Return to main Advice page

Legal Eagle

Miscellaneous

Q: Public liability insurance for amateurs

I am a member of a small amateur group of musicians with about 50 members. Is there any way we can create an insurance package to cover us for public liability insurance?

A: Certainly there is. I see no reason why you should not obtain insurance cover against public liability, or indeed any other type of cover you may require, since the insurance market caters for all types of needs, both business and private, and you are no exception.

There are certain brokers who specialise in insurance for the theatre industry and performing arts and if you require a recommendation for one, I will be happy to give it to you privately. I believe that Equity arranges special insurance terms for its members and I would be surprised if the same does not apply to the Musicians' Union. Although you are an amateur group, I would be surprised if one or other or both of these organisations would decline to help you if you give them a call.

I wonder why you mention public liability insurance particularly. I should imagine you would also want comprehensive, 'all risks' cover for the musical instruments used by the group and I should imagine you would not experience much difficulty in obtaining a group discount if you have about 50 members.

I suggest you use the services of a good, reliable insurance broker who should have the ability through computerised records to obtain the best market rates and group discounts for you, since from your amateur status I expect you are looking to keep the cost down as much as possible.

There will probably be a need to distinguish between group cover where you are performing, rehearsing or otherwise acting as a group on the one hand, and personal cover for individual liability and individual ownership of musical instruments on the other. But I am sure there must be lots of precedents for this in the form of standard policy wording, which again is another reason for using a good broker who will ensure that the policy is designed for all the eventualities you require.

You should be able through a broker to organise a single comprehensive policy and arrange for your members to contribute towards the premium in return for sharing in the benefits. It may be that you and one or two of your members will have to act as trustees of the policy for the benefit of all who participate. I suggest you get a premium quote first and then test the water with your members.

First published July 2002