General Liability Insurance

[Kym Kilcrease]

I am checking around for Insurance for my Photography Business. I have found one that will cover my G. L., Camera Equipment and my Studio. It for around $1300 for the year.

Is there a better place to get Insurance for Photographers?

Thank you,
Kym

[carrbowl]

Yes...PPA. You can get liability insurance when you sign up, and then get insurance on your inquipment much more reasonable than that..

[Mindy H]

Yup....I paid *way* less than that through State Farm.

[Kym Kilcrease]

Mindy are you PPA it's that like 500?

[alwoodruff]

This is probably a stupid question (humor me), but what would the benefit be for getting liability insurance?

[Howard Barlow]

You're kidding, right?

[carrbowl]

No Howard I don't think she is. Some people really don't know alot of this stuff---remember Howard, not everyone is old like us!!!....I would suggest looking up PPA and looking at what they say..I could explain it, but I'm positive they will explain it much better.
If you don't get anything pm me...I'll give you some ideas!!

[alwoodruff]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

No Howard I don't think she is. Some people really don't know alot of this stuff---remember Howard, not everyone is old like us!!!....I would suggest looking up PPA and looking at what they say..I could explain it, but I'm positive they will explain it much better.
If you don't get anything pm me...I'll give you some ideas!!

I wasn't kidding. Thanks for sticking up for me Renae:) The legal aspect of this business is very new to me. I will check out the ppa website. Also, I'm new to tpf. What is "pm"ing and how do I do it? Please don't anyone make fun of me for asking that question:)

alwoodruff added 15 Minutes and 12 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

http://www.ppa.com/ppa-today-blog/bu...iness-with.php

I found this to be helpful. Thanks!

[ShaneKislack]

Amanda, you are responsible for anything that happens to someone while they are in your studio. Or if you are on location and accidentally burn the building down. General Liability will protect you.

[carrbowl]

Pm'ing is a Private message...if you left click on the persons name, you can send them a personal message...some of usdo that when we don't want to get embarrassed or harrassed by asking what we think is a dumg question!!! Sometimes we forget people havent' been on the forum forever and they are new. I have been guilty of this..we see the same questions several times and assume people have seen them.

Keep asking....we'll keep answering...especially now that we know you are new...we forget people haven't been sitting around looking at this forum forever!!!

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

Yes...PPA. You can get liability insurance when you sign up, and then get insurance on your inquipment much more reasonable than that..

I first need to clear up a misconception Renae seems to have about PPA membership. When you join PPA your membership includes indemnification insurance. It covers you for errors and omissions in the performance of your work. Things like accidentally deleting wedding images from a card before they are downloaded, or having a computer crash with no backup and losing images from ten sessions, or forgetting you had a wedding last weekend.

Liability insurance on the other hand covers things like having the wind blow a light stand over and injure someone, or having someone trip over an extension cord during an event, or having your camera and tripod fall over and break a priceless piece of furniture. It can also cover exhibits set up at locations other than your studio.

The third type of insurance would be general equipment insurance on cameras, lenses, lighting, computers, etc. Add to this "marine floater" coverage to cover any equipment you take on location.

If you own a studio you will also need to cover that building and its contents. You may need some sort of coverage if you lease studio space.

You can get all the parts that you need as a package through PPA or you can do what I did and shop it around to other insurance companies to get a better deal.

Amanda, your question was not stupid, but for those of us who have been doing this for a while it seemed a bit incredulous. You would want to carry liability insurance for your business for the same reason you carry it on your car. To keep someone from suing you for everything you own in case an accident happens. And accidents seem to always happen to the one who doesn't have insurance.

[carrbowl]

Well Don, ( or someone!!!)I'm not sure what PPA is talking about then. Because I called them specifcally about this and asked them if I had it. They said I did. Would it be because I have their insurance for my equipment?

[Mindy H]

Originally Posted by Kym Kilcrease

Mindy are you PPA it's that like 500?

I am PPA, but I didn't go through PPA for the insurance. I should have called them for a quote at least I guess. But, I really wanted to sit face to face with an agent and explain the details of what I do, where I do it, who's involved, what equipment I use, etc. so that I could make sure I really got the coverages that I needed.

[Howard Barlow]

Amanda,
I wasn't making fun of you. Actually, I would expect anyone to know what liability is, if only in the general use of the term.

As well, anyone going into business should understand they are liable, otherwise know as responsible, for anyone being injured while on their property, in their care, or following their advice. Of course, that is not an all inclusive statement, either.

If little Timmy knocks your background stand over and it hits him in the head, you will, in most cases, be financially liable for injuries, mental anguish, and a ton of other things lawyers can dream up.

Liability = responsibility.

Howard Barlow added 5 Minutes and 36 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Originally Posted by carrbowl

Well Don, ( or someone!!!)I'm not sure what PPA is talking about then. Because I called them specifcally about this and asked them if I had it. They said I did. Would it be because I have their insurance for my equipment?

Nope. The included indemnification is just as Don said, if you fail to perform your professional duties. It has nothing to do with someone getting injured by tripping on your camera bag at the wedding. Neither does having equipment coverage, in case your camera was damaged when someone did trip over the bag.

Liability is a third type of coverage. Anyone at PPA, or elsewhere, who told you being a member of PPA covers your liabilty, well, they were wrong.

Liability, indemnification, equipment coverage... All three different and distinctive entities, unrelated to each other, with no overlap between them them.

[abril1127]

So "Texas PPA" is different from "PPA" right? You don't get that indemnification insurance with Texas PPA?
SO I guess you have to join Texas PPA to go to Texas school & the convention then the regular PPA to get the insurance options? Then your local PPA to actually get to go to some Monthly meetings and meet some local photogs.
Starting to think this is a racket!