the right insurance, personal trainers could find their business in financial difficulty if a claim arises.

There are two key insurance covers that every personal trainer should consider: professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance.

Professional indemnity insurance covers your legal costs incurred in defending a claim made against you for providing poor or negligent advice, together with any award made should the claim be successful. A client may injure themselves performing a particular exercise, in which case they may choose to take legal action against you for giving poor or incorrect instructions. Professional indemnity insurance will cover you in this scenario.

Public liability insurance covers the legal expenses and costs in defending a claim made against you for damage you cause to a third party and/or third party property, together with any award made should the claim be successful. A client may injure themselves by tripping over something that has been left lying around (such as a dumbbell or an exercise mat) and take legal action against you. Public liability insurance would cover you in this scenario.

Most personal trainers will hopefully never have to defend themselves against a claim – but if you do, you may be liable for costs, damages and both your own and your client's legal expenses. The total cost can reach thousands of pounds very easily, and without insurance, you'd have to pay it out of your own pocket.

Markel offers professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance for personal trainers from just £8.40 a month in ten interest free instalments. Find out more about personal trainer insurance or get a quote now.