Insurance query re instructors

[jules9203]

I run a small livery yard and have insurance covering my teaching, public liability etc. However if I were to let an outside instructor come and teach one of my liveries (at the livery's request) how would I stand if something went wrong in the lesson and the instructor had no insurance?

 

[Shay]

Best check with your own insurance. They will know better than anyone what your cover would be in that situation.

 

[Kat]

It depends what went wrong.

If an accident occurred due to say dangerous fencing then liability would rest with your public liability insurance irrespective of whether the instructor was insured or not.

If the instructor caused an accident through their own actions the liability would rest with them and if they weren't insured they would be at risk of bankruptcy/repossession etc if they couldn't pay.

However faced with an uninsured defendant a claimant will look very closely at ways of alleging fault against someone with insurance, and if they were hiring the school from you they might have an argument that you should be liable. So it would be safest to ask any visiting instructor for evidence that they have insurance.

 

[OldFogie]

My advice ( and I'm only long in the tooth rather than an expert!) is be very wary about ANYTHING to do with insurance which is not written in letters of stone! The barstewards will try every trick in the book to wriggle out of a claim - and that's the only time you'll ever know if you were covered.

Be very carefull about the distinction between insurances - if you are training someone or have a "pecuniary relationship" i.e. they are paying you for something - they are NOT the public so you will not be covered for anything under a Public Liability insurance - you need something specific to your business and this applies even if ( begging your pardon) it's only a tuppennyhapenny one. I know of a case years ago, where a guy ended up owing £27k from a fee of £6 and it broke him.

Also be very wary of asking anyone to do anything for you, through you - you are still liable in law even you are on the other side of the world when it all goes Pete Tong!

 

[jules9203]

Thank you everyone. Pretty much what I thought.