If you are a personal trainer, congratulations! Working as a trainer has a variety of benefits – it allows for flexible hours, gives you the opportunity to be your own boss, allows you to spend your time doing what you like, and it’s an in-demand service as well.
But if you’re not careful, your dream job could turn into a nightmare. All it takes is one client suffering an injury (or claiming to suffer an injury) and you could be on the wrong end of a massive lawsuit. What can you do to protect yourself from this threat? Below are four key steps.
1) Ensure all equipment is in good shape. The best way to prevent a lawsuit is to prevent an accident from taking place to begin with. And while you can’t prepare for every possible danger, you can make a habit of ensuring that all of your equipment is in safe operating condition.
2) Be careful about giving advice. Did you know that, in some circumstances, you could be held liable for faulty advice that you provide? So be careful what you say and how you say it. One area that often leads to trouble is nutritional advice. You may have great personal habits and know quite a bit about healthy eating, but if you aren’t certified, be careful what you recommend to clients.
3) Create a thorough contract and require each client to sign it. It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many personal trainers operate without any sort of contract. This is a recipe for disaster. You need a contract which clearly states the details of your arrangement, including payment terms, scheduling considerations, any results that you are responsible for providing, and so forth. Your contract must also limit your liability as much as possible.
4) Purchase liability insurance to protect you when things go wrong. Despite your best efforts, accidents happen. For that reason, it’s vital to protect yourself with liability insurance. Otherwise, you could find yourself at risk of losing your business as well as personal assets in the event of a lawsuit. We can help you select the right coverage for your business – contact us today to learn more!
