Insurance protection for stable owners, trainers, instructors and people working in the horse business is vital. Whether your business includes boarding horses, private lessons, clinics, horse sales and shows or operating a riding academy, liability coverage for bodily injury to others and property damage is imperative. Commercial Equine Liability Coverage will protect you by paying the cost of defending you when a lawsuit is brought against you by a third party who is injured or whose property is damaged, as a result of your horse business activities. It will also pay for damages for liability imposed upon you or your business by a liability claim or court judgment. As any damage that exceeds your policy limits will come out of your personal assets. Again, the more personal assets you have, the more coverage you need.
These activities and their varied functions pose unique liability exposures, which need specially designed products tailored to the exposures that may not be adequately covered under normal personal liability policies such as a homeowner policy.
The equine Activity Laws may help you provide a defense in the event of an equine incident, but they will not prevent you from being sued. Without adequate liability coverage you will have to pay damages and defense costs yourself. The Equine Liability Laws only cover “inherent risks” in equine activities. Some plaintiffs are able to successfully argue that their situation did not involve an “inherent risk”. In other words, you could lose the case.
Coverage Highlights
- Liability limits up to $1,000,000 are available for bodily injury and personal property damage
- Liability for personal and advertising injury
- Basic and comprehensive liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage to others
- Fire legal liability
- Medical Payments
- Product Liability
- This liability policy will pay all legal costs associated with a claim or lawsuit in addition to the limit of liability shown on the policy
The basic Commercial Equine Liability Policy does not cover claims or damage to property in your Care, Custody or Control. If someone claims, for example, that you injured their horse in the course of training, you would need a Care, Custody or Control Policy to cover that damage claim.
Care, Custody or Control
The Equine Care, Custody or Control Insurance is an essential coverage for all horse operations which involve non-owned horses, including boarding, breeding and training. A Standard General Liability Insurance Policy excludes for personal property (horses are an example) in your care, custody or control. This coverage fills this void by promising to pay all sums you are legally obligated to pay for damage to non-owned horses in your care, custody or control. This coverage does not apply to horses that you own or lease.
Your policy will cover up to the chosen policy limits for the injury, theft or death of the horses in you care, custody or control. Policy limits are available up to $500,000 per horse and $1,000,000 maximum loss per policy year.
With Care, Custody or Control, you are protected against: legal liability resulting form the injury to or death of non-owned horses in your care, custody or control and the cost to defend any suit alleging injury to or death of non-owned horses in your care, custody or control.
You are eligible for this program if you own or lease a farm that boards horses belonging to others and your farm employs a normal standard of care (normal standard of care includes but is not limited to 24-hour supervision, proper maintenance, adequate and safe construction, proper fencing). You may also be eligible for this program if you operate horse boarding or training facility as an independent contractor.
YOUR SOURCE FOR EQUINE PROTECTION AND FARM AND RANCH INSURANCE
For More Information Call:
C. Jarvis Insurance Agency
33755 Station Street
Solon, Ohio 44139
Tel: (440) 248-5330Fax: (440) 248-8737
info@jarvisinsurance.com or visit us at http://www.jarvisinsurance.com
A SPECIAL THANKS TO STUART VESTY FOR THE USE OF HIS PHOTOPRAPHY
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO WWW.VESTYPHOTO.COM
Newsletter is written by Margie Turner. Information sources include the following: American Bankers Insurance Company, Travelers Insurance, Liability Equine Law, Allison Rowe.